Scientist Pushing for Early Use of Stem Cells

hzs202 writes "BBC News is reporting that Professor Ian Wilmut is pushing for stem cell treatment to be offered to people with terminal illnesses. Professor Wilmut told journalists that the treatment could save lives or at least speed up the pace of research, however it is yet to be fully tested." From the article: "If we wait until things are totally tested and analyzed in animals, it will deny some people treatment"

Comments

Stem cells from newborns

[AnonymousJackass]

I learned something interesting last week from friends of my wife and I. When their daughters were born (now 4 and 6yrs old, respectively), they had stem cells taken from their umbilical cords and sent off to a facility in (I think) Texas, where they're safely stored and frozen. Apparently the thinking is that (hopefully never, but...) maybe one day one of the girls will have some kind of ailment that requires the re-growth of an organ (for example), or similar. So they will pull the stem cells out of storage and use the 'current' medical advances to hopefully cure them.
I was amazed to find out that it is possible to do this and that people are doing it already! I think that is so cool! I meant to ask them if it cost anything, but I forgot. Anyone know?
Just thought I'd share, since we're on the subject...

Re:Something to ponder

[vertinox]

Certainly lots of people have heard of snake-oil. Heck, asperin was also a cure-all.

The difference between stem cells and asperin is that all of your cells were created via stem cells (indirectly or directly) and not asperin.

In theory, you could regenerate most (if not all) of your dead and dying body cells with stem cells because stems cells are basic building blocks of original cell generation. The reason we get sick, old, and die is because cells self replicate until they are beoyond damaged and damaged cells can only replicate damaged cells.

Go back to the starting point and create healthy original cells via stem cell therapy and you've got young and non-damaged cells again.

Calling stems cells a cure all is akin to calling atoms the cure all for reality. It is what we are made out of.