Toronto Researchers Discover “Jack-Pot” of Stem Cells in Umbilical Cord

LifeSite ^ | February 9, 2005

[NYer]

TORONTO, February 9, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Umbilical cords continue to surprise researchers as an abundant source of stem cells. Today’s Toronto Star reports that a group of scientists at the University of Toronto have discovered what they are calling the ‘jack-pot’ of stem cells in a mass of jelly found inside the umbilical cord.

"We're very excited by this, that's for sure," said J.E. Davies, of the UofT's Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering.

The source, known as Wharton's Jelly, surrounds the three umbilical cord blood vessels connecting the fetus and mother. The Toronto researchers used umbilical cords donated from full-term pregnancies.

The team hopes that this will spur parents to save their children’s umbilical cords. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have proven to be as versatile as stem cells derived from embryos. Davies said the stem cells could provide sources of treatment for diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, which normally require bone marrow transplants.

The University of Toronto findings are to be published this week in the journal Stem Cells. “You can anticipate using these as a source of cells to help re-grow that bone ... or connective tissue in the knee ... which has been damaged in an accident,” said Davies.

Dr. Peter Hollands, a stem cell biologist from Cambridge University and the Scientific Director of Cells for Life, one of the few cord blood banks in Canada, has said that he cannot understand why scientists are pursuing embryonic stem cells that have so far failed to produce any cures.

Dr. Hollands told LifeSiteNews.com. “If we focused more on collecting umbilical cord blood from most births and storing the samples in a public bank there would then be a suitable match for almost everyone. The ‘designer babies’ would then not be needed as the cord blood banks could easily support the demand for cells for transplantation.”

Read some of LifeSiteNews.com’s vast coverage of adult stem cell advances:

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Expert Says Designer Babies Not Necessary for Treatments
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/may/04051011.html

Adult Bone Marrow Stem Cells Deliver Cancer Therapy Without Side Effects
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04110407.html

Non Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Allows Paralysed Brazilian To Walk, Talk Again
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04112306.html

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - Come home for Easter and experience God’s merciful love. Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[NYer]

Pro-life ping!

[Choose Ye This Day]

Anyone have a link to the Toronto Star article?

[r9etb]

Note to self: find an "umbilical cord stem cell long-term storage facility," and invest in it....

[Red Badger]

...cannot understand why scientists are pursuing embryonic stem cells that have so far failed to produce any cures.

Neither can I.............

[jwalsh07]

Because a good many scientists are fond of playing God. Utilitarians who are under the impression that because they can do something they are entitled to do it.

[Red Badger]

I cannot think of a better argument against abortion than this. God, himself has given mankind the key........

[Choose Ye This Day]

Never mind. I found the link to the original story:

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1107903011703

[thoughtomator]

I can. They are the servants of Moloch. They are not as ignorant as they pretend to be. They do actually enjoy destroying human life, it makes them feel important.

[Vaquero]

with a name like WHARTON'S it has to be incredibly good JELLY.

[Little Pig]

I wonder if stem cells can be used to regrow cochlear follicles? I'd really like to fix the tinnitus that has been steadily growing in my ears recently.

[DaveLoneRanger]

This was already posted here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1339760/posts

But is worth reposting once or twice. Abortionists and pro-abortionists are probably a little scared about this, along with those who want to kill live embryos.

Another seldom-reported news item regarding this is, stem cells can be found in LIPOSUCTION FAT!

"Fat happens to be rich in stem cells," said Dr. Peter Fodor, a plastic surgeon at Century City Hospital near Los Angeles and a UCLA clinical associate professor of plastic surgery, who will present his latest research Wednesday [May 2002] at the annual meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Las Vegas. Every 100 cubic centimeters of bone marrow yields up to 10,000 stem cells, Fodor told Reuters Health. But the same amount of fat contains a million stem cells."

"Liposuction is intended as a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure to rid people of their unwanted fat, but researchers have found that there may be a benefit of keeping the removed fat for stem cell research. Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into other cells types that are included in the brain, heart, bones, muscles, and skin. It has been found that removed liposuction fat contains a high amount of stem cells. The fat tissue is the most clinically relevant source of adult stem cells, according to Dr. Marc Hedrick. Hedrick co-founded the StemSource Inc. company that has extracted 100 times the amount of adult stem cells from the liposuction-removed fat than from bone marrow, the previously primary source of stem cells." - http://www.liposuction-consumer-guide.com/html/addbenefits.html

So! Get thin, get cells, and keep the babies alive! Everyone's happy...except those who WANT to see the death of embryos. And there's nobody that wants that, is there? Is there?

[alwaysconservative]

So I could maybe do a little cosmetic reshaping and help save the world? :) Sounds good to me!

[King Prout]

I think this discovery and its utility may well make justification of fetal stem-cell research impossible for many.

sadly, though: not all.

[knittnmom]

Probably because they think it will justify abortion.

[knittnmom]

"Liposuction is intended as a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure to rid people of their unwanted fat, but researchers have found that there may be a benefit of keeping the removed fat for stem cell research. What this means is that I'm not fat - I'm a stem cell repository! :-)

[MainFrame65]

" Another seldom-reported news item regarding this is, stem cells can be found in LIPOSUCTION FAT! "

I suspect that the richest source is NEW fat - where cells are being added during weight gain - rather than those old, well-established love handles we have carried around for years. I understand that these types actually have a different physical appearance.

[cpforlife.org]

Please let me know if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.

[calex59]

I wonder if stem cells can be used to regrow cochlear follicles? I'd really like to fix the tinnitus that has been steadily growing in my ears recently.

Amen to that. I would love to regain my hearing loss due to working in loud lumber mills and shooting without hearing protection when young.

[Red Badger]

ROMANS 1 "24": Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: "25": Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. "26": For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: "27": And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. "28": And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; "29": Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, "30": Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, "31": Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: "32": Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Translation: You will reap what you sow.....

[MHGinTN]

"Dr. Peter Hollands, a stem cell biologist from Cambridge University and the Scientific Director of Cells for Life, one of the few cord blood banks in Canada, has said that he cannot understand why scientists are pursuing embryonic stem cells that have so far failed to produce any cures." There is no mystery here ... BM (big media) doesn't give a damn about the ethics or the cures, they're all about pushing any issue that assaults this current REPUBLICAN administration. Want proof? Just count how many of the alphabet networks even report this finding, much less devote significant time to explaining the efficacy. The alphabelchies won't get out of line from what their democrap party demigods will allow to be reported to the American people.