WASHINGTON, January 8, 2002 (LSN.ca) – A study on rats that has proponents of embryonic stem cell research raving about the wonders of the unethical science contains startling information on the harm of such research. While headlines trumpeted “Stem Cells May Treat Parkinson’s”, buried in the story is the fact that the researchers found that five of the 19 animals used in the study also developed tumors.
The study injected embryonic stem cells, which when created caused the death of embryonic rats, into the brains of rats which were altered to exhibit symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. In a study appearing Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., showed that embryonic stem cells would spontaneously convert to correct the Parkinson’s symptoms.
Having only more than a quarter of test animals develop tumours is actually a great improvement, according to experts. Dr. Arlene Y. Chiu of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke said the study significantly lessened the development of tumours typical of embryonic stem cell research. AP reports that the current study reduced the problem by injecting only about 1,000 stem cells into each test animals whereas earlier studies injected more than 100,000 cells resulting in many test animals developing tumors.
For more see the AP coverage: https://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020108/hl/stem_cells_parkinson_s_4.html