Here’s yet another reason to abandon Embryonic Stem Cell research. Over 2 months ago, scientists at Griffith University in Australia announced an amazing breakthrough. They have shown that you can harvest stem cells from the nose of an adult and turn them into heart cells, brain cells, neurons, liver cells and muscle cells.
One argument for embryonic stem cell research is that they are more pluripotent (that is they can be coaxed into changing forms into different types of cells) while adult stem cells are not as malleable. Well, this proves that wrong!
Unlike embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells grow in a more controlled fashion and are less likely to form tumors. Also, since they can be harvested from your own nose, there is no risk of rejection, thus eliminating the need for immunosuppressive drugs.
No comments:
Post a Comment