Posted on 08/14/2006 9:40:50 AM PDT by Ben Mugged
In what could be a life-saving breakthrough for diabetics, scientists are working on a project to make stem cells perform the functions of beta cells, located inside the pancreas and responsible for producing insulin.
Insulin is the hormone that converts sugar (glucose) and starches into energy and regulates blood sugar inside the body.
Using stem cells' capability to develop into any cell-type in the body, scientists from the US National Institutes of Health, University of California, and the University of Alberta are extracting stem cells from the brain (neurons), the pancreatic duct and umbilical chord blood (embryonic stem cells) to test if these cells can replicate the functions of beta cells.
Once successful, scientists plan to inject these cells directly into the liver of a diabetic through the portal vein channel with the help of a cadaver, where they will remain safe from the human body's immune system and start secreting insulin.
The discovery will especially help patients suffering from Type I diabetes, in which the body does not produce any insulin.
Researchers have already found that bone marrow stem cells can transform into insulin-producing pancreatic cells in mice.
Researchers, however, said the findings cannot be applied to treating diabetics immediately but will provide the means to produce unlimited quantities of functional insulin-producing cells culled from the stem cells of diabetes patients.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesofindia.indiatimes.com ...
The MSM tries not to talk about that.
Ping.
|
While encouraging, This seems to be the story on almost all of the stem cell findings. Allot of sizzle but no steak.
So, like, does one strap the cadaver to one's back? Series, score another one for adult stem cell research.
It doesn't -- not forever, anyway, and not without immune suppression drugs. The whole problem with Type I diabetes (which this treatment is intended to address) is that the body has an autoimmune response to beta cells. The difficulty is in turning off this response -- and they haven't done it yet.
And since patients would produce their own cells for transplantation, the cells would not be rejected by their immune system. An expert at the Indian Council of Medical Research said: "Though this research is in initial stages, the scientific community is excited.
Turning cells into insulin-producing pancreatic endocrine cells or beta cells will be a phenomenal achievement. It will also free diabetics from taking daily multiple insulin shots."
According to the endocrinology chief of the State University of New York, Paresh Dandona, stem cells have been found to mature into beta cells once they receive a stimulus identified as GLP1 from the body.
A protein inside the cell called PDX1 then starts producing insulin. "We are trying to ensure the stem cells receive the stimulus GLP1 and start producing the protein PDX1. Beta cells have been found to survive safely only in the liver," he said.
Dandona added: "Scientists will first pass a needle through a liver with the cadaver inside it shooting out a dye. As the liver is a big organ, the dye will help scientists identify whether they have reached the portal vein.
Once inside the vein, the cadaver will shoot the beta cells into the portal circulation, where they will sit and produce insulin."
I don't know if the writer had an "agenda"...but use of the word "embryonic"
gave the impression that this is maybe not just another (potential) therapy
that works without resorting to cloning and destruction of embryos.
It appears they did clear that up later on:
"And since patients would produce their own cells for transplantation,
the cells would not be rejected by their immune system. "
I'm no medical expert, but this can't be "cadaver" the way the term is generally used, can it?
As a cautionary note, I've been Type I for 26 years and ever since I got sick the cure has been five years or so away - involving pancreas transplants, beta cells encased in gel and other clever ideas that didn't pan out. So I am not overly excited.
On the other hand, if Indian researchers nailed this down, it would be an example of the hidden promise of globalization, the drawing of more of the world's people into the global commercial and scientific culture, leading to the generation of more breakthroughs available to all.
Methinks the "cadaver" mentioned here is some medical instrument.
Cadaver = Catheter ???
Right. The problem, though, is that these cells will eventually be attacked by the patient's immune system because they're beta cells -- which is what Type I diabetes is all about in the first place. So the treatment isn't one-shot-and-done. You either have to keep replacing the cells, or you have to suppress the immune response.
This really is very exciting stuff -- to be able to manufacture patient-specific beta cells is a huge advance! But the underlying problems still remain.
If you talk to the researchers, they'll tell you that the real trick will be in making these beta cells look "different" to the immune system, so that the autoimmune response doesn't get them.
Not one clinical trial has occurred with embryonic stem cells.
I'm almost certain this is an error.
Nope. Recent articles have noted that embryonic stem cells can easily be extracted from both placental and umbilical tissues. IOW, there is no need to associate the term with the moral difficulties posed by using the tissue of aborted babies....
Another loss for the pro-aborts.
" == Cadaver = Catheter ??? == "
Has to be, nothing else makes sense. A sad indication of the quality of reporting, and another reason to never send a journalist to do a scientist's job.
Wrong. Umbilical chord blood cells are adult stem cells, NOT embryonic stem cells. This article is using deceitful language to convince readers that something which is not happening, is happening.
Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos which must be destroyed/killed in order to use the stem-cells taken from them.
What are commonly called "adult stem cells" should more appropriately be called "MATURE" stem cells. These stem cells come from many places including, but not limited to, umbilical chord blood. The stem cells taken from umbilical chord blood are mature stem cells, but they are NOT embryonic stem cells. Some other sources of mature stem cells are bone marrow and olfactory (nose) tissues.
Score another against the Culture of Death...!
Are you saying that the stem cells used in this procedure deriving from the placenta and umbilical cord would be from the results of killing the embryo?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.