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Team Use Stem Cells to Restore Mobility in Paralyzed Monkey

Posted by samzenpus on from the we-can-rebuild-him dept.

interval1066 writes "From the article: 'Japanese researchers said Wednesday they had used stem cells to restore partial mobility in a small monkey that had been paralysed from the neck down by a spinal injury.' This is huge news in the world of stem cell research; restoring some muscular control to a simian is a huge step. This means that stem cell therapy is a demonstrably viable path to restoring motility for millions of accident victims, palsy and ms sufferers, the list just goes on."

18 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Induced pluripotent stem by makubesu · · Score: 5, Informative

    So not embryonic stem cells. Everybody wins.

    1. Re:Induced pluripotent stem by butalearner · · Score: 4, Funny

      So not embryonic stem cells. Everybody wins.

      Except for wheelchair manufacturers.

    2. Re:Induced pluripotent stem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Exactly. I was just going to point out that the article trolls about embryonic stem cell usage in the final two paragraphs:

      "Scientists say the use of human embryonic stem cells as a treatment for cancer and other diseases holds great promise, but the process has drawn fire from religious conservatives and others who oppose it.

      Embryonic stem cell research is controversial because human embryos are destroyed in order to obtain the cells capable of developing into almost every tissue of the body."

      The cells used in this treatment were derived from adult skin cells. No controversy here. Everyone wins. The article barely alludes to the fact that adult skin cells were used (not even a complete sentence is devoted to this critical fact), and they devote their closing 2 paragraphs to trying to gin up controversy over the embryonic stem cell issue without pointing out how this treatment bypasses that issue. I find it very disingenuous, and the Slashdot editors should have caught it and addressed it in the summary.

    3. Re:Induced pluripotent stem by transami · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Not really. An embryo doesn't get to save a life before it's flushed down the drain.

      --
      :T:R:A:N:S:
    4. Re:Induced pluripotent stem by Hatta · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The cells used in this treatment were derived from adult skin cells. No controversy here. Everyone wins.

      The fact that adult stem cells are useful should lead us to believe that embryonic stem cells are useful too. In this way any work on adult stem cells is linked to (the lack of) work on embryonic stem cells. If we can save lives with adult stem cells, what if we could save even more lives with embryonic stem cells? Shouldn't we at least do the research to find out?

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    5. Re:Induced pluripotent stem by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What controversy is there for anyone in the least bit educated?

      Who opposes fertility treatments? If you do not oppose those why would you oppose the methods used to dispose of the left over embryos?

      They were going in the garbage anyway.

    6. Re:Induced pluripotent stem by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'd love it if they were the next buggy whip industry.

      --
      The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
    7. Re:Induced pluripotent stem by Jason+Levine · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Someone I know online found themselves in pretty much that situation. Their baby-to-be was diagnosed with a rare birth defect and had zero chance of survival. The choices were a) abort now or b) go through a difficult pregnancy and risky birth to give birth to a dead baby. Awful choices to make and ones I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

      They opten for the abortion but time was a factor and the hospital couldn't get it done in time. So they went to a family planning center/abortion clinic. Of course, there were protestors outside. On this, the worst day of their lives, when they were heading in to end the pregnancy they had so looked forward to, the protestors thought it was a good idea to shout at them and tell them "You're killing your baby!"

      When his wife was taken away for the procedure, he realized he couldn't just sit in the waiting room. He turned on his video phone, walked out and politely confronted the protesters.

      http://www.daddyfiles.com/2010/07/13/abort-protesters/

      The fun part is when the protesters get annoyed at him for bothering them and threaten to call the police. So calling someone a "baby murderer" when you don't know anything about their situation is fine but asking you questions in a polite manner (when he had every right to yell scream and curse at them) is cause for calling the police?

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  2. Peer-Review v. Newspaper by sonnejw0 · · Score: 3, Informative

    There's only a handful of reasons why you'd hear about this first from a newspaper called "The Inquirer" as opposed to Nature Neuroscience ... I'll leave it to you to figure out what those reasons are.

    1. Re:Peer-Review v. Newspaper by Kelzar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because the Philippine Daily Inquirer publishes daily instead of monthly?

    2. Re:Peer-Review v. Newspaper by allanmackenzie · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Hideyuki Okano has almost 300 papers and some of them in very reputable journals. This is most likely the real deal.

  3. This'll show them... by iluvcapra · · Score: 3, Funny

    Monkeys should really be more careful and should never, ever dive into the shallow end of the pool.

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
  4. Salute. by sbenson · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "that had been paralysed from the neck down by a spinal injury" -- Bet it wasn't an accident.
    I for one wish to honor our little buddy that took one for the team, Not his team, our team, the team two branches over on the evolutionary tree.

    1. Re:Salute. by Stregano · · Score: 3, Funny

      I was thinking that as well. How often do Japanese people run across paralyzed monkeys and then think, "I bet this monkey would be good for stem cell research"

      --
      The world is how you make it
    2. Re:Salute. by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was thinking that as well. How often do Japanese people run across paralyzed monkeys and then think, "I bet this monkey would be good for stem cell research"

      Yes thats correct. They run accross the monkey first, then think, "Yep he is a good candidate for stem cell research!"

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    3. Re:Salute. by Pharmboy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's a sticky wicket to say the least. It bothers me terribly for cosmetics to be tested on animals, and don't think it should be done. It bothers me somewhat less so to know animals are being used for medical testing. But it still bothers me. I still think it is a good idea to have animal testing for medical research, as yes, there are some amazing discoveries made because of it, which is admittedly hypocritical. And yes, it also bothers me that I am willing to be hypocritical to save humans lives, but I'm not willing to give up the science, even for the poor critters.

      For it is worth, at least I am honest about my own hypocracy. Sometimes life just gives you shitty options to choose from, and I gotta choose the shitty option that saves more human lives.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
  5. Re:Embryonic or adult? by CrustyMustard · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah, what bknabe said: http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics10.asp. Score another one for adult stem cells.

  6. Re:Well... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 3, Funny

    Uh, I think they're referring to a "simian" monkey. Not the one you spank. For that, there's still viagra...