Politics
Monday December 13, 2004
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
New Type of Adult Stem Cell Shows Exciting Similarity to Embryonic Stem Cell Flexibility
December 13, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A type of stem cell found in adults is proving to be similar to embryonic stem cells in flexibility. The stem cell, called a neural crest stem cell, is one that develops before birth and persists into adulthood in hair follicles.
Maya Sieber-Blum, Ph.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milos Grim, MD Ph.D., of Charles University Prague, and their team of researchers discovered the new type of adult stem cell and say they hope it can be used in therapeutic applications. Like all stem cells derived from a patient's own body, neural crest stem cells do not prompt immune system rejection and they have been shown to have an unusually ready ability to change into many types of tissue.
Early studies have shown that they are able to differentiate into neurons, nerve supporting cells, cartilage/bone cells, smooth muscle cells, and pigment cells. Sieber-Blum said, "The goal of our research is to apply neural crest stem cells from adult hair follicles in cell replacement therapy in selected instances," which include heart disease and spinal cord injuries as well as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
In related news, Dr. Michael J. Young, from Harvard Medical School in Boston has led a team of researchers who have cured mice of retinal disease using their own stem cells. The scientists harvested retinal stem cells from newborn mice and transplanted them into the damaged retinas of adult mice. The stem cells transformed into the nerve cells and repaired the damage. The treated mice have shown improved response to light.
"Many of the (eye) cells that were on the verge of dying before the transplant appeared to regain or retain their function," Dr. Young wrote in a media release. "These are the first steps toward the use of stem cells for saving existing vision and then - down the road - restoring vision that has already been lost," he said.
hw
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Abortionist Pleads No Contest to Felonies, Faces up to 10 Years in Jail
- Author of French "Right to Die" Law Opposes Efforts to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
- Bush Interview: "I Didn't Sell my Soul for Politics"
- Life Prizes Announces Winners of $600,000 Pro-Life Award
- Purchase of Christmas Music CD By Pro-Life Priest is Great Way to Support LifeSiteNews
- Another Priest Urges Confession for Catholics who Voted for Pro-Abortion Obama
- Australian Health Minister Fires Men’s Health Ambassador for Documenting Risks of Homosexuality
- IKEA’s Polish Catalogue Introduces “Ian and Steve” as a Model of the New Family
- Abortion Increases Women's Mental Health Problems: New Study
- Conservative Attorney General Seeks to Quash Morgentaler Order of Canada Challenge
- EU Rejects Patent that “Necessarily Involves the Use and Destruction of Human Embryos”
- South Korean Court Orders Removal of Life Support from Comatose Woman
- The Power of a Bold Bishop
- God is Pro-Choice Says Nun
- Danish Study Shows almost 50% More Down's Children Eugenically Aborted with New Screening Options
- Letters to the Editor for Monday, December 1, 2008
Most Read this Week
- Behind the Scenes of Volition: Coincidences and Startling Circumstances
- Ad Showing Woman Seducing Santa Promotes Free Morning-After Pills and Condoms for Christmas
- Belgian Couple Sells Baby on EBay
- Leading Canadian Pro-Life MP Relates Shocking 20 Year Lack of Support From Catholic Clergy
- Naming the Anti-Life Appointments in the Obama Administration
- Cardinal on Biblical Condemnation of Homosexuality: We're Not Allowed the Cowardice of "Politically Correct" Silence
- A Painful, Disease-Ridden Death Isn’t So Bad if You’re Just a White, Heterosexual Male
- Film Review: Volition
- Just In Time for Christmas - Gift Cards for Abortions from Planned Parenthood
- Abortion Now Number One Cause of Death in Spain
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.