Posted on 11/07/2010 1:05:24 PM PST by george76
STEM cell researchers have found a way to turn a person's skin into blood, a process that could be used to treat cancer and other ailments, according to a Canadian study published today. The method uses cells from a patch of a person's skin and transforms it into blood that is a genetic match, without using human embryonic stem cells, said the study in the journal Nature.
By avoiding the controversial and more complicated processes involved with using human embryonic stem cells to create blood, this approach simplifies the process, researchers said.
"What we believe we can do in the future is generate blood in a much more efficient manner," said study author Mick Bhatia of the McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in the Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine.
With the ability to create blood for transfusion from a person's own skin, the advance means someday patients needing blood for surgery or to treat anemia could bypass the blood bank and derive the necessary supply from themselves.
The breakthrough could also see future uses such as allowing patients undergoing chemotherapy to endure a longer regime of treatment without the breaks currently needed to rejuvenate the body.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.com.au ...
Bump
BTTT
On a more positive note, I'm thinking that this sort of approach will eventually lead to the creation of insulin-producing beta cells that are just enough different that they won't attract the body's immune response.... it would be a cure for Type I diabetes.
I love it when America makes incredible scientific breakthroughs like this...er, wait a second...nevermind.
Meanwhile ADULT stem cell research provides advance and advance, therapy after therapy -- and the Left just yawns and says "Yeah, but those advances don't involve the sacrifice of human babies. Where's the fun in that??"
At this point, there is absolutely no reason to bother with embryonic stem cells, unless you are desperate to find a justification for sacrificing unborn humans.
What happened to the research on placental stem cells?
Or is that a big no-no around here too?
Why would anyone oppose research on placental stem cells? Am I missing something?
No, I think I am... was just asking because I think many here lump them all into the category of “stem cells”.
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