Stem Cell Therapy Causes Tumors

SpaceAdmiral writes, "Using human embryonic stem cells, researchers have cured a Parkinson's-like disease in rats. Unfortunately, the Parkinson's cure causes brain tumors." From the first article: "...10 weeks into the trial, [University of Rochester researchers] discovered brain tumours had begun to grow in every animal treated... By definition, human embryonic stem cells have the almost mythical, immortal power to grow and divide indefinitely as they become the various tissues that make up the body. As a result, scientists have always known that any stem cell therapy could result in an uncontrolled growth of cells that could give rise to cancer."

Comments

Gov. Schwarzenegger has issued a denial

[krell]

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a major proponent of stem-cell research, has already issued a denial.

Re:Tumors?

[ArcherB]

You seem to be against embryonic stem cell research because adult stem cell research is more advanced, but it's only more advanced because you've been blocking embryonic stem cell research.

Your ignorance proves my point. You have bought into the spin you keep hearing over and over. Here are the facts:

First of all, there is no law against embryonic stem cell research in the US, so it is not being blocked as you say. All the current Prez did was fund research for existing stem cell lines from embryos and other sources (adult and chord blood stem cells). Now here is the key point so pay attention. Before this point, there was NO federal funding for stem cell research at all, embryonic or otherwise. Bush opened funding for certain types of research, which made some scientist realize they were not getting some of the pie. This upset them and gave the Bush-haters something to spin. You have people like Michael J. Fox, Christopher Reeves and even Nancy Reagan acting like Bush took money AWAY from stem cell research when all he did was fund other areas of it, when in fact, Bush is first US Prez to fund any type of stem cell research at all!

I guess an analogy would be if the Prez released federal money to research Solar power, where there was none before, but not wind because windmills kill birds. The Wind power people get all pissed off and say the Prez is responsible for ruining the environment because he blocked Wind power reseach, even though private organizations can research Wind, just as they always have.