Nov 16 2006

Major Adult Stem Cell Breakthrough

Published by at 9:57 am under All General Discussions,Stem Cell Debate

Reader ama055131 (OK, I don’t pick the names) pointed to a huge breakthrough in the use of adult stem cells in experiments using dogs:

In promising new research, stem cells worked remarkably well at easing symptoms of muscular dystrophy in dogs, an experiment that experts call a significant step toward treating people.

“It’s a great breakthrough for all of us working on stem cells for muscular dystrophy,” said researcher Johnny Huard of the University of Pittsburgh, who wasn’t involved in the work.

The study was published online Wednesday by the journal Nature. It used stem cells taken from the affected dogs or other dogs, rather than from embryos. For human use, the idea of using such “adult” stem cells from humans would avoid the controversial method of destroying human embryos to obtain stem cells.

The Nature paper focuses on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle-wasting genetic disorder that occurs in about 1 in every 3,500 male births. It’s the most severe and most common childhood form of muscular dystrophy and the best-known. In theory, the stem cell treatment might also help other muscle dystrophies or even age-related muscle wasting, Hesterlee said.

The breakthroughs in adult stem cell are the events that will end up killing off the idea of embryonic stem cell procedures. Though there are some snake oil salesmen out there who are more than happy to take money for injecting fetal remnents into a desparate soul.

Addendum: Here is the original article in Nature magazine. And for the real gluttons for punishment, here is the report in Science magazine.

3 responses so far

3 Responses to “Major Adult Stem Cell Breakthrough”

  1. ama055131 says:

    AJ sorry if you don t like my handle but i have been using it for about 20 years but if you perfer you can use my real name Alan

  2. AJStrata says:

    Alan,

    I have no problem with your handle (except I need to keep going back to get the 055131 right – you know my penchant for typos). I just wanted to let people know I did not force that on you!

  3. Barbara says:

    This will cause multiple heartburn for the grantees of embryonic stem cell research. But maybe not, global warming has been shot down numerous times by real scientists and it is still alive and well. There will always be people among us who want to believe even when the facts tell them they are wrong. Adult and placenta stem cell research should be the first bastions to be explored. We have become very callous in that some people will go to embryonic stem cell research first without giving the other options a chance. But then what can you expect from the mindset of people who use abortion as a form of birth control.