 |
          
  |
|
|
|
According
to news
reports, two new
studies indicate that stem cells created from reprogrammed body cells may
not be as pluripotent as embryonic stem cells.
Even if it is proven one day that iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cells)
will never be as malleable as stem cells obtained from destroyed human embryos,
it doesn’t make embryonic stem cell research any less unethical. Feeling somewhat skeptical about the spin
generated by the media over these studies, AdvanceUSA contacted Dr. David
Prentice to get a better perspective on the implications of these studies. Here’s what he told us by email:
The data show that with current techniques,
some iPS cells may not be completely reprogrammed to be identical to embryonic
stem cells. But the results also show
that in some cases this made it easier to change the iPS cells into specialized
tissues, such as blood cells. Both
papers also showed that subsequent manipulation could further reprogram iPS
cells to a more embryonic-like state.
Several leading embryonic stem cell scientists have also noted that the
techniques are still being improved, and it is simply a matter of time until
these hurdles are overcome.
Regardless, this is still no justification
for further destruction of embryos, nor especially to justify cloning of human
embryos for experiments, which is what one paper seems to imply. While this is interesting in terms of basic
science, embryonic stem cells are poor substitutes for adult stem cells and the
current successful treatments that they are already delivering to thousands of
patients.
Dr.
Prentice explains even more in a recent
blog post at FRC Blog.
ABC
News reports that a new stem cell “homing” technique cured rabbits of joint
problems by causing stem cells in their body to move to problem areas and
replace damaged tissues. This suggests
that similar techniques could probably be used in humans without the need to
destroy human embryos. Dr. Prentice adds
more helpful
expert commentary at FRC Blog.
ABC News reports. Excerpt:
Frozen blood from stored samples can be
used to make cells resembling stem cells, researchers said on Thursday --
opening a potential new and easier source for the valued cells.
They used cells from blood to make induced
pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells -- lab-made cells that closely resemble
human embryonic stem cells but are made from ordinary tissue.
These iPS cells have in the past been made
from plugs of skin, but blood is much easier to take from people and to store,
the researchers reported in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
The
Telegraph reports. As does the NY
Daily News. Ethical adult stem cell
treatments continue to outperform unethical embryonic stem cell research, which
has yet to produce successful treatments or therapies. Unfortunately, many media sources unnecessarily
distort the issue by refusing to distinguish ethical ADULT stem cell research
from unethical EMBRYONIC stem cell research which destroys an innocent human
life.
Find
out more at our stem cell
page.
Dr.
David Prentice reports that, despite all the problems with unethical
embryo-destroying research and human cloning, liberals in Congress still want
to fund human cloning with your tax dollars.
If
members of Congress really want to promote treatments and prevent human cloning
they should support legislation like the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2009
(H.R. 1050) which is a total ban on human cloning and the Patients First Act of
2009 (H.R. 877) which prioritizes ethical forms of stem cell research which
have the most potential for actual treatments and cures.
The
Financial Times reports on another exciting discovery demonstrating how
unethical embryonic stem cell research and human cloning are totally
unnecessary for treating disease and making medical breakthroughs.
Townhall
examines recent successes from ethical adult stem cell therapy while NRP only looks
at unethical embryo-destroying forms of stem cell research.
The BBC reports that
techniques for obtaining donor-specific pluripotent stem cells from ordinary
skin cells are becoming more efficient.
Once again, science shows that unethical embryonic stem cell research is
totally unnecessary.
The Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel reports on an exciting new way to obtain pluripotent stem cells
(cells that can transform into any tissue type) from an ethical and abundant
source, human blood. Excerpts:
Cellular Dynamics is the first company to
say it can make stem cells from something as readily available, and so
representative of human diversity, as blood.
. . .
The stem cells, which scientists refer to
as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, have all the characteristics of
embryonic stem cells [except they don’t involve destroying human embryos]. They
can turn into beating heart cells, liver cells or any other tissue cells in the
body.
The
DC Examiner reports. Excerpt:
Researchers at the Children's Hospital
& Research Center in Oakland, California have discovered a new way to
harvest stem cells from the placenta.
This technique is a good use of the placenta which at the moment serves
no medicinal purpose after birth and thus is discarded. What is more, the study
“finds there are far more stem cells in placentas than in umbilical cord blood,
and they can be safely extracted for transplantation.”
WCCO reports. Excerpt:
Desperate to help her daughter, Radde
surfed the Internet for answers. That's how she found out what a doctor at
Northwestern Memorial in Chicago was doing.
Dr. Richard Burt is using patients' own
stem cells to fight MS.
"This therapy's designed to reset your
immune system," said Burt.
"He's been doing these stem cell
transplants and every single person that has been in this program has halted
their disease," said Radde.
"Eighty-one percent of them are
actually healing and regenerating their myelin, and that's the covering on the
nerves that every MS patient wants to keep," said Jung.
NewsOn6 reports. While this potentially life-saving form of
ethical stem cell treatment is still rather expensive, couples can still choose
to donate their left-over umbilical cord stem cells for the benefit of others.
Reuters
reports. Excerpt:
Patients will receive injections containing
millions of their own stem cells, which have been extracted and multiplied up
in a laboratory, and can regenerate new tissue to repair damaged regions.
More than 1,500 race horses have been
treated using the same process and follow-up data suggests a 50 percent
reduction in re-injury over a three year period, compared with conventional
treatment.
The
Scotsman reports on some exciting developments in ethical adult stem cell
research. Hopefully, human cartilage
will be produced using adult stem cells from patients’ own bodies.
Daniel Herbster reporting
We again have the privilege to hear from Dr. David Prentice about important bioethical issues. Dr. Prentice has years of teaching and research experience, and he now works for the illustrious Family Research Council in Washington, DC. With President Obama’s recent actions on taxpayer funding of embryo-destroying research, I thought it would be good to hear from our friend and my former teacher.
DH: Dr. Prentice, what exactly did President Obama do in his recent executive order? How will it affect the sanctity of life in this country?
DP: President Obama has removed any restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The previous Bush policy restricted federal funds for those lines (dishes) of human embryonic stem cells that were already in existence on Aug 9, 2001; this allowed funding for the research to proceed, but did not provide any incentive for more embryo destruction. Now, any lines can receive federal funding, no matter when the embryo was destroyed, and no matter how the embryo was produced. This would mean even for cases in the future, and for embryos created by cloning, or for human-animal hybrid embryos.
DH: It seems ironic that the President would chose to announce his new policy on embryonic stem cell research a matter of weeks after a major breakthrough in ethically produced induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Could you tell us what exactly these researchers accomplished and how does it relate to the push for more embryonic stem cell research?
DP: Recently scientists at MIT showed that they could produce these induced stem cells (iPS cells) directly from a Parkinson’s patient, and make the type of neurons in the lab that are missing in the patient. They are still years or decades away from ever using these cells in a patient, but it illustrates the ease with which these iPS cells can be produced, producing cells for study in the laboratory, and all without the use of embryos, eggs, or cloning.
DH: In his remarks President Obama claimed to oppose “human cloning.” What do you think he meant by this statement and do you believe he is being completely accurate?
As
if forcing Americans to support embryo-destroying research with their tax
dollars wasn’t enough, President Barack Obama has also overturned Bush guidelines
which sent research money to ethically obtained adult stem cells which, unlike
embryonic stem cells, are actually producing real results and treatments. LifeNews
reports. Excerpt:
President Barack Obama did more on Monday
than just force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research that requires
the destruction of human life. He also rescinded an executive order President
Bush put into place funding adult stem cells and new research with iPS cells.
Daniel
Herbster reporting
 Wesley
J. Smith is an influential writer and commentator who has dedicated his career
to preserving human dignity and educating his fellow man on the principles of
bioethics and justice. He is a senior
fellow at the Discovery Institute and a
special consultant to the Center for Bioethics
and Culture. He has also written a
number of books, and he blogs at Secondhand
Smoke. Smith was kind enough to
share with AdvanceUSA’s readers about important bioethics issues facing our society
today and about his work.
DH: Why are bioethics issues so important?
WJS: Bioethics is a contraction for “biomedical
ethics.” It is a field that has profound influence over core areas of human
endeavor that help establish and define the morality of society, and indeed,
the meaning of human life itself. Should elderly people have their health care
rationed? Is assisted suicide a proper
medical service? Is it right to create
cloned human embryos for use in research or to bring to birth? Is it wrong to abort fetuses because they
test positive for Down syndrome? Should parents be able to genetically enhance
their children? Are there morally relevant differences between humans and
animals? What should happen if a nurse
refuses to participate in an abortion or a physician wants to cut off wanted
life-sustaining medical treatment because the patient has a poor “quality of
life?” These and other equally important
bioethical issues are much larger than the sum of their parts because they
establish philosophical norms that exert tremendous influence upon society
beyond the policies themselves. Indeed,
I can think of few fields more important than bioethics in determining the kind
of society we shall become in the 21st century.
DH: What is “human exceptionalism” and how does
it relate to issues of life and justice?
WJS: Human exceptionalism refers to the sheer
moral importance and unique value of being human. I believe strongly that adhering to human
exceptionalism is the predicate to defending universal human rights. Indeed,
whether we accept or reject human exceptionalism may be the most important
issue we face as a culture. For if we say that simply being human is not what gives value to life, we have to
ask a second question: What does? That
second question leads directly to a system wherein those with power decide
which of us has greater--and which lesser—value, and who decides those who
don’t make muster. Thus, many in bioethics support “personhood theory,” which
denies the objective moral value of being human and claims that what matters morally
is being a “person,” a status earned
by possessing minimal cognitive capacities. In this view, there is such a thing
as a human “non person,” such as fetuses, newborns, and people who have lost
these capacities, such as Terri Schiavo.
Worse, because the human non person is defined as having lesser value,
they lose the right to life and, can be used instrumentally such as in medical
experimentation or as sources of organs.
Indeed, there is much agitation in bioethics and within the organ
transplant community to redefine death to include a diagnosis of persistent
vegetative state—meaning that if this view prevails, severely compromised
people could essentially be killed for their organs. This isn’t happening—yet—but the only way to
make sure that such policies are never instituted is to adhere to human
exceptionalism.
LifeNews reports. Excerpt:
Two groups of researchers have made more
progress with the use of adult stem cells -- showing they are both more ethical
and more effective than their embryonic counterparts. In this latest find, they
demonstrated that adult stem cells can self renew and repair tissue damage.
The
Telegraph has the exclusive interview with the woman who had her wind
pipe replaced using her own adult stem cells. This piece also includes video. Excerpt:
"The moment I woke after the
procedure, I looked up at the doctor and he smiled and told me it had been
successful - it was the best moment ever," she said. "I knew then
that I had a life and a future."
The 30-year-old Colombian mother of two,
who has lived in Spain for nine years, was struck down by tuberculosis five
years ago. She was given conventional treatment but her condition worsened.
"I was coughing all the time, I
couldn't walk very far and I couldn't say more than a few words at a time
before becoming breathless," said the dental nurse speaking on Wednesday
at the Barcelona hospital where she was treated. "I wasn't able to work
and couldn't do the normal things mothers do for their children."
Last January she was offered the chance of
a replacement windpipe grown using her own stem cells, a pioneering process
known as "tissue engineering". Without the transplant, surgeons would
have had to remove one of lungs, a procedure that carries a high mortality
rate.
LifeNews also reports.
The
Times Online reports. Excerpt:
A leading British scientist is leaving the
country to work in France after claiming that British science gives too much
priority to embryo experiments over “more ethical” alternatives.
The
Washington Post reports. Excerpt:
Scientists reported yesterday that they
have overcome a major obstacle to using a promising alternative to embryonic
stem cells, bolstering prospects for bypassing the political and ethical tempest
that has embroiled hopes for a new generation of medical treatments.
The researchers said they found a safe way
to coax adult cells to regress into an embryonic state, alleviating what had
been the most worrisome uncertainty about developing the cells into potential
cures.
LifeNews also reports.
LifeNews reports. Excerpt:
Wisconsin scientist James Thomson is
considered the father of embryonic stem cell research for isolating the first
embryonic stem cell in 1998. Now comes the news that Thomson's two research
companies are merging and planning to focus their energies on stem cells that
don't involve the destruction of human life.
This
amazing piece in the Times of London highlights the
real-world, life-saving results from non-embryonic sources of stem cells. Excerpt:
Peter Houghton, a lorry driver from
Preston, is understandably excited about the establishment of Kingscord, a new
UK centre for storing discarded umbilical cords and placenta, which are packed
with precious stem cells. Why? Because his baby son's life was saved by the
umbilical cord of a baby in Australia, whose parents opted to donate it to a
cord blood bank after the birth of their child, in the hope that it would one
day provide someone with a life-saving stem-cell transplant, more commonly
known as a bone-marrow transplant.
Read
full
article here.
Chuck
Colson explains the advantages of ethically obtained adult stem cells over
their unethical embryonic counterparts in a recent episode of
BreakPoint. He also explains how the
cult of scientism allows people to view human life as an object for use and
rather as something sacred to be protected.
Colson’s words are succinct and informative and are well worth the three
minutes it takes to listen. Read or listen to
this episode here.
CitizenLink reports. Excerpt:
Umbilical-cord blood has been used to treat
2-year-old Chloe Levine, who was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological
disorder that prevented her from using the right side of her body.
Two months after the Pinetop, Ariz.,
toddler was infused with stem cells from her own umbilical-cord blood, Levine
has made a 50 percent recovery and is walking, running and able to use her
right hand.
 Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is putting millions of dollars into adult stem cell research in the hopes of finding effective treatments for eye diseases. It’s interesting that people who actually want to make money off of cures and treatments are betting their investing their money in ethical adult stem cell sources rather than unethical embryonic sources.
Meanwhile, two doctors in Louisiana “have successfully used adult stem-cell therapy to help patients fight heart disease.” Citizenlink reports. Also, Harvard Medical School researchers have found that human adult and umbilical cord stem cells have been used to successfully create blood vessels in mice. This raises hopes that adult stem cells will be useful in repairing damaged circulatory tissue.
Check out the adult stem cell page or the adult stem cell blog category for more news on ethical breakthroughs and treatments.
Our
friend Dr. David Prentice and a team of experts, have authored a report on the amazing
adult stem cell success stories that have happened during 2008. Unethical embryonic research has yet to
produce one successful cure or treatment.
Take a look at these amazing results.
Daniel Herbster reporting
 In the stem cell debate, you will often here proponents of unethical embryonic stem cell research say that we have hundreds of thousands of “leftover embryos” from IVF clinics and that the “only” thing to be done with them is to kill them for use in research. Besides the fact that the numbers of available embryos is greatly exaggerated (when you consider that most parents of frozen embryos want to keep them), the fact that human embryos can be and have been adopted by couples unable to have children on their own shows that death in the lab is not the only option for IVF embryos.
One organization seeking to publicize this exciting adoption option is Nightlight Christian Adoptions. I recently came across their website (http://www.embryoadoption.org/) and I am happy to share with you my interview with Ron Stoddart, the Executive Director of NCA.
Note: The above photo is President Bush, soon after vetoing an unethical embryonic stem cell research funding bill, holding a child who was adopted as an embryo.
DH: Ron, why should we care about what happens to “leftover” IVF embryos?
RS: It is a scientific fact that life begins at conception. The argument is over when life is deserving of protection. There are certainly those who would rather argue that embryos are not life – or are not persons – rather than admit that they just don’t want to afford them the same protection as life that is further developed. They have a fear that if we accord too much respect to embryos then it will be an opening to have Roe v. Wade overturned. I believe that all human life is sacred and deserving of protection. The fact that the embryos have been frozen does not change their nature and they deserve a chance at continued life.
DH: About how many unused embryos are there in this country, and how many of those are even available for research purposes?
RS: The best estimates are that there are about 500,000 embryos currently frozen in fertility clinics around the United States. The decision about the fate of the embryos rests with the family who created them (except in Louisiana where they are protected from destruction). Different surveys have attempted to estimate how many families would donate their embryos for research, so the estimate varies from 15,000 embryos and up. The reality is that the vast majority of families with stored embryos do not know what to do and are struggling with their decision. We are trying to encourage them to have the embryos implanted, if not in the family who created them then in an adoptive family.
DH: Should we respect the rights of human embryos the same way we do for adult human beings? What is the state of the law regarding the treatment of embryos?
RS: A person’s a person regardless how small. There is a lot of wisdom in these words from the WHO. My answer to the question is “yes.” The state of the law, except for Louisiana, is that embryos are treated with slightly more respect than property. Most of the conflicts have arisen when a couple is divorcing. In those cases, the courts have consistently sided with the spouse who wants to destroy the embryos rather then allowing the other spouse to implant them or donating them to another couple. Not much respect there.
DH: What is the mission of Nightlight Christian Adoptions? How long have you been in operation, and how did it get started?
Daniel
Herbster reporting
Have
you ever been frustrated by the way the news media often fails to make the
distinction between adult and embryonic stem cells when talking about research
funding or medical results? The Repair Stem Cell Institute is trying
to do something about it, and I had the opportunity to interview the Chairman
and Founder of this organization, Don Margolis.
DH: Don, what are the differences
between adult and embryonic stem cells?
DM: The
difference is easily described when you don't use the common names but instead
use their reason for existing, which is easier to understand. Adult stem cells are more aptly REPAIR stem
cells (RSC); they know how to do just one function: REPAIR a sick part of the
body. Embryonic stems cells are
PROLIFERATING stem cells (PSC). They
know how to proliferate through some stages and become a zygote, then
proliferate through more stages and become a fetus, then proliferate again
until it is a baby. REPAIR stem cells repair. They repair so much and so well
that 100-plus diseases are being effectively treated with RSC around the
world. Meantime, PSC constantly
frustrate embryonic researchers by refusing to behave as repair cells because,
well, they are NOT. Even when well-trained to repair a disease, PSC may do it
but then off they go, wherever they wish, fighting the attempt to stop them
from proliferating and sometimes they can completely rebel and become tumors.
Now you can see why the treated disease score, after 10 years, is RSC, over
100; PSC, zero.
DH: Why is it so hard for the
media to mention the fact that there is more than one type of stem cell (not
all of which have ethical concerns)? Do
you think there is often an intentional effort to blur the distinction?
DM: The
American news media is more inclined to cover embryonic stem cell news and
trends. I'm hoping that the reason for this slanted news coverage is because
most writers, reporters and editors are uninformed about repair stem cell
science and how relevant this science is right now in treating those 100-plus
diseases, about half of them considered incurable by modern medicine. This is,
of course, is one of the main reasons why The Repair Stem Cell Institute LLC
(RSCI) was created a few months ago. My goal and the goal of my world-class
Science Advisory Board is to educate and inform the American public and news
media community about repair stem cell science and its treatment centers
located around the world. No company or
institution in the world can match the RSCI Science Advisory Board in stem cell
skills and knowledge – no one comes close! Then again, not many in the world
(outside of bloggers) are fighting the science battle for RSC.
DH: What is the The Repair Stem Cell Institute
and what is its mission?
Some
experts looking to get a return on their money are betting on ethically
obtained induced pluripotent stem cells rather than unethical embryonic stem
cell research, according to this
piece at LifeNews.
According to new scientific research
it appears that Parkinson’s disease, one of the maladies often cited by
proponents of unethical embryonic stem cell research as sure to be cured if
only we spend tax dollars to destroy innocent human embryos, might soon be
treated with adult nasal stem cells instead.
Physorg.com
reports. Excerpt:
Research released today provides evidence
that a cure for Parkinson's disease could lie just inside the nose of patients
themselves.
The Griffith University study published
today in the journal Stem Cells found that adult stem cells harvested from the
noses of Parkinson's patients gave rise to dopamine-producing brain cells when
transplanted into the brain of a rat.
News-Medical.net also reports.
And
according to CitizenLink, a man’s back pain was successfully treated in the nation’s first
spinal disc surgery using adult stem cells.
Excerpt:
"Stem cells have shown great promise
over the past three years for treating back pain," Dr. Jeffrey Kleiner said.
"In combination with the dis[c]ectomy, we hope to offer patients long-term
relief from their back pain and to decrease their risk of needing additional
surgeries."
Adult stem cells have been injected into
patients' backs and joints to promote tissue growth, but this is the first time
stem cells have been injected during a spinal surgery, doctors said.
The bone-marrow cells used in the procedure
were harvested from the middle-aged man then brought to the laboratory, where
millions more were grown over three weeks using the patient's blood. Tens of
millions of the cells were then injected into the man's back during a
discectomy, a surgery to remove a herniated or bulging disk.
For
more exciting news on real results from ethical adult stem cell research check
out the AdvanceUSA adult
stem cell page.
This
post
by newsUSA is a helpful reminder of the difference between ethical adult
stem cell research (which are already producing amazing results) and unethical
embryonic stem cell research.
Daniel Herbster reporting
 Dr. David Prentice is one of the foremost experts on bioethics in the country. He has valuable science experience from his days as researcher and teacher, and he now works for groups like the Family Research Council and Do No Harm speaking out on some of the most important (though sometimes confusing) ethical issues facing our society today. I’ve had the opportunity to meet Dr. Prentice a number of times and have heard him speak often so it is a distinct pleasure to interview him today and share with you his scientific expertise.
DH: First off, tell our readers a little about yourself. What did you do before you came to FRC? What are your responsibilities at FRC and Do No Harm?
DP: Before FRC, I spent almost 20 years as Professor of Life Sciences at Indiana State University, at the same time as Adjunct Professor of Medical & Molecular Genetics for Indiana University School of Medicine.
During those years I taught and did lab research, and also spent a few years in administration.
My job description now is somewhat similar: I lecture, give briefings, and testify about science, especially the scientific facts regarding stem cells, cloning, and other biotechnologies.
DH: You often hear people say that we should “leave science to the scientists,” that we who have ethical concerns with particular research techniques have no right to an opinion if we are not scientists ourselves. Is this true? Do we as a society have a stake in deciding what research should or should not be allowed? Why is this notion so dangerous?
 DP: Some scientists might like that, but the fact is that society sets the agenda, both in terms of what's allowed as well as what resources are provided to science. Everyone has a stake in this discussion, because everyone is affected. Leaving these decisions just to one group means we abdicate our responsibility to help form a strong society.
DH: Dr. Prentice, what are stem cells?
DP: A stem cell has 2 main characteristics: (1) It continues to grow and divide, making copies of itself, and (2) given the correct signal, a stem cell can form many different specialized cells of the body.
DH: What are the two general types of stem cells, and are there any ethical differences between them?
Our friends in Congress tell us that the House Subcommittee on Health will hold hearings tomorrow on stem cell research. We are pleased that several proponents of ethical adult stem cell research (including a man who was successfully treated with his own adult stem cells after a heart attack) will testify, but we are concerned that the hearings will be used to promote unethical embryonic stem cell research, particularly its support with tax-payer dollars.
CitizenLink also reports.
The
Metro (UK) reports. Excerpt:
Paralysed [sic.] people could gain the use
of their limbs again after scientists found a 'messaging system' that could be
used to control adult stem cells.
Researchers found the cells respond to
chemical signals which instruct them to help repair tissue.
The work, funded by the Medical Research
Council, could eventually lead to the development of techniques to tell adult
stem cells to mend the body.
Scenta
(UK) also reports. Excerpt:
Avoiding many of the ethical issues
associated with embryonic stem cells, ASCs could have many therapeutic uses and
could potentially be controlled by the chemical signalling [sic.] systems
within the body that instruct cells to contribute to tissue repair.
By
Daniel Herbster
When
I first read recent
media reports about research which seemed to indicate mice with Parkinson’s
disease were successfully treated using a form of cloning called somatic cell
nuclear transfer (SCNT), I was skeptical.
But even if the media reports of success were correct, it still would
not make SCNT ethical for use in humans because it would amount to cloning and
killing human beings (embryos). I wanted
get an expert opinion on the actual science behind the reports so I contacted
Dr. David Prentice whom I’ve had the privilege to hear speak and meet on
several occasions.
Reinforced
my concerns with the unethical nature of the research if it were ever tried in
humans, Dr. Prentice told me…
…the whole idea of
so-called "therapeutic cloning" is unethical on several levels. It requires creating and destroying an
embryo, a young life. It also requires a
tremendous number of eggs to make just one dish of cells, so it risks women's
health, making them factories for raw parts for the experiments.
Dr.
Prentice also mentioned three crucial points the reports neglected to point
out.
- 1 out of every 6 mice showed
"graft overgrowth". In
other words, the implanted embryonic stem cells grew too well.
- They only let the animals go for 11
weeks, so we don't know if they would have gone on to form tumors, or if
the treatment has any lasting effect.
- The technique is also already
outdated. The paper was originally
submitted in Feb 2007, long before most of the results with iPS cells
[induced pluripotent stem cells].
So the science has already passed this by, with easier, ethical,
and successful procedures.
Thank
you Dr. Prentice for sharing your expertise with us. Find out more about Dr. Prentice’s work at FRC.org and at DoNoHarm.
Dr. David Prentice
Graphic source: FRC
Click here for more
information on human cloning, and click here for more
information on embryonic stem cell research.
The
Calgary Herald reports on Leah
Telder’s success in overcoming the ravages of MS with ethical adult stem
cell transplants. Excerpts:
There she was, the Telders' youngest child,
Leah, walking towards them in the airport lobby late Monday amidst the
disembarking passengers, grinning and waving a greeting.
"That was amazing. She walked off . .
. I mean, there she was, actually walking," said Jacky of the moment.
…
"I haven't felt this good since before
I was diagnosed," she said.
She can walk on her own again and talk
without difficulty. She can make a cup of coffee -- something she hasn't been
able to do since she was 21.
And the majority of her vision has been
restored.
Leah Telder
Graphic Source: canada.com
LifeNews reports.
AdvanceUSA’s Daniel Herbster had the privilege to hear the personal reports of Amy Daniels and Jill Rosen during their visit to Washington, DC. They told how they were literally dying until they were treated with their own stem cells. Today their health has improved dramatically. They are both concerned that many people in this country will die because they cannot raise the money to travel to nations where ethical adult stem cell research is allowed or because their insurance will not cover adult stem cell transplants.
Call your representative today and urge him or her to cosponsor and vote “Yes” on the Patients First Act which instructs the Health Department to make effective and ethical adult stem cell research a high priority.
For more information on adult stem cell research click here. For information on stem cells in general click here.
NBC11 and CBS4 report
on the touching story of Dallas Hextell of Sacramento, California, a little boy
born with debilitating cerebral palsy.
Dallas has seen significant improvement
after being treated with ethical adult stem cells taken from his stored
umbilical cord blood.
“Students Raise
Money for Teacher’s Adult Stem-Cell Transplant”
CitizenLink
reports on this heart-warming
story.
Adult Stem Cells on
the Cutting Edge of Joint Repair and Replacement
As
Reuters reports, doctors are making great strides in joint repair and
replacement using novel biological techniques, including ethical adult stem
cell transplants. Excerpt:
Stem cell therapy could eventually
eliminate the need for joint replacement, said Einhorn, who last year performed
his first hip replacement surgery using the patient's own stem cells.
The undifferentiated, unspecialized stem
cells can morph into specialized cells with specific functions in the body.
Adult stem cells are available from a number of sources, including bone marrow
and fat.
Stem cells from a patient's own body are
being used to repair bones, ligaments, cartilage, muscle, spinal cord and
nerves.
By Daniel Herbster
I had the opportunity to speak to sophomore biology students and senior chemistry students at my high school alma mater about stem cells, cloning, and the pro-life cause. The students at Community Baptist Christian School were great, and showed genuine interest in the presentation. I'd like to thank Miss Anderson for inviting me to speak to her students and for taking these photos.
Explaining the science of human embryo development.
For more information about bioethics and life issues check the pro-life, stem cell, adult stem cell, and human cloning pages at AdvanceUSA.org or check the stem cell, adult stem cell, pro-life, abortion, and human cloning categories at AdvanceUSA Blog.
Overcoming MS with Adult Stem Cells
WRAL in Raleigh, NC reports on the amazing story of Barry Goudy who no longer has any symptoms of MS thanks to adult stem cell treatments. Click here to see WRAL’s video report on Barry’s story.
Barry Goudy fought his MS with adult stem cells
Graphic source: WRAL
“Medical Journal: Adult Stem Cell Research Trumps Embryonic in Helping Patients”
LifeNews and US News report. Why should we spend the hard-earned money of taxpayers on research that destroys human embryos when ethical adult stem cell therapies are show real-world results?
For more information check the stem cell page and adult stem cell page.
The
Chicago Tribune reports on how adult stem cells could help prevent many amputations. Excerpts:
A new procedure launched at the
Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago in January offers hope to patients
with critical limb ischemia (CLI), or severely blocked leg arteries.
Doctors transplanted a purified form of the
patients' own stem cells into their leg muscles to grow new, small blood
vessels and restore circulation in their legs. Two patients underwent the
procedure. They are the first subjects in a 20-site national trial.
…
Losordo said a treatment for CLI could be
available by 2012.
Adult “Stem Cell Treatment Attracts Thousands”
ABC News reports (in a very balanced fashion) on the visible results Paul Flynn has achieved from the adult stem cell therapies he received in China. Excerpt:
Using stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood (UCB), Hu said his company has treated over 2,000 patients since 2005. They claim an 85 percent rate of improvement in a variety of conditions, from spinal cord injuries to autism.
…
"Little things like that. I can jump now, which I couldn't jump earlier. I can jump now, little frog hops, which requires all the contraction and releasing and coordination of all of your leg muscles all at once. So, just little things like that. Squatting, I can squat a little better now without falling over."
His wife, Teresa, has also taken note. "I've noticed a lot of improvement in his walk, his speech, his overall sense of well being," she said.
Unfortunately, many of the results in China have not been submitted for official scientific review, but personal testimonials like Paul’s definitely merit careful consideration.
Paul Flynn with his son Michael in China
Graphic source: ABC News
“Ethical Method of Creating Embryonic-Like Stem Cells Overcomes More Hurdles”
Scientists report that the embryonic-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), which can be obtained ethically from ordinary skin cells, can be used for treatment without causing tumors. One of the chief faults with using normal embryonic stem cells (besides the fact that they require the destruction or endangerment of human embryos) is that they often form tumors. Once again, ethical stem cell research shows the greater promise of actually achieving treatments and cures. LifeNews also reports.
“Racehorse Wins after Pioneering [Adult] Stem Cell Treatment”
Horse lovers, pro-lifers, and medical junkies will be fascinated to learn that adult stem cell treatments are even producing real results in the animal kingdom. Excerpt:
Pioneering stem cell treatment has enabled British steeplechaser Knowhere to come back from severe injuries to win Cheltenham's Gold Cup Trial last week.
Graphic source: horsetalk.co.nz
“UCLA Adult Stem Cell Speech”
Michael Webster shares his success story from having used adult stem cell treatments.
“Stem Cell Storage Turns to Menstrual Source”
The Chicago Tribune reports. Excerpt:
Some call it a curse, some an inconvenience, and some even think of it as a feminine privilege, joining them with the cycles of nature.
Now a Florida firm wants women to think of their monthly period as a precious chance to gather stem cells that could later prove a lifesaver to them or their families.
- Studies in Australia show that adult stem cells are accomplishing incredible results in repairing fractured bones.
- The Temple Telegram has a great biographical piece on Dr. Darwin Prockop who “has been researching adult stem cells for 18 years and yet maintains a sense of wonder about his work.” Dr. Prockop is doing great work, and it is refreshing to hear his expert and honest assessment of the enormous potential of ethical adult stem cell research and of the difficulties and problems associated with embryonic stem cell research. This piece is an exciting read for those interested in the amazing medicinal potential of ethical forms of stem cell research. Excerpt:
There have been no reports of any patient trials using embryonic stem cells, he said.
“There have been some major technological problems,” Prockop said. “One thing is they form tumors in animals that look like the beginnings of cancer and nobody quite knows how to get around this problem.”
Dr. Prockop at work
Graphic source: Temple Telegraph
For more information on adult stem cell successes click here. Or check the stem cell page.
We’ve seen some exciting news in the area of ethical adult stem cell research (which does not destroy or endanger human embryos).
- Reuters reports that a 65-year old man received a new upper jaw which was derived from stem cells from his own body. This spectacular operation shows the enormous potential of regenerative medicine apart from life-endangering forms like embryonic stem cell research and human cloning. Excerpt from Reuters:
Scientists in Finland said they had replaced a 65-year-old patient's upper jaw with a bone transplant cultivated from stem cells isolated from his own fatty tissue and grown inside his abdomen.
- The Telegraph (UK) reports that two-year old toddler Sorrel Mason’s life was saved by umbilical cord stem cells donated by a Japanese mother which had been frozen and shipped to the UK. This is another instance of ethically obtained adult stem cells showing life-saving results. Fox News reports here. Excerpt from the Telegraph:
Sorrel's mother described the bone marrow transplant carried out at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children as a "miracle".
"Sorrel would be dead now if she had been left untreated," said Samantha Mason, from Great Wratting, Suffolk, who runs a garden centre with her husband, Robert.
Sorrel Mason: two-year old cancer survivor and adult stem cell recipient
Graphic source: Telegraph (UK)
For more information about the breakthroughs in ethical adult stem cell research click here. To learn more about the stem cell issue check the AdvanceUSA stem cell page and human cloning page.
The
Morning Sun reports on the progress that Todd Alwood of Mt. Pleasant, MI
is seeing trying to walk again using adult stem cell injections.
Excerpts:
The accident fractured three vertebrae, leaving him as a
quadriplegic and confined to a wheelchair.
He was paralyzed from the chest down. He can move his arms
but has little feeling.
…
…doctors conducted extensive tests, then gave him a series
of shots that made his bone marrow produce an abundance of stem cells. They
were then drawn from Alwoods blood and separated by a special machine.
…
He's already seen some improvement in controlling his
torso and balance. Alwood can now lean froward [sic] and push himself back up,
something he couldn't do before the treatments.
He can also lean from side to side.
"My trunk muscles are starting to come back,"
Alwood said.
…
His ultimate goal is to someday walk again. He is
encouraged by the results and the stories he has heard from others who have
received similar treatment but Alwood isn't sure he can afford any more trips
to Russia
following the one in March.
The
entire article is very encouraging. Read it
here.
Reuters
reports. Excerpt:
After
most scientists had given up the search, a Belgian team said on Thursday they
found elusive pancreatic stem cells in adult mice, a finding that could lead to
treatments for people with type-1 diabetes.
Our
friends at FRC report on this exciting
breakthrough in ethical adult stem cell research. Once again, ethical alternatives belie the
notion that embryonic stem cells are a necessary avenue of research that should
be supported with taxpayer dollars.
Excerpt:
[In a recent] online issue of Nature Medicine, scientists
from the University
of Minnesota announced
that using ethical alternatives, their research has resulted in the successful
creation of a beating rat heart. As part of the tests, the team hollowed out a
rat heart of its cells, leaving only the network of tubes where the old blood
vessels had been. Scientists seeded the heart's casing with non-embryonic cells
and watched as they latched onto the old framework and grew new heart tissue.
Within eight days the rat heart began pumping so well that its beating could be
easily seen. Dr. Doris Taylor, who led the research, said that while the team is
not ready to replicate the tests in humans, it could be less than a decade away
from attempting heart transplant trials in patients. "With modifications,
scientists should be able to grow a human heart by taking stem cells from a
patient's bone marrow and placing them in a cadaver heart that has been
prepared as a scaffold," Dr. Taylor said.
HT: FRC
Research
published yesterday by Japanese and American scientists shows that pluripotent
stem cells can be derived from adult skin cells. This breakthrough could make unnecessary
research that harms embryos and endangers women because human eggs and embryos
would no longer be needed to obtain pluripotent stem cells (i.e. stem cells
that can become any tissue type). Once
again, the science supports ethical alternatives to embryonic stem cell
research. Excerpt of a Baltimore
Sun article:
Yesterday's announcements raise the possibility that cells
taken from sick patients could be reprogrammed and used to repair tissues
damaged by heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.
The technique, achieved earlier this year in mice, holds
two potential advantages. Because cells would originate with a patient's own
body, they wouldn't be likely to trigger rejection once they are transplanted
back.
But scientists said they were just as enthusiastic that
the method, if it clears technical hurdles ahead, could sidestep moral
objections over techniques involving cloning, the use of donated eggs or the
destruction of human embryos.
Father Thomas
Berg, writing at NRO, explains
the implications of this development declaring “a new day has dawned in the
world of stem-cell research.”
In what
is either an example of scientific ignorance or intentional distortion, the
main stream media seems intent on portraying Colorado’s proposed ballot initiative as
seeking to give rights to “human eggs” or “fertilized eggs.” As the New
York Times reports (distorts):
A proposed amendment to the Colorado Constitution that
would give legal rights to fertilized human eggs may be headed for the ballot
next year, raising the prospect of a heated local debate over abortion…
And from
the Associated
Press:
The Colorado Supreme Court cleared the way Tuesday for an
anti-abortion group to collect signatures for a ballot measure that would
define a fertilized egg as a person.
What the
New York Times and other media outlets apparently fail to understand is that
when a human egg is fertilized (naturally or in a lab) what results is no
longer an egg but an individual human embryo (a zygote to be scientifically specific).
This embryo is a separate human life which should benefit from all inalienable
human rights, and that is exactly what the proposed Colorado constitutional amendment would
do. To call an embryo a “fertilized egg” is like calling a newborn child
a “fetus outside the womb.”
It seems
very ironic that even though religious conservatives are accused of being scientifically
ignorant, it is actually the media that gets its science wrong.
For more
information on stem cells, human cloning,
and the amazing results coming from ethical adult stem cell research
check AdvanceUSA.org.
A USA
Today story reports on the successes of
using adult stem cell injections to treat damaged or diseased hearts.
The article tries to downplay the progress but cannot deny that adult stem
cells have shown real benefits while unethical embryonic stem cell research
promises only theoretical benefits.
Some
scientists would have you believe that we need to experiment on human embryos
in order to study diseases and how to treat them. But as the BBC reports,
scientists in the UK
are learning about the development of a serious, commonly occurring bone cancer
which often afflicts children by studying stem cell
development in dogs.
For more
information click here.
Even
though Israel has no restrictions on embryonic stem cell research the Israeli
company has decided to invest only in adult stem cells for practical reasons
in its mission to provide treatment for neurological disorders such as Lou
Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's.
Reuters
Excerpt:
Ironically, in the Jewish state of Israel embryonic stem cell research
is less controversial, noted BrainStorm's ultra-orthodox president, Chaim
Lebovits.
Still, the company said it has decided to concentrate on
adult stem cells because they are also easier to control than embryonic cells,
which can give rise to tumours.
“…Dr. Glasser did not have feeling
in his feet before the transplant and now he has feeling in his feet again,
possibly indicating that his peripheral polyneuropathy is improving as well.”
- Ewa Carrier, M.D.
A
debilitating muscle disease that can cause lameness and suffocation is being treated
with adult stem cells in groundbreaking research conducted by The Bone
Marrow Transplant Program at University
of California, San Diego Medical
Center. A
description of the disease is as follows:
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare neuromuscular autoimmune
disease where the body’s immune system, which normally protects the body,
mistakenly attacks itself. The transmission of nerve impulses to muscles
is interrupted, which ultimately prevents the muscles from contracting.
Without the proper nerve impulses, muscles that control breathing can’t
function.
Here’s a description
of how the ethical adult stem cell therapy works:
This new procedure reprograms the patient’s stem cells,
destroying them with chemotherapy, before re-introducing purified blood-forming
stem cells. After the transplant, the modified stem cells build new bone
marrow, renewing the immune system with correct signaling, renewing the immune
system with cells that don’t attack the body.
For more
information on the successes of ethical adult stem cell research click here.
 Though she suffers from multiple sclerosis, the wife of presidential candidate Mitt Romney Ann Romney does not support embryonic stem cell research. She instead chooses to stress the exciting results coming from ethical adult stem cell research while emphasizing the need for clear ethical lines to be drawn in scientific research. Ann Romney hopes her new website (just unveiled today) will be used to raise awareness of MS while also providing a forum for other things she cares about like recipe swapping and her husband’s campaign. Kathryn Jean Lopez today writes about Ann Romney’s efforts fighting MS at National Review Online. AdvanceUSA applauds Ann’s courage in supporting innocent human life despite the suggestions from some that unethical research could one day be used to treat her serious medical condition.
For more information on stem cell research check the AdvanceUSA stem cell page and adult stem cell page.
The
Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports on the encouraging
story of Dixie Sisk who after years of agonizing cancer treatment for her
multiple myeloma finally resorted to adult stem cell therapy. Unlike
embryonic stem cell research (which requires the destruction of human embryos
and has not met with clinical success in medical treatments) adult stem cell
research is ethical and has frequently shown real-world results.
Excerpt:
Dixie Sisk was almost 70 when she
became a new woman.
After fighting cancer for 11 years, enduring 89 radiation
treatments and surviving repeated rounds of chemotherapy, the Mercer County
mother and grandmother decided it was time to try a controversial, cutting-edge
treatment that could give her a chance at living cancer-free.
Doctors were skeptical of her chance for success, but Sisk
agreed to a stem cell transplant in hopes of seeing her grandchildren grow up.
“I’ve got two grandsons, a 6-year-old and a 14-year-old.
When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, all the doctors said they could
give me was a band-aid. A band-aid doesn’t cover much,” she said.
Her cells were harvested from her own body, so Sisk never
had to wait for a match or worry whether federal guidelines would allow
research on the line of cells she needed.
For more
exciting stories of adult stem cell successes check the AdvanceUSA adult stem cell page.
Deutsche Welle
reports:
Cardiologists at Düsseldorf University
Hospital said they have been
the first in the world to use [adult] stem cell therapy to save a patient who
suffered from a severe heart attack.
From the NIH
website:
National
Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that it will begin implementing
President Bush's Executive Order to explore methods to expand the number of
approved pluripotent stem cell lines "without creating a human embryo for
research purposes or destroying, discarding, or subjecting to harm a human
embryo or fetus."
AdvanceUSA applauds the pursuit of
cures and treatments from ethical and effective adult stem cells which have
shown much better results than the unethical and uncontrollable kind derived
from destroyed human embryos.
As
frequent readers at AdvanceUSA can attest it’s hard to keep up all the exciting
developments in ethical adult stem cell research. Here’s a couple
more:
1.
Several sports teams in Australia
are considering storing
their players’ adult stem cells as an insurance policy against lengthy or
debilitating
injuries. Below is an excerpt from the AFP news
story:
Stem cells would be taken from bone marrow in the player's
spine in a half-hour procedure under a local anaesthetic and then grown in a
laboratory for six weeks.
Then they would be stored in a cell bank, ready to be
transplanted should injury occur.
Stem cells are cells that can develop into various types
of body tissues and are a major focus of current medical research, potentially
revolutionising transplants and other areas of surgery.
The hope is that cells taken from the patient's own body
would not face rejection by the immune system, which can happen with
transplants from other people.
2. David
Traub’s cardiologist was extremely skeptical of David traveling to Bangkok to receive heart
injections of his own adult stem cells, and the specialist even warned him that
he might not survive. But this “doubting Thomas” is now a true believer
in the
benefits of adult stem cell treatment. The following is an excerpt
from the Trans World News article:
David's therapy consisted of having about half a pint of
his own blood removed in Bangkok's prestigious Bangkok Heart Hospital.
This blood was flown to Theravitae's laboratory where the therapeutic stem
cells were isolated and multiplied many times before being injected directly into
the heart muscle via a small incision in the chest wall.
Not only did David survive the trip half way around the
world but he returned home to find, "The peaks were higher and the
valley's not as deep."
He still has problems due to an enlarged heart from
cardiomyopathy but he is happy to wait a while longer knowing that his heart
now has a richer blood supply compared with before stem cell treatment, so it
is working normally rather than struggling.
For more
information on adult stem cell successes check the AdvanceUSA adult stem cell page.
A press conference yesterday in the nation’s capital highlighted the amazing success stories of patients who have been treated with their own adult stem cells and the doctors who are on the cutting edge of this exciting and ethical field of research. AdvanceUSA had the pleasure to attend this press conference (see photos below) at the National Press Club sponsored by our friends at FRC and Do No Harm.
Dr. David Prentice led the discussion in which doctors and patients explained the benefits of using adult stem cell treatments. One of the main purposes of the event was to show that there are indeed ethical and effective alternatives to research that destroys human embryos. The U.S. Senate will soon vote on whether to override or sustain President Bush’s veto of an unethical stem cell funding bill so this information is critically important. Another purpose was to raise awareness of a new bill (H.R. 2807) proposed by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) which intensifies support for the ethical kinds of stem cell research already showing great promise for treatments and cures. The bill has been called “The Patients First Act," focusing attention on the fact that ethical research is already treating real people right now.
To hear a recording of the event click here. For more information on adult stem cell research click here.
See the photos and captions below to learn more about this important press conference.
Can you see the difference? Dr. Amit N. Patel, MD, MS, shows before and after pictures of heart muscle tissue that had received bone marrow stem cells from the patient’s own body in his presentation aptly named “Mending a Broken Heart.” The increased blood vessel growth is obvious. Later, Dr. Patel had the audience in rapt attention when he showed actual footage of heart surgery in which a patient received adult stem cell injections.
A mere
$15 million has been budgeted for the National Cord Blood Inventory program,
but the current Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill only
designates $4 million for this crucial stem cell banking system. Rep.
Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) have proposed a bipartisan
amendment to bring the cord blood banking funding to its full level. The House will likely vote on this
important amendment this week.
Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells which have
already been used in treating
a number of ailments and show great promise for future research, and, unlike
embryonic stem cell research (which
requires killing human embryos), cord blood has shown these results without the
ethical controversy.
For more
information on exciting adult stem cell developments click here.
Theravitae,
a biotechnology company working in adult stem cell research, was recently awarded the title
“Biotechnology Company of the Year” for its innovative work in regenerative
heart medicine. Despite what the mainstream news media would have us
believe, adult stem cell research offers the most promise for successful
regenerative therapies.
At the
award ceremony the President of Therivitae offered these important words:
"We are honored to be a recipient of this prestigious
award and we carry the responsibility to further help the progress of
discoveries within the regenerative medicine field. Our industry is on the
verge of redefining conventional healthcare through the miracles of adult stem
cells and their remarkable ability to facilitate the regeneration of personal
health. Despite the constant questionable claims of those in the embryonic
lobby, it is adult stem cells which will be the first to successfully treat
diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimers - embryonic stem cell therapies lag not by
months, but by years, if not decades!"
For more
information on the exciting developments in ethical adult stem cell research click here.
“Follow
the Money”
Jennifer
Roback Morse, Ph.D. looks at one seldom-mentioned motivation for unethical stem
cell research that destroys human embryos; the money. She explains how some
proponents of embryonic stem cell research and cloning are more
interested in government subsidies rather
than treating illness or saving lives.
Exploiting
Poor Women
This blog
post by Nancy Reyes highlights the potential for the dangerous
exploitation of poor women to obtain the necessary human eggs to conduct
unethical forms of stem cell research. Egg harvesting is already big
business on many college campuses, but unfortunately the serious health risks
involved with the procedure are seldom mentioned. If proponents of
unethical stem cell research succeed in expanding this research, impoverished
women in third-world countries could be likely health victims.
More
Good News from Adult Stem Cells!
Ending on
a happy note, LifeNews reports on two encouraging developments for sufferers of
heart disease and amyloidosis. New research suggests that adult stem cells could be used to
treat these dangerous maladies.
 For more
information on these important issues check the AdvanceUSA stem cell, adult stem cell, or human cloning
pages.
More
exciting news in adult stem cell research (i.e. non-embryonic).
A new
study shows adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood can
successfully treat children with type 1 diabetes. Studies like this
are continually showing how unethical research that destroys innocent human
embryos is unnecessary.
Additionally,
two Congressmen have introduced legislation to support ethical
forms of stem cell research. “The Patients First Act” (H.R. 2807) proposed by Rep. Randy Forbes
(R-VA) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) Would prioritize support for such exciting
avenues of research as amniotic fluid cells and turning ordinary skins cells
into stem cells without creating or harming an embryo.
For more
information on exciting developments in ethical stem cell research click here.
Recent scientific research has shown that adult stem cells (in this case from umbilical cord blood) can be used to produce insulin. This is great news for diabetics. Adult stem cell research does not involve destroying human embryos so no ethical concerns are raised. Despite all the claims of the media, liberal activists, and selective scientists, adult stem cells continue to show much more promise at treating diseases and injuries than the more ethically suspect stem cells taken from human embryos.
For more information check the AdvanceUSA stem cell page or adult stem cell page.
Governor Sonny Perdue recently signed a bill into law
which would set aside funds for research involving stem cells from umbilical
cord, placental tissue and amniotic fluid.
It’s nice to see that the state of Georgia realizes that adult stem
cell research offers the best hope for treatments without crossing ethical
lines.
For more exciting news on
adult stem cells click
here.
University of Pennsylvania researchers have used adult stem cells in mice to regrow hair on mice who have suffered deep skin wounds. In fact, these scientists believe they will able to treat male human baldness as a result of their research, perhaps in five years!
This research only emphasizes the variety and effectiveness of adult stem cell therapies which do not have the moral problems associated with embryonic stem cell research.
Adult stem cells offer the best hope for regenerative medicine and present no ethical dilemmas. These pediatricians are speaking out about the best hope for cures (which doesn't threaten human life).
For more information on the exciting developments in adult stem cell research click here.
There is more great news about research involving ethical sources of stem cells here. Also, check out this story about a Missouri man who got a new lease on life from adult stem cell therapy in Thailand.
|
|
|
| |