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Cells From Liposuction Function As Stem Cells?

texchanchan writes "Plastic surgeon Peter Fodor MD filtered stem cells out of fat sucked from people's oversized body parts, then cultured them into 'bone, cartilage, skeletal muscle and nerve cells.' At the rate of 10,000 stem cells per cm3 that's a lot of stem cells. Combine that with this and you might be on the road to regeneration. And, you can have your stem cells banked for later disasters after your liposuction."

14 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. Fat by ObitMan · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Large linux hackers now will have a source of real income

    --
    Who run Barter Town?
  2. Re:Damn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    get your facts straight. in Fight Club, Brad Pitt's character used human fat to make soap, which produces glycerine as a by-product. the glycerine was then made into nitroglycerine, which is not a plastic explosive at all.

    eat a bag of shit and shoot yourself in the head.

  3. Re:Fat as unwanted cells by Drachemorder · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Actually, you're wrong. I'm as conservative as they come, and I have no problem with using fat cells for research. Neither do most people I know. I think this sort of research is a good thing because if it works out, I think there would be less pressure to use embryonic stem cells.

  4. Re:It looks like someone may have found a way by jdavidb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes. I don't believe in killing embryos and I'm thankful that we are still looking for alternatives. I only hope that these initial results pan out. (Those who are biased against the religious sometimes seem to take a particular glee when something like this doesn't pan out.)

    The religious accuse the embryonic stem cell people of murder. On the other hand, those who could help people with embryonic stem cell research lay a similar charge back at the religious. The real problem is the people who try to pretend this is a clear cut issue and call you stupid if you don't take their side.

  5. I wonder... by TheWhaleShark · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm a Biology major currently, so I'm right in there with the cloning stuff. I'm rather curious as to how the anti-cloning people are going to react to this; seeing as how the major argument AGAINST stem cell research is the usage of embryos, the use of fat-based stem cells should THEORETICALLY be OK. At least there's a nigh-endless source of fat cells, so we won't have any problem getting raw materials.

    Personally, I'm just waiting for some religious nut to condemn this on the grounds that fat cells have souls. I dunno...if my fat were sentient, I think I'd have a lot more to worry about than just stem cell research.

    --
    "It never got weird enough for me." - HST (RIP)
    1. Re:I wonder... by RailGunner · · Score: 5, Insightful
      I can't speak for all Religious people, but I can certainly speak for myself. (In case you want clarification, I am a Christian. Catholic, more specifically.)

      I'm against embryonic stem cell research, because the stem cells came from aborted human babies, and I personally believe abortion is murder.

      However, I can't see anyone having a problem with stem cell research where the stem cells come from human fat. Nor can I see any reason to oppose stem cell research when the stem cells come from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby.

      If you can, then you are probably also against blood transfusions, organ transplants, and other medical necessities because you mis-read your Bible.

      But please.. not all of us religious people are "nuts". If you are a liberal and think that all religious people are nuts, then maybe you should practice some of that "tolerance" you like to preach about.

    2. Re:I wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
      Two issues...
      1. Even Senator Orin Hatch supports putting existing tissue in an unfertilized embyro to make stem cells. They don't necessarily have to come from aborted babies. They don't even have to be in a uteris.
      2. The abortions are going to happen anyway. If Knocked Up Teenager X decides to get an abortion, she's going to do it. She might as well donate it to science.
    3. Re:I wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      No, most religious sorts aren't nuts. However, a lot of them are illogical and closed-minded, which is just as good in my book in terms of letting them make laws (like those limiting research) that affect me.

      All I can think of when I think of religion + politics is Contact, and how absoutely inane most of the religious types in there were.

      No one is forcing Catholics to donate embryos to science. Others, however, would like Catholics and conservative religious types not to try to dictate a set of values to them.

  6. Science Fiction by Mikoca · · Score: 1, Insightful

    People, before getting excited about the stem cells in your bellies, have in mind the way media tend to represent science...

    So far stem cells haven't really been successfully used in all the magical ways the article suggests. We have a long way to go on that. And that means research. And THAT's what stem cells are good for and really needed. I hope the whole argument about stem cells will shift, now that there are more pallatable sources of stem cells than human embrios, umbilical cords and so forth. It's a whole other question how voters are gonna take it, though (see the Science literacy discussion)

  7. Re:Of course it's illegal by jdavidb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is this why everyone was so mad at the right? Because of a misunderstanding?

    We don't oppose stem cell research. We oppose the destruction of embryos. We believe, rightly or wrongly, that embryos are people and deserve protection. The other side should admit that that claim at least has merit, even if they don't agree. (Meaning it's a respectable, legitimate opinion; not just being hard to get along with or obstructionist.)

    I don't think you'll find anyone on the right (at least, anyone who fully understands the issues) who will oppose stem cell research that does not involve killing embryoes. Hopefully the distinction is very clear to everyone.

  8. Re:Of course it's illegal by Fig,+formerly+A.C. · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "You may not agree with that belief, and you have every right to disagree with it, but you should respect the fact that some conservatives actually have reasons for our positions" And in the same vein, you should respect the beliefs of the people who are in favor of stem cell research. Unfortunately, YOUR side is the one who is trying to force your opinion on everyone else. I find your concept of "respect" as a one way street to be the root of the entire problem. After all, noone is forcing YOU to participate, right? What gives you the right to force others NOT to participate? Nothing does. :-)

    --
    Murphy was an optimist.
  9. Re:Of course it's illegal by mcg1969 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The problem is, that if someone believes an embryo is a human being worthy of protection, then it's incumbent upon them to protect it, no matter who it belongs to.

    I'm sure you don't have a problem if someone intervenes in child abuse case, after all. A parent may have quite a bit of latitude in how to raise a child, but intervention to prevent that parent from injuring or killing that child is entirely justified.

    If you believe, then, that embryos deserve the same rights as a child, what else can you do but "force your beliefs" on those who are killing them?

  10. Perhaps because that's not what it really means? by FaithAndReason · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Perhaps the parent poster was referring to the collection of umbilical cord blood. Or perhaps, even more likely, the parent was simply referring to the continuing search for other sources of totipotent stems cells within the adult human body. Your huge leap to the conclusion that the post was somehow an apologism for abortion was utterly unjustified and off-topic. How on earth did anybody get the idea that people were going around inducing abortions to collect the stem cells??

    I'd say "Godwin" is definitely appropriate. (Was that just a typo on your part, or is "Godwin" a verb now?)

  11. Re:Better Living Through Fat by blair1q · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Economic reality: the price of stem cells drops so much you still end up paying $5K net for lipo.

    --Blair
    "I'll have the Genome McMuffin and a medium RNA rings."