Researchers discover way to replicate stem cells for therapy

[WanderAimlessly]

Could this be the death knell for embryonic stem cell research?

Researchers discover way to replicate stem cells for therapy
By Laura Ungar
Gannett News Service

University of Louisville researchers have coaxed stem cells from adult mice to change into brain, nerve, heart muscle and pancreatic cells - a discovery that could lead to therapies for a host of human diseases and possibly end the national debate over use of embryonic stem cells.

“We have found a counterpart for embryonic stem cells in adult bone marrow. This could negate the ethical concerns,” said Mariusz Ratajczak, leader of the research team and director of the stem cell biology program at Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center.

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PF

 

[mlchance]

WanderAimlessly:

Could this be the death knell for embryonic stem cell research? PF

No. Embryonic stem cell researchers know that what they’re doing isn’t bearing fruit. They know it is a form of research dependent on the destruction of human lives. Yet, the research and the demand for greater funding continues unabated.

– Mark L. Chance.

 

[Zahmir]

Eventually, it’s going to be known that embryonic stem cells are completely unreliable (which they are). Simply from a practical standpoint, embryonic stem cells offer little to no medical value. sigh I don’t know why they insist on embryonic stem cells… but… I guess it’s just because it’s “easier” than taking stem cells from bone marrow.

 

[rhtaylor]

Zahmir:

sigh I don’t know why they insist on embryonic stem cells…

I do. Embryonic stem cells are just a ruse to push cloning forward. For any stem cell treatment to work, it requires a match between the tissue and the recipient, just like in any organ donation. Even with a match, because the stem cells were derived from an embryo that was not genetically identical to the recipient, the patient will have to take drugs to prevent a rejection of the stem cells by the immune system. The current complaint among embryonic stem cell researchers is that there are not enough stem cell lines to provide a good library for all tissue types in the human population. Michael West, chief scientific officer of Advanced Cell technologies, estimates that, at a minimum, “we would need a library of a hundred thousand cells in the future to be able to ensure that every patient in need …could have even a close match.” Even if all the couples who had used IVF donated all 400,000 leftover embryos to research, not all would result in viable stem cell lines. David Prentice, a former researcher at Indiana State University, estimates that only 1 in 10 embryos will create a viable stem cell line. That means that only 40,000 stem cell lines would result from all the leftover IVF embryos, less than half of what West estimates is needed.

In reality, using “leftover” IVF embryos for embryonic stem cell research is a red herring. Once we get comfortable with destroying human life to harvest desirable biological material, we can start creating human life for that same purpose. What embryonic stem cell researchers really want is federal funding to engage in therapeutic cloning. No need to wait for the donation of “leftover” IVF embryos, cloning researchers will create a customized twin just for you. Michael Cook, editor of BioEdge, an email newsletter on bioethics, warns us about embryonic stem cell research: “The appetite of stem cell scientists for tinkering with human life is insatiable. It must be resisted."

R. Taylor
www.MaryMeetsDolly.com
A Catholic’s Guide to Genetics, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology