Posted on 02/23/2006 10:45:31 PM PST by Coleus
One day, perhaps in the distant future, stem cells may help repair diseased tissues. But there is a far more pressing reason to study them: stem cells are the source of at least some, and perhaps all, cancers.
At the heart of every tumor, some researchers believe, lie a handful of aberrant stem cells that maintain the malignant tissue. The idea, if right, could explain why tumors often regenerate even after being almost destroyed by anticancer drugs. It also points to a different strategy for developing anticancer drugs, suggesting they should be selected for lethality to cancer stem cells and not, as at present, for their ability to kill just any cells and shrink tumors.
"I think this is one of the most interesting developments in cancer research in the last five years," says Robert Weinberg, a cancer geneticist at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass. "I think more and more people are accepting it and evidence is accumulating that cancer stem cells exist in a variety of tumors." The idea that cancer cells possess the same properties as stem cells has been around for many years. Only recently have biologists developed techniques for identifying stem cells and their presence in tumors.
Cancer stem cells were first identified in certain types of leukemia in 1997 by John Dick and colleagues at the University of Toronto. They were harder to spot in solid tumors because biologists did not possess the means of recognizing the markers —
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I find it strange that there is no mention (that I could see) of whether this was coming from embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, or stem cells from amniotic fluid, umbilical cords, or marrow.
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Adult stem cells ahve been routinely used for more than 8 years for the treatement of the IMMUNO problems that come with cancer treatments.
The stem cell messiah is completely lacking. There have been frankensteinien experiments that have accomplished nothing, the only true use of stemcells as yet has been built on the idea, that if adult stemcells are reintroduced into a weakened immuno system, they will support the anti infenction system of the human body.
If there is anythimg more than an ear or a prostate on a rat, then why is it that Stem Cell, regeneration (called transplants) is only used on immuno deficiencies created by other treatments.
I DO believe there is a great potential for stem cell therapy, but it takes more than this to convince me that stem cells have gone uber ninja generalist in their affects, without something as valid as the other treatments built on adult stems.
People who don't have jobs? tend to require to be published. Doesn't matter if you accomplish anything, just PUBLISH something, THEN you are an academic.
I don't know the source, but I loved the term, "academic idiot"
Okay, I have been yammering, sorry.
The Slimes is slowly building the case to make cancer Bush's fault, too. Along with everything else, of course.
I don't know if things have changed, but as of when these articles were written, humans weren't being used in these studies b/c of these two issues.
Why we just get it over with and say that stem cells can cure everything - including the flu and common cold. heh.
In other words, are embryonic stem cells necessary?
"he Slimes is slowly building the case to make cancer Bush's fault, too. Along with everything else, of course"
Bingo! And don't forget, algore INVENTED stem cells. His genius and scientific breakthrough for the world ended when he won in 2000 but had the election stolen from him...by his arch-enemy the SCOTUS.
BUAHAHAHAHAHAH. Thank you algore, for keeping my handle valid.
Here you go.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4446435,00.html
Cancer cure
The NYT would rather destroy all the reseach and have it banned rather than have treatments that don't kill the unborn.
See 14
Also, it sounde like the enzyme telomerase is what causes cancer, not the adult stems. If doctors can find a way to block the enzyme, they have just cured cancer.
And Jacobs is a genius in the way he got a piece of that enzyme.
Yes, I saw a news bit with a picture of the enzyme, and they said the plan is to attack the enzyme only, which would kill the source for the cancer while not hurting the person or normal healthy tissue.
I think this can be accomplished fast now that they found this.
I never liked the unborn stem cell usage.
That's because the article is discussing the discovery of cancer stem cells in tumors & various other types of cancer.
The draw back to such a treatment thought is that if they are not careful, their treatments may not just attack that enzyme and it make also attack other normal functions on how the cell divides, causing the cell to no longer divide and you have celular decay and cell death.
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