AmericanPapist Comments
I just wanted to add some science that the New York Times overlooked. I am not going to comment on the embryonic vs adult stem cell debate. Insulin secreting cells are in fact pancreatic cells. This may explain why it was relatively straightforward to perform the described experiment. Whilst this is a good start, "redirecting" cells over greater "distances" might be more problematic.
true, but to cure most common diseases, such extreme redirection isn't needed, correct?
Another interesting article about a scientific discovery that would negate the need for embryonic stem cells just came out of Japan. Scientists were able to create fully functioning stem cells from 3 year old discarded wisdom teeth.
http://www.breitbart.com/article...&
show_article=1
very exciting news!
Who knows? A lot of commentary on either human or adult stem cell research is speculation. For example, having read the article on the teeth - the comparison of these to embryonic cells is invalid as, in my opinion, they are pretty much limited to being a source of bone cells.
For an ethical question (which I don't have a clue how to answer): If we can generate adult stem cells which are identical to embryonic stem cells, then with the correct treatment, there is no reason why the adult stem cell could not become a human being. Is the adult stem cell not a potential human therefore should become a human rather than being used as a scientific tool? If we take this logic further, adult stem cells are found in blood. If they can be made identical to embryonic stem cells, then surely stem cells throughout your body are all potential humans therefore should not be used for research?
Sorry if this question sounds odd - it is something that I have been mulling over for a while.
Eric: basically, Adult stem cells are akin to Embyonic stem cells in that they are "Pluripotent" (able to turn into just about anything except a placenta.
The HUGE DIFFERENCES between Adult and Embryopnic stem are a) how the cells are harvested and b) the fact that ADULT stem cells are NOT "Totipotent", the cells required for an embryo.
Thus, the moral problems of using Embryonic stem cells are nonexistant with Adult Stem Cells.
$$$ As I understand it, there is money in embryonic stem cell 'cures' because they can be patented and huge profits reaped. Adult stem cells cures cannot be patented in the same extremely profitable ways. That's the bottom line.
Commenting by HaloScan
