As a Christian, I’m supposed to be against stem cell research. At least, that’s what they tell me. But then I started thinking for myself. While I do disagree with destroying embryos that may have a chance at life, I can completely understand (and support) the use of embryos that are never going to be used and will be discarded anyway.
However, it’s been reported that stem cells have been found in amniotic fluid and would completely sidestep the controversy of using embryos.
Researchers at Wake Forest University and Harvard University reported Sunday that the stem cells they drew from amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women hold much the same promise as embryonic stem cells.
They reported they were able to extract the stem cells from the fluid, which cushions babies in the womb, without harm to mother or fetus and turn their discovery into several different tissue cell types, including brain, liver and bone.
And while this is good news to those who oppose embryonic stem cell research, it’s still too early to replace the controversial method.
Nonetheless, Daley said, the discovery shouldn’t be used as a replacement for human embryonic stem cell research.
“While they are fascinating subjects of study in their own right, they are not a substitute for human embryonic stem cells, which allow scientists to address a host of other interesting questions in early human development,” said Daley, who began work last year to clone human embryos to produce stem cells.
Either way, it’s a great step in the right direction. The scientists have seen the controversy and tried to find an alternative method. Human embryonic stem cell research is important; but if there are other methods that can garner the same results without destroying a potential human life, then we should go in that direction.
I applaud your views. However, my issue is that while scientists are making this other route a viable option of harvesting stem cells, precious research time is being lost.
I don’t think that those people who would directly benefit form stem cell research are sitting patiently as politicians decide how long they should wait for a cure.
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BTW- “thinking for yourself” can get you labeled a heretic in many circles.
Kudos for stepping up!
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Amanda, thank you for blogging about this. Stem cells are also available in adult cerebro-spinal fluid. I’ve always wondered if it’s such a big controversy, why researchers don’t just use adult stem cells.
I’m confused at the statement that it’s too early to use the adult stem cells. How are they so different from embryonic stem cells and why would the research needed to use them be different?
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As I understand it, the big difference between the two types of cell lines is flexibility. Embryonic stem cells can form any cell type found in the body. Adult cells can be forced into crossing the line between the tissue type they came from and forming something else, but that’s difficult at best. Typically, adult cell lines in their natural state will only replace cells belonging to the tissue type they belong to. If we can find a way to reliably culture adult cell lines that can do the same thing as embryonic cells, we wouldn’t need to study embryonic ones at all (which would probably be best for all involved). However, without being able to use embryonic cells, it’s difficult to tell exactly what the difference is and solve the problem of making adult cells behave in a similar fasion.
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*fashion*
Ack!
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Adult stem cells have been used successfully in many different areas. Also, there is no federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, that does not mean that it is not occurring in private ventures or in foreign countries. As of yet, there have been no successful uses for embryonic stem cells.
People keep trying to make it work, but so far it just isn’t working.
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IAMB, thanks for answering my question. When I was taking college biology, they said the adult cells are as versatile, but even college profs can be wrong! Now, here’s another question: Can’t we just get a culture of every type of cell and work with that instead of having to manipulate the same cell into different types of tissue?
Thanks to everyone for bearing with my ignorance!
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If I remember correctly, we can force adult and amniotic cells to make about six different types of cell as opposed to the 220 types eventually formed from embryonic cells. The problem with embryonic cells is we can’t yet control their growth, which results in tumors, and directing their development is difficult. Adult cells are versatile in that every organ contains different cell types and an adult stem cell from that organ can form most of them, though the ability is limited (otherwise we’d naturally regenerate kidneys, hearts, etc.).
The big problem is regenerating neural tissue from the central nervous system and regrowing entire organs. Our own stem cells can’t do that, but the hope with embryonic lines is that we can learn how to make them do it. That way, the disabled will walk, Alzheimer’s patients will be a thing of the past, new organs won’t be an issue, etc. Adult cells are great for repair, but they can’t regenerate some things.
For me, the hope with embryonic cells is that we can learn what makes them tick and how to control it, and then engineer adult cell cultures that will do the same thing.
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