Dr. Franklin West works seven days a week, but, with enthusiasm, he says his career is more a lifestyle than a job. And it is easy to understand his drive: As a researcher studying stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, West’s potential successes have wide-ranging implications.
“I feel like we’re really going to help people and make some significant changes with these therapies that we’re developing, and I think that’s what keeps me going,” he says.
West, who has been interested in science since collecting bugs as a preschooler with his Air Force dad, already has contributed to significant innovations in the field. As an assistant research scientist, for instance, he worked with his University of Georgia adviser, Dr. Steven Stice, to reprogram pig bone marrow cells into stem cells that can turn into any cell in the body. They then injected those powerful cells into pig embryos that were put into female pigs and developed into piglets that were born in September 2009.
“The purpose of introducing the stem cells into the embryo is to determine if they can truly turn into every functional cell type in the body in a real life setting,” West says. “Many cells act like they can turn into a number of different cell types in a petri dish. But if they can perform in a real live animal, you know you have a bona fide stem cell that can turn into any cell type.”
