WOMB FLUID A STEM-CELL TROVE: DOCS (Wake Forest/ Harvard report)

NY POST ^ | January 8, 2007 | Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Liz]

Scientists said they had found a plentiful source of stem cells that sidesteps the controversy over destroying human embryos.....Researchers at Wake Forest and Harvard reported stem cells drawn from amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women hold much the same promise as embryonic stem cells........they were able to extract the stem cells without harm to mother or fetus and turn their discovery into several different tissue cell types, including brain, liver and bone. "Our hope is that these cells will provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for engineered organs....." said Dr. Anthony Atala, of Wake Forest.....

[r9etb]

It's a different source for the same types of stem cells that Limbaugh & Co. keep saying are a waste of time anyway.

Where in the article does it say that these are the "same types" of stem cells?

[CharlesWayneCT]

Sure, we can get along. But the research was on cells extracted during pregnancy, and the use of cells obtained AFTER pregnancy is speculative at this point.

It is important to separate the actual evidence from the predictions -- we've been burned by supposed breakthroughs, and we don't want to be like the embryonic crowd talking about the magical mystery cells that will cause people to rise from the dead or at least their wheelchairs.

I was simply noting that amniocentesis is "dangerous enough" that they don't recommend it for routine diagnostic purposes, but only for women who have some risk factors. It's not really dangerous, but note that the study didn't extract fluid, they used fluid that was already being extracted for other purposes.

[r9etb]

I was simply noting that amniocentesis is "dangerous enough" that they don't recommend it for routine diagnostic purposes, but only for women who have some risk factors. It's not really dangerous, but note that the study didn't extract fluid, they used fluid that was already being extracted for other purposes.

OTOH, it may well be possible to find ways to collect the amniotic fluid from the "water breaks" that accompany birth. For example, it would be a pretty controllable process to collect the fluid from women having C-sections.

[saganite]

OK I'll grant your point on narrow technical grounds. The cells haven't been harvested after birth yet (although fluid from umbilical cords has) but I'm taking the claim that it would be possible to extract the cells after live birth at face value and in fact see absolutely no problems with such a claim.

[Liz]

Let us pray that Planned Parenthood (runs the nation's largest abortion chain) will have reason to cease and desist the killing.

[cookcounty]

Is Michael Fox having a party to celebrate this? Are Democrats going to show up?

[cookcounty]

"Do stem cells need to be compatible with a recipient? I am bumfuzzled about this."

It's very helpful.

[Liz]

.......if in 2001, Congress had allowed all uses of Embryonic Stem Cells....we wouldn't be finding out all these new techniques that will make it unnecessary to even consider killing babies to save adults, like selfish adults wanted to do.............

N-i-i-i-c-e take. Thank you muchly.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I certainly think we can harvest the fluid -- what I don't know yet is whether the cells they found in pre-birth amniotic fluid will in fact be found in the post-birth fluid, and will still have the same properties and value, as the cells they found and used for the research.

[Cheburashka]

Other research reports say embilical cords, usually discarded upon a baby's birth, contain embryonic cells that hold promise for future stem cell research.

Similarly, the NIH reported that baby teeth contain stem cells that appear more versatile than adult stem cells (and also avoids the controversy over embryonic stem cells).
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Yeah, but this won't get mass production of fetuses in order to kill them going, so it's a non-starter as far as the Lefties are concerned.

Any research, any new medical treatments simply must include mass infanticide.

[Liz]

.....this won't get mass production of fetuses in order to kill them going, so it's a non-starter as far as the Lefties are concerned. Any research, any new medical treatments simply must include mass infanticide.....

Now if the psychiatric types had any integrity, they would diagnose the left's uncontrollable urge to kill the helpless unborn, and warn of the danger they pose to civilized society.

[Cheburashka]

I don't think that's what they're saying at all. They're presenting evidence that embryonic stem cells can be obtained from sources other than embryos themselves. It's a different source for the same types of stem cells that Limbaugh & Co. keep saying are a waste of time anyway.
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You have a point in that Rush has been pushing for adult stem cell research. But he has been doing it to avoid using fetuses as raw material.

He probably will modify his position now that a technique to harvest embryonic stem cells has been devised that does not mandate killing the fetus.

That won't change his basic position against killing fetuses for research or manufacturing purposes.

[Cheburashka]

Hmmm... I guess the abortuaries will have to find another form of validation.
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Yep, embryonic stem cell research has always been about a new reason to justify killing to as yet unborn. They abortiphiles will bury this news if they possibly can.

Rush calls it the action line, and what advances the action line (in this case killing the not yet born) is news. What doesn't advance the action line is not news and is to be ignored.

You can see action lines in all sorts of things the Drive-by Media finds worthy of reporting and not worthy of reporting.

[Busywhiskers]

Just more proof that the whole stem cell issue is nearly as bogus as global warming.

[Cheburashka]

Now if the psychiatric types had any integrity, they would diagnose the left's uncontrollable urge to kill the helpless unborn, and warn of the danger they pose to civilized society.
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Unfortunately the mental health care industry has been corrupted by it's desire to increase it's own funding.

Being a funding wh@re and having integrity tend to be incompatible.

The psychoses of their funding proponents and allies have to be ignored in the quest for cash.

[pesto]

During my pregnancy, my twin sons developed a condition called twin to twin transfusion, which caused me to develop a lot of extra amniotic fluid. I had a procedure three times to take out liters of fluid, which my doctor said would be thrown away as worthless. I wonder if he was right?

[MHGinTN]

It would not longer be classified as 'udeless'. BTW, the cells being harvested from amniotic fluid are pluripotent stem cells; in embryos, if the totipotent cells are harvested, using them on humans results in teratomas, so the harvesters are waiting until differentiation into pluripotent lines has occurred, the same potency level as found now in the amniotic fluid.

[Liz]

Prime example is John Money at Johns Hopkins who removed homosexuality from the list of psychiatric disorders. Another of Money's brainstorms was to change the sex of a young boy, then advising the parents to bring him up as a girl.

[pesto]

This was only last year! I remember asking if there were any stem cells, and was told no.I'm going to send this information to my doctor. obviously only a small percentage of women have what I did, but hopefully they'll think to keep the excess for testing at least...