1st Succesful Stem Cell Engineered Transplant.

warwick.hoy · #1 11-19-2008, 10:48 PM

I caught this on the BBC World News that airs on PBS around these parts. I prefer them to any of the Network news programs.

A Spanish women receives a windpipe transplant using a donated windpipe engineered from here own stem cells. She will not have to take anti rejection drugs.

This is both interesting and historical. Oh the possibilities.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7735696.stm

Benjamin Strange · #2 11-19-2008, 10:58 PM

But but but... stem cell research is EVIL!

Joe Gress · #3 11-19-2008, 11:01 PM

warwick.hoy · #4 11-19-2008, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

But but but... stem cell research is EVIL!

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

I sense your sarcasm.

Benjamin Strange · #5 11-19-2008, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

I sense your sarcasm.

What sarcasm?

warwick.hoy · #6 11-19-2008, 11:03 PM

No sarcasm? Oh, I guess I never understood peoples problem with Stem Cell Research. I think this make a bit of a case for it though. Perhaps not?

Joe Gress · #7 11-19-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

I sense your sarcasm.

What sarcasm? Benjamin, who mermaid man is pointing at, is evil.

I kid. All I can say is that yes, this is very interesting in the field of stem cell research and usage.

GeneralElectric · #8 11-19-2008, 11:23 PM

I think leaf cells taste better than stem cells anyways....

Ericman197 · #9 11-19-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

No sarcasm? Oh, I guess I never understood peoples problem with Stem Cell Research. I think this make a bit of a case for it though. Perhaps not?

There is no real controversy over adult stem cell research. Here they are taking her own cells, which are not 'true' stem cells. Embryonic stem cells (such as a fertilized egg that has divided a couple of times) are capable of differentiating into any type of human cell.

As of now, adult stem cells are much more limited. A given adult stem cell can only develop into certain other types of cells, and there is not an adult stem cell for every type of adult cell - hence, why we need to either use embryonic stem cells, OR develop a means to manipulate adult stem cells. I'm not going to get into the politics of embryonic stem cell research, but what I will say, is that fortunately we can achieve some of the successes we hope for using adult stem cells. As techniques become more refined, we may find a way to 'deprogram' adult stem cells - this would be idea, because we will no longer need embryonic stem cells. But we're not there yet, and studying embryonic stem cells may be necessary to get to that point... and then you have controversy...

Funny they call it a windpipe, I haven't heard that one in a while.

Tsal · #10 11-20-2008, 12:18 AM

That's great news. They're also growing bone transplants and even teeth now. They've also managed to grow a whole prostate on several mice.

A researcher was recently interviewed about growing and transplanting a whole tooth, and she said "five years ago, I would had thought we maybe never get to see such things.. now, I think they could be in use within ten years.. that's how fast the medicine is progressing".

Quote:

As techniques become more refined, we may find a way to 'deprogram' adult stem cells - this would be idea, because we will no longer need embryonic stem cells. But we're not there yet, and studying embryonic stem cells may be necessary to get to that point... and then you have controversy...

Japanese group deprograms skin cells into stem cells:

http://genetics.suite101.com/article..._stem_es_cells

hbarcat · #11 11-20-2008, 12:35 AM

This is good news.

I'm sorry, was I supposed to regurgitate some kind of socially relevant comment, here? All right. Hooray for stem cell research!

Planets Collide · #12 11-20-2008, 12:39 AM

soylent green is people.

T.O.Bass · #13 11-20-2008, 08:07 AM

Stem cell research is awsome. Ever since I first heard of it, the first things that came to my mind was that I could finally have eyes that have 20/20 vision and could perceive all colours. I think it would be neat to actually see the world in the same colors as everyone else. Let me tell you, when you're colorblind to green and red, christmas is a dull holiday. Everyone is going on about the festive colors and I'm thinking "earth tones... brown and brown... yay..."