posted
Umbilical cord blood is another rich source of stem cells, and is readily available and easy to collect - requires no invasive procedures for either mom or baby.
I would gladly have donated the umbilical cord blood from my births if I had been able to.
Research using adult stem cells and embryonic cells from cord blood gets no argument from me. I'm all for it - and I hope researchers are indeed successful in finding cures to diseases. There are ways to do it that don't touch on any of the ethical issues with fetal tissue.
So, yeah science - best of luck!
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
Fat tissue is also a rich source of stem cells, because you have to grow new vessels to feed new fat cells.
And yeah, I've always been eager for them to develop non-embryonic stem cell stuff. But embryonic stem cells are apparently the only sort that show any potential for generating organs/tissues other than the ones they come from.
Posts: 2010 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote:The problem is that only embryonic cells have the ability to mutate into any other form of cell, which is why they are so invaluable.
This is not entirely true, Kwea. It seems every few months there are advances in the plasticity of adult stem cells. Indeed, Catherine Verfaillie reported that she had isolated adult stem cells that had true plasticity in 2002. However, 3 years later her data has yet to be confirmed and I remain skeptical.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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