The Adult Stem Cell Success Count Grows Yet Again
As I have said before, why bother with embryonic stem cells? It is becoming more & more apparent that there is no need for them to be used.
Sadly, even the publishers of the Dummies giudes have let themselves be taken in. despite claims it is unbiased, it clearly isn't. It ignores the treatments in actual use & claims that all the uses of adult stem cells are still in the experimental stage. It also pushes for embryonic stem cell research. The main author, Lawrence S. B. Goldstein, Ph.D., is a big proponanant of embryonic stem cell research. Clearly not the unbiased author you want. The co-author, Meg Schneider, is a journalist, not a scientist.
As for Dr. Goldstein, his webpage clearly shows how biased towards embryonic stem cells & why he lied about the adult stem cell successes in the book. Here is what the page says: "Since the late 1990s, Lawrence Goldstein has been passionate about the promise of research with human embryonic stem cells—pliable, generic cells from the early embryo that scientists can convert into the body’s specialized cells to study basic biological processes, disease, and organ regeneration.
Goldstein became such an advocate for stem cells he helped write the California proposition that created a $3 billion funding organization in 2005 to support human stem cell research in the state. Voters supported the initiative because human embryonic stem cell research has been curtailed nationwide; the federal government has limited its financial support of research with these cells, citing the ethical problem of destroying embryos in performing the investigations.
When Goldstein first started promoting human embryonic stem cell research, he was acting to support the freedom of scientific inquiry to benefit society. Recently, though, Goldstein, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the California program, has begun using human embryonic stem cells in his own laboratory. His research may demonstrate another example of the value of embryonic stem cells by helping to identify the cause of Alzheimer’s disease." (Emphasis mine)
Like I said, anything but uunbiased. I also find it ironic that he is bragging about his involvement in writing the California law passed 5 years ago that allows stae funding for embryonic stem cell research. I say that because, as I reported last February, when the book came out, the funds that are being shifted away from embryonic stem cell research & towards adult stem cell research. (So Much For the Claims About Embryonic Stem Cell Research Being Needed) Clearly, he isn't going to admit he was wrong & is instead going to continue the misinformation so he can continue to get funding. (My only question for Dummies publishers is, did they fall for this naively or are they revealing their own biases? Either way, they have tarnished the reputation of their "Dummies" series.)
Finally, a little advice to Dr. Goldstein. Admit you are wrong & switch over to adult stem cells where you can offer some true promises, not hollow words.
New Adult Stem-Cell Treatments for Head and Heart Advance
By Peter J. Smith UNITED STATES, June 9, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – New reports indicate that real hope for ‘miracle’ treatments using adult stem cells is on the way for those suffering from diseases afflicting both the brain and the heart.
In California, researchers at the University of California in Irvine say they have discovered the method and mechanisms by which adult stem-cells can repair and replace damaged tissue in the brain. The discovery could lead to treatments for individuals with multiple sclerosis and other brain inflammation diseases.
“Previously, we’ve seen that adult neural stem cells injected into the spinal column knew, amazingly, exactly where to go,” said Tom Lane, a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, and co-author with Kevin Carbajal of the new study. “We wanted to find what directed them to the right injury spots.”
Lane and Carbajal’s team experimented with mice whose central nervous systems were damaged by viruses in a way that imitated the effects of MS. The virus destroys myelin, a protective tissue that covers the nerves, resulting in chronic pain and loss of motor function.
They injected adult neural stem cells into the mice and observed that the inflamed cells activated receptors on the adult stem cells called CXCR-4 receptors. These receptors then gathered “chemokine proteins” (CXCL-12), which guided the adult stem cells to the damaged cells in need of repair.
As the adult stem cells made their journey through the brain, they transformed into precursor cells for oligodendrocytes, a key building block for myelin, that can both repair or replace the damaged tissues. Once latched onto the affected sites, the stem cells continued to differentiate, and after three weeks 90% of the cells had transformed into mature oligodendrocytes.
Lane stressed that not only did the work reaffirm the power of adult neural stem cells to improve the brain’s motor function, but also provided a crucial stem cell roadmap for researchers looking to develop therapies for those suffering with MS.
“In this study, we’ve taken an important step by showing the navigational cues in an inflammatory environment like MS that guide stem cells,” explained Lane. “Hopefully, these cues can be incorporated into stem cell-based treatments to enhance their ability to repair injury.”
While advances have been made in treating the diseases of the head, a young girl is undergoing an experimental adult stem cell treatment that, if successful, would finally allow her to overcome a rare disease of the heart called Eisenmenger syndrome.
The News Tribune reports that Washington State resident Mailia Goforth, 16, has suffered from the disease since birth. The condition is caused by a structural defect in the heart, where blood flows through a hole in the heart wall. Additionally she suffers from secondary pulmonary hypertension because too much blood flows to her lungs; the blood vessels then constrict, putting even more strain on the heart. In Mailia’s case, doctors identified her condition too late for normal surgical repair or even the more drastic measure of a double lung and heart replacement.
The teenager, however, is being treated in the Dominican Republic with stem cells derived from her own blood, which are injected into her lungs via a small catheter. If successful, the therapy – developed by Dr. Zannos Grekos, MD – would significantly reduce the pressure on Mailia’s heart, and enable her to breathe freely. It would also theoretically allow surgeons to repair her heart.
The treatment has so far cost Mailia’s parents $64,000. Forty-seven thousand of that amount was raised by the parents, with the rest being covered by a private charity. The family, however, expects that Mailia will need a second round of stem cell treatments in addition to the surgeries, which Grekos speculated to the Tribune could enable her to play sports one day.
The Tribune reports that the family has just $33 left, but they have set up a website MailiasMiracle.com http://mailiasmiracle.com/, which lets people know Mailia’s story and how they can help.
See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
Ten Year-Old Boy Receives New Trachea from his Own Stem Cells
In California, researchers at the University of California in Irvine say they have discovered the method and mechanisms by which adult stem-cells can repair and replace damaged tissue in the brain. The discovery could lead to treatments for individuals with multiple sclerosis and other brain inflammation diseases.
“Previously, we’ve seen that adult neural stem cells injected into the spinal column knew, amazingly, exactly where to go,” said Tom Lane, a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, and co-author with Kevin Carbajal of the new study. “We wanted to find what directed them to the right injury spots.”
Lane and Carbajal’s team experimented with mice whose central nervous systems were damaged by viruses in a way that imitated the effects of MS. The virus destroys myelin, a protective tissue that covers the nerves, resulting in chronic pain and loss of motor function.
They injected adult neural stem cells into the mice and observed that the inflamed cells activated receptors on the adult stem cells called CXCR-4 receptors. These receptors then gathered “chemokine proteins” (CXCL-12), which guided the adult stem cells to the damaged cells in need of repair.
As the adult stem cells made their journey through the brain, they transformed into precursor cells for oligodendrocytes, a key building block for myelin, that can both repair or replace the damaged tissues. Once latched onto the affected sites, the stem cells continued to differentiate, and after three weeks 90% of the cells had transformed into mature oligodendrocytes.
Lane stressed that not only did the work reaffirm the power of adult neural stem cells to improve the brain’s motor function, but also provided a crucial stem cell roadmap for researchers looking to develop therapies for those suffering with MS.
“In this study, we’ve taken an important step by showing the navigational cues in an inflammatory environment like MS that guide stem cells,” explained Lane. “Hopefully, these cues can be incorporated into stem cell-based treatments to enhance their ability to repair injury.”
While advances have been made in treating the diseases of the head, a young girl is undergoing an experimental adult stem cell treatment that, if successful, would finally allow her to overcome a rare disease of the heart called Eisenmenger syndrome.
The News Tribune reports that Washington State resident Mailia Goforth, 16, has suffered from the disease since birth. The condition is caused by a structural defect in the heart, where blood flows through a hole in the heart wall. Additionally she suffers from secondary pulmonary hypertension because too much blood flows to her lungs; the blood vessels then constrict, putting even more strain on the heart. In Mailia’s case, doctors identified her condition too late for normal surgical repair or even the more drastic measure of a double lung and heart replacement.
The teenager, however, is being treated in the Dominican Republic with stem cells derived from her own blood, which are injected into her lungs via a small catheter. If successful, the therapy – developed by Dr. Zannos Grekos, MD – would significantly reduce the pressure on Mailia’s heart, and enable her to breathe freely. It would also theoretically allow surgeons to repair her heart.
The treatment has so far cost Mailia’s parents $64,000. Forty-seven thousand of that amount was raised by the parents, with the rest being covered by a private charity. The family, however, expects that Mailia will need a second round of stem cell treatments in addition to the surgeries, which Grekos speculated to the Tribune could enable her to play sports one day.
The Tribune reports that the family has just $33 left, but they have set up a website MailiasMiracle.com http://mailiasmiracle.com/, which lets people know Mailia’s story and how they can help.
See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
Ten Year-Old Boy Receives New Trachea from his Own Stem Cells
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/mar/10032303.html
Calif. Quietly Shifts Fruitless Embryo Research Funds to Adult Stem Cells Investors knock waste on useless research
Calif. Quietly Shifts Fruitless Embryo Research Funds to Adult Stem Cells Investors knock waste on useless research
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012908.html
New Adult Stem Cell Treatment "Turns the Tide" on MS Symptoms
New Adult Stem Cell Treatment "Turns the Tide" on MS Symptoms
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/feb/09020202.html
Amid Media Excitement, Embryonic Stem Cell Trial Far Behind Adult Stem Cells, Says Expert
Amid Media Excitement, Embryonic Stem Cell Trial Far Behind Adult Stem Cells, Says Expert
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012605.html
Adult Stem Cell Therapy may Treat AIDS
Adult Stem Cell Therapy may Treat AIDS
Labels: Stem Cell Research
posted by Al @ 12:56 AM
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