Posted on 01/07/2009 4:03:07 PM PST by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In just a matter of weeks, Barack Obama may force Americans to spend millions for unproven embryonic stem cell research. Yet, scientists admit they are having significant problems overcoming one of the major hurdles that may prevent the cells from every helping human patients.
While adult stem cells have helped patients with a wide range of dozens of diseases and conditions, embryonic stem cells have yet to help one patient and have had problems in animals.
One major problem is that they tend to form cancerous cells or tumors after they are injected -- and scientists have yet to stop that from happening.
A new article in Nature Reports Stem Cells highlights the work of Mickie Bhatia and colleagues at McMaster University that shows that the embryonic stem cells that look the best may perform the worst.
"When it comes to embryonic stem cells, the very qualities researchers use to pick out a robust cell line may in fact be bestowed by precancerous transformations," the article suggests.
“Current measurements are not capable of distinguishing the difference between great stem cells and cancer stem cells in vitro,” Bhatia explains.
The researchers say the problem is and can't be determined before they transform into specific body tissues through the process called differentiation. As a result, solving the problem of tumors from embryonic stem cell injections may be difficult, if not impossible.
"Ultimately it may be difficult or impossible to rule out with certainty that a given culture is totally free of abnormal cells," Martin Pera who studies embryonic stem cells at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, admits in the Nature article.
Bioethicist Wesley J. Smith said that, if that is true, embryonic stem cells may never yield cures for patients.
"Scientists have been working on this for nearly a decade now on making embryonic stem cells capable of being used directly in therapies," he said.
"They have been stymied by three primary problems; the potential for tissue rejection the cells' propensity to form tumors called teratomas, and the problem of some embryonic stem cells appearing to be pre-cancerous making them very risky to inject into a living patient," Smith explained.
"With regard to the latter issue, it turns out that the healthiest appearing embryonic stem cells may be the most dangerous," he said.
He said this latest news "could mean that the potential cancer threat -- which is in addition to the teratoma tumor issue -- may be very hard to solve."
Smith said this is another reason to look to ethical and more effective alternatives like adult stem cells.
"Umbilical cord blood stem cells can be tissue typed more readily than bone marrow and so far as I have seen, have no tumor issues," he said. "Adult stem cells do not exhibit tissue rejection (since they are the patient's own cells), tumor formation, or cancer, and are in many early human trials for a variety of ailments."
It’s as if G_d made ESC poison... and the liberalatti enjoy their arsenic...
I view embryonic stem cell research as a form of insanity. As in doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Face it - it doesn’t work.
>> As in doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result
The goal is to find anything that can be used as justification for the use of embryos.
Exactly, if a "major breakthrough" is "right around the corner," they can justify their Mengele-style slaughter of human life.
Embryonic Stem Cell Research on Animals Has FAILED to Produce Any Cures or Treatments in 25 Years
The truth about embryonic stem cell (ESC) therapies
OU research yields pancreatic cancer breakthrough
On a Mission to Educate About Adult Stem Cells
Ability to track stem cells in tumors could advance cancer treatments
Media Cover Up Adult Stem Cell Research Success With Misleading Terms
Stem Cell Research from the Nebraska Catholic Conference
Stem Cells Used to Fix Breast Defects
Cure for metastatic testicular cancer
Fat Kills Cancer: Turning Stem Cells Taken From Fat Tissue Into Personalized, Cancer-targeted...
Stem cells obtained from adipose tissue
New gene discovered in human stem cells may benefit transplant patients
Stem cells as cancer therapy
Master Switches Found for Adult Blood Stem Cells
Researchers first to map gene that regulates adult stem cell growth
Unborn Baby's Umbilical Cord Stopped Mother's Leukemia
Monster Tumors Show Scientific Potential In War Against Cancer
Research Focuses On Cancerous Stem Cells: Work Could Lead To Different Ways Of Treating Tumors
Stem Cells May Be Key To Cancer
Catholic Priest's Adult Stem Cell Donation Saves Kentucky Woman's Life
Stem Cells And Mammary Glands, Breast Tumors, Breast Cancer
ADULT Stem Cells May Save Local Soldier from Cancer
ADULT Stem Cells can Reduce the Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
Stem cell breakthrough for breast cancer patients
New gene discovered in human stem cells may benefit transplant patients
Doctor: Stem cells, drugs fight myeloma, Trials show promise, researcher says
Stem cells as cancer therapy
The press release sings a different song. It doesn't mention that they're using human embryonic stem cells. The abstract linked in comment# 1 basically says we have methods to identify problematic changes.
B.S.!!!!!!! If they're so sure about this, where is the proof that they'll work? And why do they continue to ignore the fact that stem cells from other sources have been successful?
Also, researchers can now target only cancer cells, and grape extract kills cancer cells.
Why is the scientific community so hell-bent on using embryonic stem cells?
I was looking for that link. Thanks for posting.
Wow, nice collection! Thanks Coleus!
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