Research on Human Stem Cell Transplants May Go Forward

President Bush and and some Evangelical Christian groups may object to stem cell research on moral grounds, but the objection extends only to stem cells that were obtained as the result of an abortion. Even though the source of stem cells has been restricted in the US for research purposes. Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into different types of cells throughout the body. When a stem cell divides the new cell can either remain a stem cell or become a different type needed elsewhere in the body of an animal. Aborted fetuses are one of the richest sources of stem cells, but by no means the only one available. Stem cells exist in the body through an animal's life.

A year ago a study found the stem cells could repair some spinal chord function in rats whose back or neck bones had been damaged. The researchers who conducted the study injected stem cells from healthy rats into the rats whose spinal chords had been damaged in some way. The transplanted stem cells which were treated with a fluorescent markers grew and flourished in the rats thanks to a combination of drugs developed by the scientists conducting the research on the rats. Normally, the damaged tissue in the area loses its ability to reproduce a type of tissue known as myelin which transmits nerve signals to the brain. The stem cells injected from the healthy rats developed into the type of cell needed to send signals and was incorporated into the damaged tissue.

At the time the study promised hope for people suffering from paralysis, but people looking further into the issue questioned whether or not the Bush administration's ban on stem cell research would stop further experimentation and research in this area. One Menlo park company does not believe there are any major hurdles when it comes to conducting the final research on humans to see whether or not this type of stem cell transplant will work
The company was recently able to use human cells in rat to replace damaged cells that had been killed by a heart attack and hopes the FDA will grant approval for the biotechnology for its final tests on humans. If it works, a potential new slew of applications will be found, but it will not stop the debate over stem cells in general and how they should be obtained which is founded on moral grounds.

Sources:

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060328224824.htm

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_6729442