Posted on 10/09/2005 6:00:10 PM PDT by Coleus
Boston doctors used cells taken from a pregnant lamb's amniotic fluid to grow a new trachea, then implanted the organ into the ailing fetus, an experiment that may pave the way for similar treatment in humans.
Using cells from amniotic fluid to repair or replace human organs may bypass some of the political and ethical obstacles doctors encounter with fetal cells, said Children's Hospital Boston pediatric surgeon Dario Fauza, who led the experiments.
"You avoid all the ethical dilemmas of the embryonic stem cell," Fauza said. "The cells are already there" in the mother's amniotic fluid. "We are just harvesting it and making the tissue you want."
Amniotic fluid is the liquid that surrounds and protects a fetus inside the womb. Fauza reported similar success last year with newborn lambs in fixing a hole in the diaphragm that separates the lungs from other organs.
The experiments involved seven fetal lambs and their mothers, and produced five surviving babies.
Fauza presented his research Saturday at the American Academy of Pediatrics' annual conference in Washington.
Could fix heart valves?
Fauza said he has begun trying to use cells from amniotic fluid to treat spinal cord defects or injuries. "It's ongoing," he said. "But that's all I can tell you, because I haven't even submitted it for presentation yet."
Other defects that might be reparable using amniotic cells include faulty heart valves, cleft lip, and missing pieces of esophagus, bone, limb, face and possibly bowel, he said.
Stem cells have yet to be assigned to a specific bodily function. Doctors, using chemicals and other methods, can coax them to grow into various organs.
Stem cell research has drawn protests from anti-abortion activists who object to harvesting the cells from fetuses, which are then discarded.
That prompted President Bush in 2001 to limit federal funding for embryonic stem cell research to existing cell lines. Researchers say the supply of cells in existing lines is inadequate.
Hope no one opposes this...
I think that's a vain hope. The Leftist agenda requires research on fetal stem cells. Never mind that most successful stem cell research has been done with cord blood or adult stem cells (from fat or bone marrow).
Great to hear!
Stem cell ping
California's billion dollar statewide initiative REQUIRED that only the stem cells associated with abortions (embryonic) be used in research. In other words if other types of stem cells (adult, umbillical cord, amniotic) are just as good or even much better for research, it doesn't matter, they have to use the abortion derived cells because that's what the measure required.
Totally insane.
Those that worship the murder of the unborn are sure to oppose it; while they picket to save the manatee...
"other words if other types of stem cells (adult, umbillical cord, amniotic) are just as good or even much better for research, it doesn't matter, they have to use the abortion derived cells because that's what the measure required."
Sounds like a "political" decision. (as in zampolits, Lysenko, etc)
Hmmmm should amniotic fluid be saved and frozen at birth for possible later use.?. Ineresting deveolpment..
I don't know what you mean by this. Almost everyone I know is perfectly happy with stem cell research using cord blood or adult stem cells (and maybe now amniotic fluid).
Fetal stem cell research is a different thing.
Yes. Activists are never known for their expertise, just for their passion. I forget what the exact numbers are now, but there are something like 70 conditions that adult stem cell treatments can cure, and 0 (that's zero) for fetal stem cell treatments.
And we continue to spend more money for fetal stem cell research than we do for adult stem cell research.
Passion beats common sense every day.
Thanks for the ping!
Airborne & Asphalt ping.
"Why do the non-scientific political parties fight over the topic?"
Votes and money. There is a lot of money to be made in selling aborted fetuses. Stem cells was just an enlargement of that killing plan.
Amazing!
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