Posted on 10/07/2010 7:11:26 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
When there is no private sector push for a scientific breakthrough, maybe it is not such a breakthrough after all. Researchers from the University of Michigan have created the first embryonic stem cell line developed in the state and the line is making news as Detroit hosts the World Stem Cell Summit, Steven Ertelt reports on LifeNews.com. However, a pro-life group is disappointed by the news because the obtaining of the cells came at the death of an unborn child.
Scientist Gary Smith, who derived the line, told the Detroit News that the establishment of the line of human embryonic cells is a big step forward because other researchers can work with them.
However, he admitted it is a long way from establishing the line to curing diseasesif that ever happens because the use of embryonic stem cells in animals still causes the development of tumors and the cells are rejected by the immune system.
The human being who was destroyed for is or her stem cells is known as UM4-6, implying there are more people who were killed at the very earliest stages of their lives to establish the stem cell line.
Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.
If you would like to comment on this article, e-mail mal.kline@academia.org
Mother Nature says "NO".
To play Devil’s Advocate, we need to test Embyronic Stem Cells to see what they are capable of, to duplicate it with Adult Stem Cells.
There were some existing lines to work with...this is a NEW line.
What Adult Stem Cells have proven to be capable of:
Cancers:
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Auto-Immune Diseases
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Cardiovascular Acute Heart Damage Chronic Coronary Artery Disease |
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Ocular Corneal regeneration |
Immunodeficiencies Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome X-linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome X-linked Hyper immunoglobulin M Syndrome |
Neural Degenerative Diseases and Injuries Parkinson's Disease Spinal Cord Injury Stroke Damage |
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Anemias and Other Blood Conditions
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Wounds and Injuries Limb Gangrene Surface Wound Healing Jawbone Replacement Skull Bone Repair |
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Other Metabolic Disorders Hurler's Syndrome Osteogenesis Imperfecta Krabbe Leukodystrophy Osteopetrosis Cerebral X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy |
Liver Disease Chronic Liver Failure Liver Cirrhosis |
Bladder Disease End-Stage Bladder Disease |
What Embryonic Stem Cells have been shown to be capable of:
Let them both be great at what they're great at.
Don't destroy the latter to get it to do the job of the former!
Might be able to do the same with cord blood. Also, instead of trying to push differentiation of embryonic cells at this point, they should be surveying their epigenetic programming so that it can be replicated in iPS cells. This is, and has been more of a political wedge issue than a real scientific sticking point.
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