Stem Cells Show Promise

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A report from South Korea of a paraplegic woman walking six weeks after undergoing a transplant with stem cells from umbilical cord blood is only part of a mounting list of successful therapies that are not dependent on destroying embryos.

On the same day Hwang Mi-Soon, 37, took steps for reporters in Seoul with the aid of a walker, American and European studies were published that showed umbilical cord blood — and the stem cells it includes — could save the lives of many adults with leukemia who cannot find bone marrow donors, The New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, recent reports have provided evidence in human trials of a cure for urinary incontinence using a patient’s own stem cells, as well as results in experimental research with lab animals that gave hope adult stem cells might treat heart damage, cancer and eye disease.

Stem cells are the body’s master cells that can develop into other cells and tissues, building hope of treatments for numerous afflictions. They may be found in such non-embryonic sources as bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, fat and placentas. The procurement of stem cells from such sources does not harm the donor.

Extracting stem cells from a human embryo is a different matter. It results in the destruction of the embryo, which is normally about a week old.

christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Dec04/Art_Dec04_13.html
 
Do you have a citation for this study? I’d like to read it.

Most research on hematopoiesis I have read shows that “adult” and non-embryonic stem cells show promise for treating certain kinds of heart and liver conditions, at least in animal models. Unfortunately, they’ve failed miserably in showing hope to treat Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, and nerve disorders.
 
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LabChick:
Do you have a citation for this study? I’d like to read it.

Most research on hematopoiesis I have read shows that “adult” and non-embryonic stem cells show promise for treating certain kinds of heart and liver conditions, at least in animal models. Unfortunately, they’ve failed miserably in showing hope to treat Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, and nerve disorders.
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The blurb from the article says: “could save the lives of many adults with leukemia who cannot find bone marrow donors, The New York Times reported.”

So I am assuming that the NYT quoted the sources for the stats. I will check a site which provdes outstanding medical confirmation of pro life issues later today and if I find them there I’ll post on it.
 
Thanks. The server where I work is temporarily down, so I can’t get into the medical library’s online databases to search Medline and PubMed. Without an author, it’d be tough to do anyways. 🙂
 
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LabChick:
Thanks. The server where I work is temporarily down, so I can’t get into the medical library’s online databases to search Medline and PubMed. Without an author, it’d be tough to do anyways. 🙂
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I have found: all.org/

from American Life League to be of invaluable assistance in their stats, doctors names and clear definitions of what is who when talking about pro life issues, particulary for non-medical people who are trying to understand issues. Try them and see if they have it.

Their work on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide is IMO outstanding.
 
I came across a business/investment magazine which reported about a test on humans using stem cells from their blood, to work on heart disease. The test apparently is not yet over, although the article featured one of the individuals wha had been having severe heart problems and appears to have results that go well beyond the placebo effect. Sorry, don’t remember the name of the magazine but it is a current issue. The individual was a 60+ year old Texas farmer.

I somewhat skimmed the article, but it was talking about the business prospects of stem cell research and may have included the why of embroyonic research (patentability and broad recipient useage).
 
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HagiaSophia:
I have found: all.org/

from American Life League to be of invaluable assistance in their stats, doctors names and clear definitions of what is who when talking about pro life issues, particulary for non-medical people who are trying to understand issues. Try them and see if they have it.

Their work on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide is IMO outstanding.
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The only gripe I have with that site is that their definition of a “stem cell” is totally inaccurate. Puzzling, since the rest of the information seems legit. I realize the need to make science accessible to lay people, but changing something so much that it’s no longer recognizable as what it was is deceptive, even if the intentions are good.
 
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LabChick:
Unfortunately, they’ve failed miserably in showing hope to treat Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, and nerve disorders.
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Of course, embryonic stem cell research has pretty much failed on all fronts, and shows no greater promise of treating “Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, and nerve disorders.” In fact, the odds of stem cells of any kind ever being able to treat Alzheimer’s are about the same as me suddenly growing wings and flying to Guatemala.

– Mark L. Chance.
 
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mlchance:
Of course, embryonic stem cell research has pretty much failed on all fronts, and shows no greater promise of treating “Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, and nerve disorders.” In fact, the odds of stem cells of any kind ever being able to treat Alzheimer’s are about the same as me suddenly growing wings and flying to Guatemala.
– Mark L. Chance.
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Not quite true. Actually, progenitors cells derived from MEFs have been reletively successful in treating forms of FA and MDS in murine models.

The odds of stem cells having a therapeutic value is certainly greater than the odds of you growing wings and flying to any country of your choice.
 
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LabChick:
Not quite true. Actually, progenitors cells derived from MEFs have been reletively successful in treating forms of FA and MDS in murine models.

The odds of stem cells having a therapeutic value is certainly greater than the odds of you growing wings and flying to any country of your choice.
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Hunh? Murine? I thought that was what my grandfather put in his eyes. Or was that on a cut…

Hey, some of us science morons are interested in the conversation, but barely survived the first go around with biology. Can you break it down so I can understand?

Are MEFs either embrionic stem cells, or something derived from them? FA? MDS?
 
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