Stem cells create tumours, says expert

News Limited ^ | 10.10.06 | Jane Bunce

[Coleus]

EMBRYONIC stem cells turn into tumours when injected into human tissue and therefore cannot be used to treat diseases, a visiting US expert said today. Professor James Sherley, a researcher in the field of adult stem cells, is one of a series of experts in Canberra to lobby MPs ahead of a conscience vote on whether a ban on therapeutic cloning should be overturned.   Prof Sherley, from Boston's Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), today said scientists had failed to reveal problems with embryonic stem cells that would prevent them being used in humans. The unique feature of embryonic stem cells that allowed them to turn into any cell of the body, known as pluripotency, created a problem when researchers injected them into tissue, Prof Sherley said.  “When you put them in an environment where they can grow and develop, they make lots of different kind of tissues,” Prof Sherley said.

“This tumour formation property is an inherent feature of the cells.“And all you have to do is simply inject them into an animal tissue – this happens at very high efficiency.  “And although some might say we can solve the tumour problem down the road, that's equivalent to saying we can solve the cancer problem and we may, but that's a long time coming.”  Prof Sherley said the tumours, called teratomas, were generally considered benign, but it was possible they could metastasize or produce chemicals such as enzymes and cytokines that affect other parts of the body.

Prof Sherley said many scientists agreed with his views but were too scared to speak out over concerns it could affect their funding and reputation.  Adult stem cells were not known to form tumours, he said.

[Coleus]

One of the reasons why patients with Parkinson's disease died after Embryonic Stem Cell implantation. Tumors consisting of skin, hair and bone started to grow in thier brains resulting in death.

Embryonic Stem Cells cause death to the baby and death to patients who received such cells due to the growth of teratomas.

Adult cells are behind much of stem cell success so far

Adult Stem Cell Research More Effective Than Embryonic Cells

The Stem Cell Cover-Up By Michael Fumento
Stem Cells — A Changed Personal Course, From Embryonic Stem Cell Support to Its Opposition
Scientists Backtrack on Embryonic Research Claims: No Hope for Cures for 5 to 10 Years

Embryonic Stem Cell Hucksters Exploit Paralysis Victims 

Benefits of Stem Cells to Human Patients - Do No Harm

[mockingbyrd]

I am just tempted to laugh at all those who promised the world if they could just get funding (government funding) for embryonic stem cell research. This seems so natural, that nature would prevent good from coming from destruction of living persons.

But I think of all those strung along with false promises....

[bannie]

(In my best exaggerated-Austrian-accent...) "It's naaat aaahh tooomaaaah!"

[DAC22]

Shocking I tell you, Shocking! And to think the "fair" minded Californians OK'ed billions of taxe payer dollars for this. Seems to me the Terminator was for it also. Believe you me it created a lot of Nazi death Camp jobs and made a lot of Scientist and administrators very rich. TIC TIC TIC, still aiting for one person to be saved by sans research

[Nomorjer Kinov]

The unstated drive behind the embryonic stem cell debate is the quest for cash. Research labs will be able to license the use of the cells they isolate for transplant.

[A CA Guy]

Bush is right again!

[denydenydeny]

EMBRYONIC stem cells turn into tumours when injected into human tissue and therefore cannot be used to treat diseases,

BLASPHEMY!

HERESY!

Repeat after me: Embryonic stem cells show great promise and if it weren't for the fundies Chris Reeve would be walking again if he weren't dead.

[skr]

I was wondering how the cells would know what to do.

[Mike Darancette]

It is not a tumor!.

[r9etb]

I was wondering how the cells would know what to do.

Easy: you turn them into adult stem cells first. (I suspect that there's probably more than a morsel of truth to that flippant comment....)

[VOA]

I appreciate the article.
But I do wish the editors had given it the proper title:

EMBRYONIC Stem Cells Create Tumors;
ADULT Stem Cells Often Create Cures/Therapies

I've noted that often when a stem-cell cure/therapy is reported, you've
got to read between the lines to find out that, oh yeah, it's
adult stem cells as usual.
So I'm not shocked that a headline is toned down a bit to announce that
embryonic stem cells can be dangerous to your health.
If you're no longer an embryo.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Bump....

[TChad]

Did anyone really expect that unmodified pleuripotent embryonic cells would function as repair kits for adult human bodies? Making an organism from scratch and repairing a damaged organism are very different tasks.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Michael Fumento's "Science’s Stem Cell Scam" from July 18, 2006 NRO is worth a re-read while on this subject.

http://www.fumento.com/biotech/stem-cell-scam.html

Science has become so politicized and [leftist] agenda driven that one must be a constant skeptic. As always, the left's fanaticism is poisoning another segment of our society.

They see ESC as a lynch pin in their fight to keep all forms of abortion legally viable.

[syriacus]

Last year, Sherley (PhD, MD) was not granted tenure at MIT.

This year he made the MIT news pages for winning a very large grant.

It seems that some pro-ESCR colleagues of this son of a Baptist preacher, didn't get along with him.

[syriacus]

More FR discussion here: Stem cells create tumours, says expert

[syriacus]

Someday, much of ESCR's hype might be placed here

The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices

[VOA]

Prof Sherley said
many scientists agreed with his views but were too scared to
speak out over concerns it could affect their funding and reputation.
Adult stem cells were not known to form tumours, he said.

So what global warming is to climate research...
embryonic stem cells are to biological research.

Apparently a sacred cow/holy tenent that gets critics labeled as heretics.
And could get their funding lifted.