Stem Cells Found in Placentas, no unborn people need to die to preform this research
The article pasted below reveals that stem cells with as much pluripotency (ability to form any cell) as embryonic cells have been found in the placenta. This is yet another piece of evidence suggesting that MUCH more research needs to be done before we start sacrficing unborn people in the name of reasearch.
These stem cells, in addition to adult derived stem cells, hold much more promise than using embryonic stem cells which so far have only proven valuable in creating..... tumors (they create tumors consistently and have yet to produce any research of any value).
The article pasted below can be found at http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-08-05T133123Z_01_N05496409_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-SCIENCE-CELLS-DC.XML Pasted here according to "Fair Use"
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By Maggie Fox, Health and Science CorrespondentWASHINGTON (Reuters) -
Scientists looking for easier and less-controversial alternatives to stem cells from human embryos said on Friday they found a potential source in placentas saved during childbirth.
They described primitive cells found in a part of the placenta called the amnion, which they coaxed into forming a variety of cell types and which look very similar to sought-after embryonic stem cells.
With 4 million children born in the United States each year, placentas could provide a ready source of the cells, the team at the University of Pittsburgh said. It is not yet certain that the cells they found are true stem cells, said Stephen Strom, who worked on the study. But they carry two important genes, called Oct 4 and nanog, which so far have only been seen on embryonic stem cells.
"We were just blown away when we found those two genes expressed in those cells," Strom said in a telephone interview.
"The presence of these two genes suggests these cells are pluripotent, which means they should be able to form any cell type in the body.
"Stem cells are the body's master cells. So-called adult stem cells are found in the tissue and blood are a source for renewing cells. Embryonic stem cells are found in days-old embryos. While powerful, their use is controversial because some people, President Bush among them, believe destroying an embryo is immoral and unethical.
Supporters of embryonic stem-cell research say it may provide an important path to a new field called regenerative medicine, in which diseases ranging from juvenile diabetes to paralysis could be cured using transplants of carefully cultivated stem cells.
There are moves in Congress to expand funding of embryonic stem cell research, in case it proves to be the best way forward, but also counter-measures to further restrict it.
GETTING AROUND POLITICS
Mindful of the controversy, Strom's team looked for other sources of stem cells."We looked and we found them. The politics is important," Strom said.
Writing in the journal Stem Cells, Strom and colleagues said they looked in a part of the placenta called the amnion -- the outer membrane of the amniotic sac. The placenta is the interface between mother and fetus during gestation, and is produced by the embryo. The embryo and later fetus floats inside the sac of amniotic fluid.
Other teams of researchers, notably Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University in North Carolina, have found stem cells resembling embryonic cells in amniotic fluid, but research is still early and it is not known how useful those would be.
Strom says his cells are different are different from the ones the Wake Forest team found, and they may not be true stem cells because they did not form tumors in his experiments, as a true stem cell would.
Strom said the cells he worked with also do not appear to be immortal, meaning they die out after a while in the lab, unlike true stem cells. Strom's team tested the cells in lab dishes, incubating them in variousc ompounds, and got them to form into what looked like heart cells, nerve cells, liver cells and pancreatic cells.
Strom's lab works specifically on liver transplants and he hopes to develop the cells to use them instead of donated liver. Pancreatic cells would be important because they could be used to treat diabetes.
The university has licensed the technology to a company called Stemnion,LLC, and the researchers are shareholders and will receive license fees aspart of the agreement.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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The article pasted below reveals that stem cells with as much pluripotency (ability to form any cell) as embryonic cells have been found in the placenta. This is yet another piece of evidence suggesting that MUCH more research needs to be done before we start sacrficing unborn people in the name of reasearch.
These stem cells, in addition to adult derived stem cells, hold much more promise than using embryonic stem cells which so far have only proven valuable in creating..... tumors (they create tumors consistently and have yet to produce any research of any value).
The article pasted below can be found at http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-08-05T133123Z_01_N05496409_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-SCIENCE-CELLS-DC.XML Pasted here according to "Fair Use"
________________________________
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science CorrespondentWASHINGTON (Reuters) -
Scientists looking for easier and less-controversial alternatives to stem cells from human embryos said on Friday they found a potential source in placentas saved during childbirth.
They described primitive cells found in a part of the placenta called the amnion, which they coaxed into forming a variety of cell types and which look very similar to sought-after embryonic stem cells.
With 4 million children born in the United States each year, placentas could provide a ready source of the cells, the team at the University of Pittsburgh said. It is not yet certain that the cells they found are true stem cells, said Stephen Strom, who worked on the study. But they carry two important genes, called Oct 4 and nanog, which so far have only been seen on embryonic stem cells.
"We were just blown away when we found those two genes expressed in those cells," Strom said in a telephone interview.
"The presence of these two genes suggests these cells are pluripotent, which means they should be able to form any cell type in the body.
"Stem cells are the body's master cells. So-called adult stem cells are found in the tissue and blood are a source for renewing cells. Embryonic stem cells are found in days-old embryos. While powerful, their use is controversial because some people, President Bush among them, believe destroying an embryo is immoral and unethical.
Supporters of embryonic stem-cell research say it may provide an important path to a new field called regenerative medicine, in which diseases ranging from juvenile diabetes to paralysis could be cured using transplants of carefully cultivated stem cells.
There are moves in Congress to expand funding of embryonic stem cell research, in case it proves to be the best way forward, but also counter-measures to further restrict it.
GETTING AROUND POLITICS
Mindful of the controversy, Strom's team looked for other sources of stem cells."We looked and we found them. The politics is important," Strom said.
Writing in the journal Stem Cells, Strom and colleagues said they looked in a part of the placenta called the amnion -- the outer membrane of the amniotic sac. The placenta is the interface between mother and fetus during gestation, and is produced by the embryo. The embryo and later fetus floats inside the sac of amniotic fluid.
Other teams of researchers, notably Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University in North Carolina, have found stem cells resembling embryonic cells in amniotic fluid, but research is still early and it is not known how useful those would be.
Strom says his cells are different are different from the ones the Wake Forest team found, and they may not be true stem cells because they did not form tumors in his experiments, as a true stem cell would.
Strom said the cells he worked with also do not appear to be immortal, meaning they die out after a while in the lab, unlike true stem cells. Strom's team tested the cells in lab dishes, incubating them in variousc ompounds, and got them to form into what looked like heart cells, nerve cells, liver cells and pancreatic cells.
Strom's lab works specifically on liver transplants and he hopes to develop the cells to use them instead of donated liver. Pancreatic cells would be important because they could be used to treat diabetes.
The university has licensed the technology to a company called Stemnion,LLC, and the researchers are shareholders and will receive license fees aspart of the agreement.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
____________________________________________
posted by Mark at 4:30 PM
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