Embryonic-like cells programed to repair damage.

[Ashkir]

Still a very experimental procedure, but it is working brilliantly on rats.

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE56J51M20090720?rpc=64

Is this the future of heart repairs? I know many repairs can be made via catheterization now. But, will we get to the point where an injection can repair simple things?

 

[Ross]

Still a very experimental procedure, but it is working brilliantly on rats.

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE56J51M20090720?rpc=64

Is this the future of heart repairs? I know many repairs can be made via catheterization now. But, will we get to the point where an injection can repair simple things?

What works in mice doesn't necessarily work in humans. We will have to wait a long long time to see.

 

[john79t]

Even though the article said embronic-like cells they have nothing to do with cells from an embro. These are cells taken from the pacient and the stem cells seperated out. This leaves no chance of rejection and no need for killing the immune system. This is actually being done on humans in trials in TX. Other trials have shown great promise in other countries. In the trials the injections have healed the heart that was in conjective heart failure and other heart damage. Once again every real and promising cure has come from adult stem cells (no chance of rejection and they are self limiting) None to my knowledge have come from embronic cells.

 

[Karlynn]

Even though the article said embronic-like cells they have nothing to do with cells from an embro. These are cells taken from the pacient and the stem cells seperated out. This leaves no chance of rejection and no need for killing the immune system. This is actually being done on humans in trials in TX. Other trials have shown great promise in other countries. In the trials the injections have healed the heart that was in conjective heart failure and other heart damage. Once again every real and promising cure has come from adult stem cells (no chance of rejection and they are self limiting) None to my knowledge have come from embronic cells.

Totally agree. Embryonic stem cells are very volatile and unpredictable and have been producing tumors in some of the rats the experiments are done on. The best and brightest hope is using our own stem cells. Here is the WAPO article I read. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082101180.html Emphasis on "embryonic-like" but note that it is in using our own stem cells.

In my ever humble opinion the huge emphasis on embryonic stem cells arose as a political issue and people were intentionally mislead in thinking stem cell research in general is what was being fought about. Stem cell research has never been banned. Bush was the first president to assign federal funding to embryonic stem cell research, but limited it to lines already available. (Somehow this got morphed into him banning embryonic stem cell research.) Privately funded stem cell research of any kind - embryonic, adult, cord blood etc has always been an open field for scientists to pursue.

A few years ago, a man who lost his jaw to cancer was given a new jaw grown from his own stem cells. Many other exciting advancements have been made with our own stem cells. I truly think this will be our valve replacement option sometime down the road. As well as options for many other health issues.

 

[knoxbone09]

If this particular treatment has a practical application in humans it could be especially promising as it seems that it could have wide-ranging implications for an array of physical ailements, not just heart conditions. As Ross implies, though, one has to be wary of putting too much stock in an experimental and seemingly somewhat theoretical therapy--especially one that it so early in development.
That said, I think it is a good idea to discuss the possibility. Public attention and it's byproduct, funding, serve to accelerate this kind of research.

Grant