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johan ericson

"There are still a number of problems we need to solve. Even if our work looks very promising, we still can't get all stem cells to develop into dopamine neurons. One important problem is to get rid of the small proportion of undifferentiated stem cells that continue to divide and could give rise to cancer."

Subject tags for this article: molecular biology, cells, stem cells,

Born: 1965
Doctorate in molecular biology, Umeå University 1995
Professor of Developmental Biology at the Karolinska Institutet

Interview by Eva Krutmeijer

The brain contains a thousand or so different types of cell. If the cells that produce the signal substance dopamine stop functioning, you get Parkinson's disease (link to Ericson3). Johan Ericson is a developmental biologist at the Karolinska Institutet. Together with his colleague Thomas Perlmann, he has managed to get immature cells, stem cells, to develop into dopamine-manufacturing nerve cells. This was a breakthrough that earned them much attention all over the world - in research circles at any rate.

How come you succeeded where others didn't?

"By studying what nature does - the process of developmental biology - we found clues about what actually happens in cells when they're formed in the developing embryo. It's surprising that no one had done this before, looked at how nerve cells normally develop. By doing so we managed to develop an efficient way of making exactly the right type of nerve cell from embryonic stem cells."

What's good and bad about being a stem cell researcher?

"The most important plus factor is that you can do basic research in a field where tremendous advances are being made all the time. Sure, it's demanding, but it's enormously stimulating too. I suppose the down side is that many people have such great expectations of what stem cell research can offer in terms of new treatment methods. I'm constantly getting mail from patients and from relatives who are quite desperate."

Have your discoveries led to any new treatments or drugs?

"No, it'll take time before we can run any tests on humans. I hope I'll be around to see it, perhaps ten years' time. It would be fantastic to be able to stick with it the whole way and really see people getting better."

Why is it taking so long?

"There are still a number of problems we need to solve. Even if our work looks very promising, we still can't get all stem cells to develop into dopamine neurons. One important problem is to get rid of the small proportion of undifferentiated stem cells that continue to divide and could give rise to cancer."

What's been the greatest moment in your research career so far?

"When I saw we'd succeeded in producing the right cell type. I'm afraid the joy didn't last as long as I'd have liked - I immediately started thinking about the next step, the next problem... As a scientist I think I could be better at making the most of my moments of happiness!"