THE breakthrough of 2006?

[Frank]

What was THE breakthrough in the biological sciences in 2006?

In my view it was a breakthrough in gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy:
Alter J, Lou F, Rabinowitz A, Yin H, Rosenfeld J, Wilton SD, Partridge TA, Lu QL. Systemic delivery of morpholino oligonucleotide restores dystrophin expression bodywide and improves dystrophic pathology. Nat Med. 2006 Feb;12(2):175-7.

Google gives me this rhyme:
They now know how
To clone a cow.
The corollary
Is pretty scary.

And what about breakthroughs expected in 2007?

[Frank]

Erratum:
Also this article:
Sampaolesi et al. Mesoangioblast stem cells ameliorate muscle function in dystrophic dogs. Nature. 2006 Nov 30;444(7119):574-9.

Simultaneous use of stem-cell therapy and gene therapy may yield better results than each therapy alone.

I think we will see these therapies being applied in ~10 years from now.

[molecule2005]

lol Google is nuts.

Yes, stem cell therapy was hot. Also gene therapy as you mention.

My friend's lab came out with the Fat Bacteria Hypothesis, although I don't believe it much (published in Nature). If it ever comes out true, then I believe that (accidental!) finding was actually quite interesting and a paradigm shift in thinking about obesity.

[sally]

Without destroying the embryo if he could isolate pluripotent stem cells its a breakthrough
Ethhical issues should be discussed too

[Frank]

Hi Sally,

the article with stem cells that I referred to used stem cells from adult dogs, not from embryos.

[Frank]

This one is also high on my list:

Diabetes breakthrough
Toronto scientists cure disease in mice
Published: Friday, December 15, 2006

In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians.

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[cyberpostdoc]

take a look