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October 11th, 2010
03:30 PM ET
First human injected in human embryonic stem cell trialAfter years of animal trials, the first human has been injected with cells from human embryonic stem cells, according to Geron Corporation, the company which is sponsoring the controversial study. "This is the first human embryonic stem cell trial in the world," Geron CEO Dr. Thomas Okarma tells CNN. Geron is releasing very few details about the patient, but will say that the first person to receive cells derived from human embryonic stem cells was enrolled in the FDA-approved clinical trial at the Shepherd Center, a spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. This person was injected with the cells on Friday. The FDA first approved this clinical trial in January 2009, but later required further research before the study could proceed. The FDA gave final approval in July of this year. This allowed the company to begin searching for the first patients who might qualify for this phase 1 clinical trial, which means scientists are trying to determine the safety of introducing these cells into a human. To be eligible, patients have to have suffered what's called a complete thoracic spinal cord injury, which means no movement below the chest. While patients can still move their arms and breathe on their own, they are complete paraplegics; they have no bowel or bladder control and can't move their legs, Okarma explains. The injury to the spinal cord would have to have occurred between the third and tenth thoracic vertebrae and the patient has to be injected with the stem cell therapy, called GRNOPC1, within seven to 14 days after the injury. "At the time of the injection, they [the cells] are programmed to make a new spinal cord – they insulate the damage [to the spinal cord]," says Okarma. The cells work just like they would if they were in the womb and building a spine in a fetus, Okarma explains. Embryonic stem cells are only four to five days old and have the ability to turn into any cell in the body. But the cells that the patient receives aren't pure human embryonic stem cells anymore. The cells in the GRNOPC1 therapy have been coaxed into becoming early myelinated glial cells, a type of cell that insulates nerve cells. "For every cell we inject, they become six to 10 cells in a few months," says Okarma. These cells can still divide some but will not become any type of cell other than glial cells, he explains. The Geron CEO likens what these cells are doing to repairing a large electrical cable. If the outer layer is damaged and the wire is exposed, it causes a short-circuit and the cable doesn't work anymore. In the case of a spinal cord injury, these new stem-cell derived glial cells creep in between all the fibers and rewrap the nerve with myelin, which is like patching the cable. The goal is to permanently repair the damage that caused the paralysis from the spinal cord injury. "We're not treating symptoms here - we're permanently regenerating tissue," says Okarma. He adds that the goal of this stem cell therapy is to shift the outcome for someone who has just suffered a serious spinal cord injury, and go from a place where there's no hope for improvement to a situation where they can respond to physical therapy. "If we could do that, this would be a spectacular result," Okarma says. The purpose of the clinical trial at this stage is to determine safety – to determine that there are no bad side effects or rejection caused by the therapy. Only eight to 10 patients are approved to be in the safety phase of this clinical trial, and patients with new spinal cord injuries are expected to be enrolled at about seven sites in the United States. Besides the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, also is recruiting patients. The cells that are being injected into the patients are a product derived from stem cells that were harvested from leftover embryos from fertility clinics. Because this process destroys the embryo, this type of research has been very controversial. Consequently federal funding of this type of research has been equally controversial. However, Okarma has previously told CNN that "zero federal funds" were used for their human embryonic stem cell product.
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its about time....lets see who opposes once one of their loved one's need it
I hope this is the breakthrough so many are praying for.
S.f, you're an idiot. I respect your beliefs but I find it hard to believe you'd let your child die waiting for god to take action.
Looks like God didn't prevent him from being in this shape, either.
S.F. you're wrong. It's the Flying Spaghetti Monster that healed them, not this "god" of yours.
@ S.F.
Just like the kids that died from a burst appendix and the parents prayed for the healing... yeah. Ashame the kids fall victim to their parents Darwinism....
Hey SF I feel sorry for your kid poor kid would probley never forgive you if they have been a fixable paralysis but you denied them treatment....just cause Jesus had no science doesn't mean we can't use it fool
Seriously, S.F.? Just because something isn't stated in the Bible doesn't make it evil. This is not humans playing God. This is humans trying to help other humans. Through SCIENCE. If you want to hate science so much, then don't eat your fried foods, or those organic vegetables. Those were derived through science. Don't use your electricity, or plumbing. That was science, too. My point is, S.F., that these scientists are simply trying to help people. Maybe this isn't in the Bible. But you know what? It sure is a lot more effective than many of the crazy reverands like Jim Jones. Remember him? He led several hundred people to suicide. Is that in your Bible?
S F, you're a teenager aren't you?
It didn't take the life of another.
You take joy in knowing your ramblings sound like idiocy, yet you just keep on doing it?
Seems to me like YOU are the one perverting religion, S.F., not these people.
S.F. you shouldn't be allowed to have your children.
Anyone who "doesn't need the devil's science" should actually prove it by refusing everything created by science. Let them skip all drugs and medication. I'd support them doing that.
Finally . . . we'll get to prove that this is just another classic example of bogus science. After 50 years, we have yet to cure "Jerry's kids," we have yet cure cancer, and we have yet to decide whether saccharine is good or bad for our health (or if Pluto is actually a planet).
It's sad when those who say they believe in God refuse to use their God-given brains to find solutions to horrors like spinal cord injuries. Would you truly refuse embryonic stem cells for your paralyzed child if you knew it would work? If they answer is "yes" you'd be the worst parent imaginable.
You guys realize that S.F. is joking right?
Yeah SF, you freakin mental patient. I hope they take your kids away from you.
Umm, call me crazy, but I think S.F. might just be trolling.
Just a thought.
To All Replying to @S.F. - You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think...
you should not be allowed to give birth ever....what kind of person are you that would let ur own child die if the option of saving his or her young life was available in a hearbeat....u my friend are a horrible human being..god have mercy on ur soul
To those who say this is against gods will and would refuse such treatment and instead would prayer to heal the wounds that this could fix. I have a parable for you.
The flood waters were slowly rising, and the man stood on the porch of his house. A man in a row boat paddled by and told the religious man, “Get in, the waters are rising!” But the religious man said, “No thank you, God will save me.” The flood waters kept rising and the man had to go to the second floor of his house. A man in a motor boat drove by and told the religious man, “Get in, the flood is getting worse!” But the religious man said, “No thank you, I have faith that God will save me.”
The waters rose and soon the religious man was forced to stand on the peak of his own roof to avoid drowning. A helicopter flew by, and the pilot yelled down, “We’re here to rescue you! Hurry!” But the man told the pilot, “No thank you, God will rescue me.” The pilot flew away, the waters rose, and the man drowned. The man was sent to heaven, and upon arriving, got to meet God. He asked God, “Why did you let me drown? I had perfect faith that you would rescue me.” And God said, “What more did you want? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!”
Perhaps this is gods helicopter to prayers of the familys of the wounded
When your GOD leaves your loved one in a hospital bed awaiting months of rehab and years of learning to live your life again in a chair, let's just see how you feel then
God gave these scientists the ability to use this knowlegde. God is all knowing, and does not work in small parcels to satisfy the fallacies of some religious ignoramus. If you truly knew and loved God, you will not be foolish in rejecting this incredible advacnement.
@SF
Please...quit your mythological ramblings. Tell me...last week a church van got in a wreck killing 8 children in it. Phew...thankfully Jesus/God was there that day to make sure they all got killed. I'm sure they totally deserved that one. Keep praying to someone who lets millions of innocent people die every year. So much to be proud of.
S.F. I am a Christian and I believe God made doctors so that we could be healed. Healing power flowing through the hands of a human being is no less miraculous, nor does it man that it couldn't come from God. Not everyone has your level of faith. Don't be religious by measuring everyone by your own standards. After all. St. Luke was a doctor of his time yet he chose to follow Jesus and saw his natural gift multiplied. Be a help and not a hindrance.
To everyone replying to S.F....
You have been TROLLED. I live in the deep South. There are people that stupid, but very few of them own a computer with a broadband internet connection. The ones that do don't know how to use it.
Have a nice day.
People, babies aren't being killed for stem cell research, the cells are all taken from a already aborted baby. If someone's going to abort their baby, the fetus mind as well be used for something useful. And if "god" didn't approve of stem cell research then why would he let it happen, and work?
If duing the testing could help one person, then it's worth it.
The people how have studied and came with this breakthrough are also god creations, if god didn't want that to happen he would have stopped it or fail it (based on your beliefs). So grow up, put down that book of shit you call words of god, and thank people who are helping others by actually doing something, and just because you are so incompetent that the only thing you can do is grab a book, and just say a prayer or two for a person in pain it doesn't mean everyone else has to stop trying.
For the love of god (by the way, i believe in god as well) use your brain and don't just listen to one person (priest or pastor, or wherever). It's embarrassing for everyone to even have to deal with you.
@DerekM117,
It doesn't take any intelligence to "troll" people. It's easy for people to falsely assume that someone actually has integrity.
I don’t go to church I’m not an atheist and god’s name could be bob, Joe, Henry if all I know. My daughter is somewhat disabled from a brain injury (8 yrs ago drunk driver ran a stop sign) what I wouldn’t give to see her function like a normal person again. I also have to sit back and realize playing god might become our down fall. I would like to see her be able to use both her hands at the same time, but then again what price is it worth? Next thing they will do is the cloning and cures for everything! Yippee go human race. The only ones to afford such pleasures will be the rich and the poor will just have to suffer. Eventually the perfect DNA race will run the world and they will run all the folks with the not so good DNA got to love Hitler’s views. I think I’ll stick to my daughter having some trimmers in her hands and her speech a little slow than to have her injected with stem cells… if she wants to have it done that’s totally up to her I won’t stop her but I’m not going to aid her in it either.
About damn time.
SF is lying, troll.
I'm too rich and smart to be a NASCAR driver : (
Science is only making it harder to live through tests of faith..
But I think in the end..Many will still refuse to accept that an innocent life was taken for these cures. And many will not be able to justify that health at "any' price is, in the end ' worth it'..
DON'T FEED THIS TROLL
@Mary,
Perhaps you should go back and read the article again. These embryos were the unused ones left after fertility procedures (like IVF). Which means that if they weren't used for this, they may very well have been discarded. Now you may disagree with IVF also, but the fact remains that as long as IVF and procedures like it are being done, there will be "leftover" embryos that are ultimately wasted. I for one, would prefer those be used for healing other people rather than being thrown out as medical waste.
My wife was injected with human embryonic stem cells two years ago during eye surgery. Sorry these may be the first "trials" but human embryonic stem cells have been used on humans for quite some time now.
I'm still concerned about the mice with the fully functioning human brains.
I understand the excitement of perhaps "breaking through" and "going forward" with finding cures to diseases, but just because something is possible doesn't mean we should do it. These stem cells are coming from lives being destroyed, and that isn't a religious belief, it is science. Embryology, the study of human development, begins with fusing of egg and sperm. To harvest stem cells is to destroy the development of life. Irregardless of religion, humans have basic rights, and not to be destroyed is one of them. I am all for going forward with research to end disease, but lets us stem cells which have actually already been used to derive treatments for disease, adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are derived from a completely different set of genes than that of the patient needing the treatment. The time it will take to understand how to make it so that this won't cause complications could be used to forward treatments using adult stem cells. Why not use stem cells which are powerful, made from the patient in need him/herself (taken from their blood), and doesn't come in a moral reprehensible way?
SF, you need to READ your bible instead of throw it at people. It was Jesus who healed on the sabbath even though the Pharisees told him not to. It was Jesus who overturned the money changers table even though the priest condemned him for it. It was Jesus who forgave to woman who committed adultery even though the church leaders condemned her to die. I truly believe that Jesus is VERY happy about this. If you would read your bible, you'd see that Jesus was a Liberal and not a right wing conservative that you make him out to be.
I hold on very strong to my faith and I see nothing wrong with stem cell research. Now I don't agree with using embryos from an aborted fetus because I believe abortion is wrong. That is my opinion and I have the right to believe that. I do however think it is very admirable how far these scientist have come. I see no problem with using stem cells from left over INV or even from a still birth. There is no difference between that and a man who dies and is a donor. Just a thought.
ha ha.... your a moron. Let me guess you have a RN degree? ha ha
So you are not ok with stem cell from abortions... In which most cases someone has an unwanted pregnancy terminated.... Because you believe abortion is wrong however, ivf, in which someone fertilizes a half a dozen fetuses, then picks one to implant and terminates the rest, is ok with you?
I wonder if you religious dummies even listen to the noise that comes out when you start flapping your jaws.
It's always these so called "good christians" that make the most judgements. The good christian thing to do is not to judge. THe bible was written over 1100 years ago by a bunch of men who had no resepect for women and chose to write it to fit their rules. There was no science at the time and everyeone though the world was flat and that the sun rotated around the Earth. Heck....tithe was invented around 900 AD so you could skip purgatory and go right to heaven. Now that same church is allowing child molesting priests be relocated to other churches and not be stripped of their priesthood. Why are people so washed over by religion that they don't believe the science? It's pathetic. Grab a book and learn some things. I believe in God but I don't think he/she is going to be pissed about saving lives. Because isn't it all "GOD'S WILL?" Why would this be allowed to happen? Maybe it will work maybe it won't. But I'll tell you this. Someday being able to cure downs, quadrupalegics, anything....is not playing god...it's being a good christian and saving God's children. Give me a break nut jobs. Take Republicans for example. No abortion...but allow the death penalty and send troops to die for no reason overseas. I thought a life was a life. Anyways...go stemcells.
So the guy who doesn't believe in abortion is stupid? So what?! INF typically has several fetus' left over. I know a couple who had that procedure done because they could not have children. They had to form several embryos to make sure one would take and the rest were donated to research. I can see why you may not have a problem with that over abortion.
Wow... haha... Didn't mean to cause such a stir! I was just stating what I believe. Just because I believe abortion is wrong doesn't mean I'm saying you can't have one or they can't do whatever. I'm just saying what I believe and that is my opinion. What you do is your choice and what I do is my choice. Have a good day.
Adult stem cells have the same benefits. Clinical trials for adult stem cells are already at phase two for myelination disorders.
This is in no way some big "about time" breakthrough.
No kidding, right? This is exciting!
Unfortunately, the FSM argument only goes too far, as does the Pink Unicorn. Try coming up with a deity that is not made of finite materials that we have not seen or experienced, then get back with me. Further more, the difference between the FSM and the claims of Christianity and Jesus being God are rooted in history and are verifiable, whereas the claims of the FSM are clearly fictional and have no empirical evidence for its existence, unlike Jesus.
misterhorvath @ hotmail com
Until you are humanized to the issue, know and love somebody who is paralyzed in any shape of form you will never understand wanting to provide the best quality of life to them. This is an amazing step forward and will give hope to so
many people who just want to gain some of there individual independance back.This is about quality of life. We should not judge but rather embrace this amazing advance in science.
For all those of you who think this is against Gods plan and stem cell research is blasphemy, I have a proposition for you. How about we continue with the research and if God has a problem with it then he will come down and tell us not to continue. Sounds fair?
Umbrella corp.
The issue over the years seems to have changed in structure, it only appears so; it is of the same content; and consequently of the same subject. It is highlighted by the same notion that embryonic stem cell research is unethical. Of the two kinds of stem cells, embryonic stem cells have drawn the most criticism; which is now generally attributed to Stem Cell Research as a whole. The pro-lifers attempt to hold two positions; they claim that they are not against Stem Cell Research per-se; and that they support adult stem cell research, and that their disagreements with advocates arose from embryonic-stem cell research; that which devalues human life. In the course of these arguments; the question surrounding abortion re-surfaces, that is; ‘Are Embryos forms of life? http://www.newsonhealthcare.com/stem-cell-research-it-must-be-funded%E2%80%A6-no-it-must-not/
I agree that it's about time. Although I can understand the arguments against, I firmly believe stem cell research could help many people who suffer from debilitating injuries or illnesses. If it were me who was injured I would want this.
Maybe Lebron James will get stem-cell injections and he will stop acting like an idiot.
You're all silly. No controversy needs exist because you can make these same cells from skin stem cells. No need to use embryos.
AWESOME!!!! Finally some movement forward! Let's hope it works!!! Scientist you rock!!!
My farts stink, can this help?
I would never ask for someone to give up their life to save me.
This procedure is done also in Panama, Ecuador and Germany
For Arguement sake, I agree with everyone except SF. This will be an obviously ongoing topic for years. But as stated before SF may change his mind if circumstances were different. As far as saying he shouldnt have kids, well that may be too far. Everyone has there Beliefs. But Beliefs change, this person will change beliefs if the situation changed. Maybe its evil to say that this person will give up on his religion but face it, People can become religious at any time by getting up and going to church one day or picking up a bible, so why cant they give up on certain aspects of the religion?? And Maybe letting a few things slide?
What i do agree with is the Stem Cell Trial. It isnt always about a single person, Think of ALL the military personnel who gave there rights to walk and use the bathroom for this Country and so we can have the freedom to sit here and debate on this website, who are we to deny them a chance at this or patronize them for trying it? Times are Changing. More Experimental Procedures will have to be made to change the path this Earth and the human race are taking. For Example, Global warming, Environmental Disasters, and Disasters that we've created.
I beleive in God and pray that this methoid will cure all of God's ailing children!
Religion is definitely overrated and as far as I have seen a crutch for the human being. Religion doesn't make people good, people make that decision for themselves. Can you be swayed by a religion? Sure you can and in either direction.
Isn't odd how the church is always kicking in the door of science to impose it's will while you rarely if at all see science kicking in the door of religion. You holy rollers go do what you do best, hate mongering, passing judgment etc and let the people that are truly working to save humanity do their jobs. Let your god do its job and pass judgment on you and them. D
Make you a deal, I'll pray to your god to make sure you end up paralyzed and then refused treatment so you can sit in your own excrement for the rest of your lives because you thinks its wrong and meddling in gods work.
Reading this article gave me chills. I pray that it is the breakthrough we have all been waiting for. I took care of my own mother for 4 years while she was paralysed from the neck down. We spend over three months in a rehabilitation center and I met many wonderful people with full spinal cord injuries. Although my mother has now passed, I think of all those people often and wonder how incredible it would be for them if this works.
Ebelray,
They are finding cures for 'Jerry's Kids"
The film Extraordinary Measures tells the story of how Dr Robert Stonehill found a successful treatment for Pompe's disease – a form of MD.
Thank you science!
I really hope this works, I have triple fusion and would love to be a test subject for this later when I can no longer use my arms. Fingers crossed, repubs and thumpers stay out of this one, it could be your loved ones needing this too!!
Can't wait to see this work
YOU NEED TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE FACTS!!! YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN CAREFULLY WHAT EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS ACTUALLY ARE!!! PEOPLE ARE VERY EASILY CONFUSED – ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE NO ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE EXPLAINS THAT EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS ARE NEVER TAKEN FROM A WOMAN'S BODY, AND THAT THEY ARE PROCURED FROM SPARE BLASTOCYSTS THAT ARE PROCURED IN VITRO. YOU ALSO NEED TO CAREFULLY EXPLAIN THAT THESE ARE ACTUALLY BLASTOCYSTIC STEM CELLS, AND THAT BLASTOCYSTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY YOUNGER THAN EMBRYOS. ONCE YOU HAVE AN EMBRYO, THE CELLS ARE DIFFERENTIATED. EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS MUST BE PROCURED AT THE BLASTOCYSTIC (PRE-EMBRYONIC STAGE). PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY MISINFORMED AND DRAWING CONCLUSIONS THAT WOMEN ARE GETTING PREGNANT FOR THE PURPOSE OF "DONATING EMBRYOS" OR EVEN ALLEGING THAT WOMEN ARE "DONATING ABORTED FETUSES." THIS IS COMPLETELY UNTRUE AND THESE FACTS MUST BE CLARIFIED IN ORDER TO CLEAR UP THE GROSS MISUNDERSTANDINGS THAT ARE PERPETUATING SUCH MYTHS. THE MEDIA IS DOING A LOUSY JOB OF ACCURATELY REPESENTING THE FACTS, AND THAT IS CAUSING MORE OF A CONTROVERSY. PLEASE BROADCAST YOUR INFORMATION ACCURATELY AND RESPONSIBLY. THANK YOU!
The reason it isn't mass scale is because we really don't know what will happen. Tumor formation is a great concern as stem cells and cancer cells have some similar characteristics.
It's about time.
Of course, these are just the "official" tests. You know that this has to have been done unofficially in other countries.
What do you mean, "It's about time?" Nothing has stopped. Bush never outlawed embryonic stem cell research, he just didn't want the government to pay for it. We've been experimenting with adult stem cells with government money since his administration allocated funds for it. Prior to Bush, meaning Clinton, there wasn't one penny of federal funds going toward these experiments. The private sector has been able to conduct embryonic research all they wanted – with their own money. At least Bush allocated something, why don't you ask your God, Clinton, why he allocated ZERO dollars for any stem cell research. The majority of people posting actually think that Bush outlawed embryonic stem cell research – that fallacy is the media's fault.
The U.S. is much farther along using purified adult stem cells. Russia made big news for using the embryonic stem cells on humans...they all have major issues with tumors up and down their spine.
Dina K,
The reason why there wasn't funding prior to Bush for stem cell research is because IT WAS TOO NEW. Clinton funded research to map DNA, the human genome project.
I dont understand why this isnt being done on a mass scale – unless its just meant for publicity
Yay! I wish the best of luck to the patient and the scientists. This kind of tecnology is going to save lives one day!
What about eternity? We know nothing about eternity, so should we wait for it to try to start saving lives?
SF - You are not God. You do not have the power, authority or sovereignty to make decisions for Him. To even insinuate you do shows a profound arrogance.
S.F., you know you are committing blasphemy, right?
Well, after they kill a bunch of lives first experimenting
Fantastic.
I'm legitimately extremely excited about this. It feels like were turning a corner in the scientific world.
Make no mistake, there is a real chance that this could lead to treatments and cures for all kinds of currently untreatable ailments. Today could be a very notable day in the time-line of technological/medical history.
Trouble is, SF, Jesus ain't been around for a while. We're makin due with what we've got.
Although I agree with your enthusiasm..The U.S. in substantially behind in this area and also more importantly gene therapy thanks to the last administration. That little oversite will end up costing this country into the hundreds of billions if not trillions in lost patents and discoveries, and much more important...lives. Sorry to politicize this..
@S.F. - I'm sure you didn't see how the bible references other religions and cults and claims them as Jesus' miracles either. Like healing of the blind man, Raising of Lazerous, the narrative story, walking on water, etc. The funny thing is most of the stuff you read in the bible you put 100% legitimacy in actually originates from other religions. And there is a reason why it wasn't in the bible... because stem cell research didn't exist back in the day.... otherwise they would have told you Jesus was the first and only to do that too!
Well S.F. I don't see anywhere in the Bible that says Jesus used a computer to get on the internet and comment on news stories either, but that doesn't seem to stop you from being here.
Jesus also didn't take Tylenol, or brush his teeth, or a drive a car...... you freakin bible thumbing retard! God gave us FREE WILL to better ourselves!
Until you are living in a mud hut, living off the land and not using ANYTHING modern.... shut up.
"S. F.
I don't see anywhere in the Bible where Jesus injected stem cells into a sick person and made them well......"
I don't see anywhere in the Bible where Jesus was on the internet, yet here you are. You're clearly picking and choosing the parts that you like and that you don't like.
TJM, that was the best comeback of all!!
Embryonic stem cells are still developing tumors on them. Skin stem cells do not, bone marrow stem cells do not, adult stem cells from the patient do not. Why are we insisting on killing embryos, no leftover are not good, you need fresh embryonic stem cells.
It's about time they actually did it. They've had the technology to do this type of repair for nearly a decade. And screw all of you that say that this is immoral. It's immoral to make someone suffer as a paraplegic for the rest of their life when we can fix it with a simple procedure. Just as it's immoral to let someone die from appendicitis because you 'don't believe in doctors'.
I have no problem with stemcell research, when the stem cells are recycled from dead fetuses, however, to kill a fetus just to harvest it to save another human life is imoral, and no, I don't believe in your fairy tale God. I don't have to believe in fairy tales to believe in the value and wonder of life. If you are so concerned about all these people, why don't you die for them, at lease you can choose, these infants can't.
Brad, these aren't fetuses. They are cells. A fetus is a mulit-cell functioning organism with developing organ structure and a primordial heartbeat. In humans it achieves this state after the 11th gestational week. Embryonic cells are nothing more than a combined egg and sperm. The human body flushes more out of their system naturally than scientists could ever go through in a lab.
I am completely anti-abortion, but I feel there is an extreme difference here. These cells were frozen by-products that were NEVER going to evolve beyond the very base embryonic state. If they can be used to save a life or restore the quality of ones life, so be it.
I am so tired of judgmental religious comments. Can't you all just be content that you are all going to Heaven and we sinners are going to hell and be done with it. If it's God's law and God's justice than let him deal with it and keep your prideful mouths shut. Go do something charitable with your time instead.
@annieM you have an have call human life everything else except humanity:
a fetus
an organism
primodial
multi-cell
a nothing but
a frozen by-product
wastes the human body flushes out
never will evolve
@anneM your mouth is not only prideful, it is arrogant and dinigrating the dignity of human life and being. Your Mouth not only stinks it also lies.
it is not true that the technology has been around for the last decade to do this – that the FDA had to postpone approval until this July, in order for more experimentation to be performed, confirms that. And then, many stem cell scientists are concerned that, even with the postponement and reams of paperwork already supplied, many issues have not been fully investigated or ruled out as possibilities. For example, how to control the growth of transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells, and to prevent a benign (or even malignant) tumor that may result from the ES cells introduced.
This first series of experiments will be just that – the first of many, so I would caution people that hope this is the breakthrough they've been hoping for. I hope that it is also, but more often than not, these complex types of experiments will need to go through a number of different trial protocols before any tangible benefit can be demonstrated. Still, this is an important first step.
The most promising line of scientific investigation into stem cell research and therapeutics is the development of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, originally developed by Yamamoto in 2006. This allows any tissue from a patient, such as a skin sample or white blood cells, to be"dedifferentiated" back into stem cells not unlike the ES or adult stem cells people may be more familiar with. These iPS cells can then be reprogrammed to differentiate into any mature cell type you see in an adult human body (not just the type that they came from). So, the plan would be to take a small blood or skin cell sample from a patient with spinal cord trauma (or any other problem that might benefit from stem cell therapy), make iPS cells in the lab from this sample, turn the iPS cells into neural progenitor cells, which will then be transplanted back into the spinal column of the patient and allowed to fully develop into functional neurons that are able to transmit signals from the brain to the muscle, or vice versa. There will be no problems with immune rejection, as the transplanted cells are from the patient, much like a skin graft from my leg being taken to transplant onto a burn wound on my arm.
Of course, this technology is still in development, but there is no question that will soon supercede the necessity of deriving ES cells from terminated fetuses. The Geron trial is still warranted, however, as there will be kinks to work out that will help once the trial is repeated using patient iPS cells.
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I have no idea what most of this article's technical jargon means, but I hope this is a breakthrough that will lead to many many cures.
"S. F. – I don't see anywhere in the Bible where Jesus injected stem cells into a sick person and made them well......"
@ S.F. – Because this is real life science and the concept of make-believe-time jesus healing people is medieval garbage. Join us in the 21st century please. Thanks.
S.F. i've been trying to remove god from my surroundings for a long time now. let's hope this helps it move it along!
yeah cause prayers worked so well for the Louisiana govt during the oil spill. I mean why do we need hospitals at all, just go to church right..../sarcasm
@S.F. "Its better to have everyone think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."~ Abraham Lincoln... words that still hold true today. Do you even know what a stem cell is? Or do you just regurgitate what your hillbilly pastor tells you is bad?
If I go to hell when I die because I did not believe in god, then it will not be my fault, it will be god's. He gave me every reason to doubt his existence and no reasons to believe it.
Great news, I am with Finally, people cry about this till someone they love needs it then its "why can't we do anything"...I can't wait to see how this will help mankind
Great news. Hopefully there will be positive results that will encourage more studies and trial.
Really? The results are rumors and the studies and trials are cancers and tumors.
Embryonic stem cells research is an unnecessary evil.
Does your blog have a contact page? I'm haivng trouble locating it but, I'd like to shoot you an e-mail. I've got some recommendations for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it develop over time.
Hmm i wonder what will happen....
Lets hope nothing bad
I am impratial about this
Really, Okarama? Does CNN even have editors?
That's the name of a doctor.
It was not in their spell checker. Must be OK
Okarma is neither a misspelling on CNN's part of "Obama" nor is he the doctor. He is the Geron Ceo (the company that is doing this trial).
Read the story before making stupid comments.
here's a bucket, now go puke in your shatty apartment and read your bible...thanks for coming out
Oh, shut up! At least someone can stand up for what they belief in unlike you. Using crap-filled techniques to bash them.
I say to he!! with the (c)atholic church. Once they prove that (c)atholocism can cure disease, then let them oppose using stem cells.
How incredibly exciting!!!! Yea for the scientists that come up with all this smart stuff. Congrats!!!
and a big "yeah" to every taxpayer in this country and many others, since the bulk of this research was performed by academic researchers at universities, rather than by Geron or other corporations. Please encourage funding to the National Institutes of Health, which funds many of these researchers.
What an irresponsible thing to say. You'd rather a second life suffer to make a point. The aborted child is already dead...you can pray all you want, that kid ain't coming back. But those cells could save a life and you're too blinded by anger and self-serving righteousness to see it. Your God would be ashamed at your lack of love for your fellow man. Jesus believed in one life for many. You, apparently, do not.
@ S.F. – Because this is real life science and the concept of make-believe-time jesus healing people is medieval garbage. Join us in the 21st century please. Thanks.
I remember in the '40's when the church stated that any woman found outside of their home using a baby carriage would be considered "stepping out on her husband". Things change, times change, minds change, it takes time. I believe that God uses many ways of healing, I also believe that when stating such judgmental trash such as_____that he/she should always first shake their finger in the mirror and see how it sounds first before using on anyone.. Many will be called but few will be chosen, it is a good way to live, always keeping your mind open just in case that fine lady was truly not stepping out on her husband and was starting a revolution that women need more from life. These cells may serve many purposes and sometimes it can come from bad intentions, but I truly believe most will be done with the highest intentions. Always looking up, looking to the bright side.....
@SF – The burden of proof is on you, and there isn't any. You honestly think that if there was indeed a heaven and hell (which there isn't) that when you got there St. Peter would say to you "We're going to punish you for eternity because you had independent thought"? I mean really, if "god" is so great, then why are we told by our priests and pastors that we have to blindly accept that god exists? Do we not have a right to say "wait a minute, I want proof before I'll believe such a nonsensical tall tale"? Do you honestly think we would be *punished* for such a thing?
This is fantastic news. I hope they're able to repair this person's injury, and that this trial spurs further medical breakthroughs down the line.
Please god i hope this fixes paralysis
Do you realize you used a double negative which means you really do care who needs it. Uneducated in so many ways.
Congratulations... you're an English Major, but sadly you lack any real wit or thought in your ill conceived correction which renders you as little more than a troll.
Cool!
The scifi nerd in me thinks it would be awesome if serendipity kicks in and the patient not only regains the use to their lower extremities but also acquires a super "healing factor".
Of course, since this isn't fiction, I'd be pleased as punch if the treatment allowed even a modest improvement.
The sci-fi nerd in me says "Wow, what would happen if there's an unexpected reaction and this injection causes some sort of super virus. Unfortunately, that's already been made into a movie."
The discouraging thing to me is that almost everyone who posts on this site has no understanding of the ethical implications of this step. We have become a society ruled by utilitarian ethics while not even recognizing our utilitarianism.
Super–human would be nice, but healed will do
This is wonderful news for us all-the possibilities to cure diseases and relieve human suffering are infinite
There has been toooo much time already wasted..The technology has been ripe for years-its time has come and pox upon the houses of naysayers and religious zealots!!
As far as utilizing a four day embryo-that would have been discarded anyway–how many of us would have given an arm, leg, kidney, lung or a piece of our liver to save a loved one or make them whole again?
i couldn't agree more!
You are not from Louisiana...you must be self-imported. No home-grown louisianian would condone kiling embryonic babies to live and the unborn child to assure one's health!
I've had all the children I'd hoped for and have no use for what's left in my ovaries. I'm sure they are extracted just as they do for in vitro fertilization. And there are plenty of sperm banks! I don't feel I'd be sacrificing a child – they are just cells in my body that I no longer have a use for. If they can save someone's life or even thier quality of life it's be worth it – to me anyway.
The gametes of humanity are sacred and holy. Women should not donate eggs for research. Neither men should do this. Drug regimen to harvest eggs place women at risk for health and cancer.
They're embryonic stem cells not aborted children you moron. They are left over from the fertilization process that has help to create a life for loving parents that wanted a child. Those stem cells would have been thrown away into the garbage, like they were before, because of all the clueless and self anointed god spokespeople like you.
Don't you get it... If they were implanted and allowed to continue to grow they would grow into a human being..
No matter how you choose to spin it...Those cells are a human life..
And the human life was aborted, yes the stemcells could have made a baby, but the mother didnt want her baby. All I'm saying is it's better the cells be used to help someone then thrown away.
These embryo's were the result of scientific intervention.. Now the cells are used..
In the end.. Science has created a life to destroy it, and ultimately use it..
Nothing about this is God given.. God did not offer up these children as sacrifices to another's good health..
You can say that it is human life, but you can't seriously say that it is a child. If it were really a child, then why doesn't it have a name? Does it have citizenship rights? If conception happens on foreign soil, does this "child," as you call it, gain dual citizenship? Now, you could argue strongly that a woman should not have a constitutional RIGHT to an abortion, but this is an entirely different situation.
"Human life" should be all that needs to be said..
so true
Yes thank you JESUS!! you finally get it... That's why this SCIENE IS SO VITAL TO HUMAN LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!! Go SCIENCE!!
No, you could not. People have tried, and they feel very strongly about what they believe, but abortion SHOULD be a human right. People make mistakes, and if someone is not ready to raise a child, they should not be forced to. Every child deserves a chance at being raised by parents that are capable of giving them a proper upbringing.
If people aren't ready to have a child, they aren't ready to sleep together. Maybe people (both male and female) should learn to keep it in their pants or deal with the repercussions of their actions.
@Amy
Are you retarded?? You can have sex and not be ready for kids. There are at least 15 different methods of birth control + there are condoms and Spermicides, plus if one slips past the goalie you have Plan B pills.... and should the WORST happen, that's when you head down to the clinic for an early morning abortion. I've never been responsible for one as far as I know, but I wouldn't hesitate either.
Mark, you should have stopped at, "every child deserves to be raised up." Sure, people make mistakes, but why should a child who hasn't had the opportunity to make any kind of decision at all pay the price? Disregarding a human life because of a "mistake" is selfish and short-sighted.
Why the F*** do you care?? Aren't there more important things to worry about?
And the child deserves to die because....?
Umm, "child"? What "child"? There's no child involved, unless you're talking about one that's being treated with ESC, which isn't occurring as of now.
Oh, wait, you thought an embryo was a child?
Dumbbell.
Do we know what god does and doesn't allow? Cmon... Technically if as you say "science created these baby's" then ok... You're right God didn't create them. Now allow the science to work and be done with it...
It's a lot different to say that we have a moral obligation to not destroy a fetus, which, if left alone, would develop into a human being, than it is to say that we must preserve these artificial embryos, which, if left alone, would do nothing.
you said it nicely.
"Don't you get it... If they were implanted and allowed to continue to grow they would grow into a human being.."
Yep, they will grow into a human being but are, currently, not a human being. They are currently a ball of cells the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen.
Well put.
That was supposed to be a reply to PinkUnicorn's comment: "Yep, they will grow into a human being but are, currently, not a human being. They are currently a ball of cells the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen."
There not a human? One, it's a live. If it wasn't alive, no one would want to abort it. Secondly, it's clearly a human. It's not a potential human, but is a human. It's certainly not an elephant, a frog, a dog, etc. What kind of life is it? Scientific properties tell us that 1) its a living bunch of cells and 2) the cells are human cells. Abortion, stem cell research, destroys a living human life. If it was not a living human life, but a dead one, there would be no reason to abort, let alone, no arguing over the issue.
misterhorvath @ hotmail com
1) its a living bunch of cells and 2) the cells are human cells.
Guess we need to outlaw male masturbation.
Observer, an embryo is a complete human organism, whereas a sperm cell is not. No one is planning to outlaw masturbation. Good news for you, huh?
Who made that call? And please don't say G-d. There's nothing in the bible defining life with conception, and even if there were that wouldn't make it the word of G-d.
@Sam patch you are wrong! The gospel speaks plainly of conception from birth...read gospel annunciation by tha angel Gabriel. At all times the embryonic CELLS of Jesus are addressed as a person. When Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, asked who am I that the mother of my Lord come to visit me? Mary was weeks pregnant. She left Elizabeth at 3months. The Bible acknowledges, the Angels acknowledges, God acknowledges the person since conception.
so much talk about the bible. how sad, it was written by men!
Now the Book of Mormon ( – the second "M"), now there's a true guideline from GOD.
Funny... I wouldn't have thought that God would have needed to blatantly plagairize previously known works.
I would have also thought the God would have had enough sense to give this "holy book" to someone without a criminal history of being a con man.
The Book of Mormon. Also a book written written by men.
Your imaginary god isn't going to make decisions on law, dimbulb. Get a clue. This isn't a theocracy and the bible isn't law here. Go elsewhere if you want to live in a religious society. No one else has to abide by your silly beliefs.
I agree that we don't live in a "theocracy", but tell me... on what basis do we make laws? on general consensus? Because majorities can often be "wrong" (civil rights, slavery, apartheid...) or on some abstract idea of good and evil? (but how do we even define it?) I'm just curious – everyone wants to do a way with the Judeo-Christian ethic, but what is its replacement?
This majority of this thread condones the Sodom-Gomorrah mentality. Of the 500 comments not even 1% support human life and dignity of the embryos and it's cells. Not even 10 good people could be found on this thread condemning the culture of death and it'd rhetoric. So sad, the weak and the marginalized have no knights in armour for their defense. Mothers have trully forgotten their child...the replacement for the Judeo-Christsin model would be an oppositon to truth, a people of depraved mind, self-centered, lovers of money, abusive, disobedient, haughty and proud, irreligious, callous, licentious, hating what is good, truators, reckless, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, implacable, conceited, unqualified in faith, always trying to learn but never able to reach a knowledge of truth, their foolishness will be plain to all.
@robg the answer to your question is false teachers and false teachings!
And I should know because I AM a false teacher who provides false teachings!! I think I know the mind of god and that I'm an expert on the great beyond. i believe that jesus loves only people who are JUST LIKE ME and no one who believes anything different than I do. All those people who think something different are going to burn in hell for eternity. I'm going to heaven and I'm going to make sure no scientist EVER gets there. I'm a nut, I'm a nut, I'm a crazy, crazy nut.
@SF.....what makes you think god will let you go to heaven? God WILL NOT love people like YOU!!! Go to hell!
You seem to be confusing abortion with the harvesting of embryonic stem cells. If the decision to abort an embryo has been made, than that potential human is lost. It is equitable to organ donation. The life has been lost, so why not save or improve countless lives with the material that remains? It is a waste of resources.
what a typical christian, blasting everyone who disagrees with them. It's not like people are choosing to kill embryos in order to do stem cell research, they were already aborted for one reason or another. You might as well argue against recycling when trying to prevent the use of glass.
You're nuts, nuts, nuts deranged deranged deranged.
Blah, blah, blah, vomit, burp, yada, yada, yada, I hate everyone, especially people. Blah, blah, blah, vomit, burp, yada, yada, yada, I hate everyone, especially people. Blah, blah, blah, vomit, burp, yada, yada, yada, I hate everyone, especially people. Blah, blah, blah, vomit, burp, yada, yada, yada, I hate everyone, especially people. Blah, blah, blah, vomit, burp, yada, yada, yada, I hate everyone, especially people.
none of what you just said made any sense and was completely irrelevant to what the article is talking about. did you read it at all? or did you just see the word stem cell trial and start preaching? if this works it could be a really good thing, these scientists aren't working hard just to spite god, they want to help people. try to be a little more open minded.
reason, my dear sir, reason
Laws are NOT based on Biblical teachings, nor are they solely based on someone's subjective idea of right and wrong. Our laws are made to protect our freedoms. A fetus or embryo is not and never has been guaranteed rights under our Constitution. Born people are.
Too bad for evil wicked nutbag.
Amen!!!!!! These evangelicals want to stop abortion,but they dont believe in saving thousands a year thru stem cell science!!! There so concerned for all of us. How sweet of them...
What absolute drivel. You really believe all that biblical baloney? How pathetic.
Since none of them are real, I don't give a crap what they acknowledge.
@Sam you don't read the bible!
There is no guarantee these cells would grow into a human if implanted in a human.
no, mary, you don't get it. they were implanted to grow to a human being in a womb of a mother that could not conceive naturally, they failed to attach properly to the womb, they did not become human, and they ended up being tossed out with the woman's period. I mean, you women toss out eggs with your periods all the time. These eggs could potentially be human life. Are you destroying human life everytime you have a period? with your logic, you should not have a period ever, and you should be pregnant every chance you get to avoid "wasting" potential human life.
as much as an acorn is an oak tree.
Dawn, botanically speaking, an acorn IS an oak tree in an early stage of its development, so thank you for making our point for us.
This could be what we've looked for, for decades! Good luck!
@S.F. - I don't see anywhere in the Bible where Jesus said it is ok to cook your food with a microwave. I bet you do anyway...sinner! LOL..
I'm glad to see medical science taking priority over stupid religious beliefs.
And people say Christians are judgmental...
You do seem very sick. You might need TWO buckets.
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the whole process is not that different than those animals who kill their own species from starvation, but us human kill our own species because of the sake of our sickness ?? ****sigh***
Your level of mis comprehension is astounding! What would have happened to these stem cells again if they were not used in this research? You are crying over something that can fit on the pin of a needle, that has no thoughts, feelings or sense of pain....essentially a virus.
@bluesea you are so right that this is so-oooo wrong.
AND NOW@jheron...no you didn't just call...humanity...a virus!
I am sure that one day there will be a stem cell-based treatment to help with that vomiting.
Science flies you to the moon.
Religion flies you into buildings.
I'm all for religious freedom, including my right not to believe in your god, or have you impose your superstitions on me.
Totally agree Jim!
Keep it up Jim...but it is like trying to explain a round earth to people of the dark ages. They would rather believe in some voodoo magic.
Yes S.F. it would have been much better had those excess embryos been thrown into the garbage.
I wish that S.F. as an embroy had been trown into the basura
All you religious fanatics...please go away and keep your OWN opinions to yourself! I hope this trial works!!! Very exciting!!!
The idea behind this is everyone's opinion whether you like it or not. It seems to me if someone agrees with this research they are liberal, uncaring and do not believe in God. If you are against it you are automatically a religious nut. Can you love God and believe in moving forward in research? Just wondering. And please if you don't like to read other peoples opinions then you have the right not to read them but keep in mind maybe no one wants yours either.
Aborted child??? Are you illiterate?
The cells are from DISCARDED embryos from fertility clinics.
Not aborted pregnancies you nut.
I hope they are extremely successful.
So, what ya smoking? Dope? Crack? All of you seem to high. Half the F*cking country opposes this shit are you're out there ranting for this stuff as if everything they tell you is true. In case you haven't noticed, Geron Corp., the company doing this. HEAVILY invests in news-corporations which means THIS REPORT IS BIASED. Duh!
why don't u read a book and research embryonic stem cells before u declare that it wont work
Was this aimed at my post? If so, I have read numerous books. None of the scientists doing this research claim embryonic stem cells are a miracle. None of the researchers actually think that just injecting some stem cells will cure everything, because it won't. Numerous other countries have been doing research unrestricted for all the time it was restricted here and have had no real luck. Stem cells have grown into all sorts of things in the lab, but that doesn't mean they will automatically grow into the needed tissue in vivo. Have you heard of any animal that has been cured of paralysis by embryonic stem cells? Is there news from China, the UK or any other place that has done research unabated for all these years that shows it is a miracle?
There might someday be a real benefit shown to the use of stem cells in general or maybe embryonic stem cells specifically, but it will not be a miracle. Though bush did slow down scientific research in this field here in America, he did not somehow condemn paralyzed people to stay paralyzed. Non of us will see, in our life times, a simple injection of stem cells curing a severed spinal cord. It's absurd to say that we will.
@VinceRN
So when the subject of this article is able to move and eventually walk again.... what will you say then??
If a simple injection of stem cells miraculously repairs the the severed spinal cord of any of the subjects of this study, I will happily eat my words. Will you eat your when this study fails to bring about a cure for a traumatically severed spinal cord? This treatment is just one stem in a precess of research that will take decades and likely trillions of dollars and has no guaranteed outcome. Ask any scientist, if they tell you anything has a guaranteed outcome they are not scientists, but snake oil salesmen.
Has anyone here even looked into the point of this study? What they are trying to learn with this study? Here's a quote: "The primary objective of this Phase I study is to assess the safety and tolerability of GRNOPC1 in patients with "complete" American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale grade A thoracic spinal cord injuries."
They are looking for safety and tolerability, not efficacy, though they would be pleased with a miracle cure I'm sure. There are possibilities of rejection, of unforeseen adverse reactions, and all manner of potential problems.
If this proves to be a miracle cure I will happily and publicly eat my words. As an ER nurse over the last 20 years I have taken care of many folks with these types of injuries, to be able to magically cure them with an injection of stem cells would be the greatest medical advancement of the century. Sadly, there is no magic and there are no miracles. There is hard word and sometimes brilliant science that advances us in mostly small steps and takes up up many wrong roads on the way to the right road.
I don't know any doctors, including a few brilliant neurosurgeons that I've talked to ever that last few years, that think this will be any sort of miracle at all.
So, if this trial fails to produce a miracle will you publicly eat your words? Get hold of some scientific and medical journals, real peer reviewed journals, they are all available online or through your local library, and learn about what is really going on and what is really expected. Don;t get your information from politically interested news articles or non peer reviewed books or articles written by people with a financial interest in this, or any, research.
You're a bit of a storm cloud... I don't think anyone 100% believes this will magically be a cure for everything.
What's so wrong with hoping for the best, while expecting the worst? I mean in the last couple centuries we've pulled miracle cures off, penicillin and the small pox vaccine were luck. Their inventors did not expect world changers. I personally have my fingers and toes crossed and don't expect a thing, but I'm not going around pissing in everyone's lemonade.
How's your reading comprehension? This experiment is the first of its kind in the world. For you to be able to determine the outcome is amazing.
You are equating any stem cell research abroad to what is being performed as described in the article. In other words, you think it's been done already. NO. There are different stem cells used in different studies and performed using different procedures.
And injecting human embryonic stem cells into animals is... well. Good luck with that.
@John, Huh? Human stem cells into animals? You do know that stem cells are not unique to humans don;t you? You would inject inject dog stem cells into dogs, chimp stem cells into chimps. Why would anyone inject human stem cells into animals?
What do you think researchers have been doing with human stem cells for the last 15 years? I got news for you Vince, all of the preclinical research that went before this monumental attempt by Geron was done by injecting human ESCs into animal models of spinal cord injury. Without it, they would never have a shot at getting FDA approval for such a therapy even if it does turn out to be effective. For good reason, ALL stem cell therapies using human ESC or adult stem cells, or transplantations of any kind are required to be tested in animal models long before anyone even dreams of doing it in a human.
The only thing absurd is people PRETENDING to know more than the scientists involved.
None,not one, of the scientist involved claim this is going to be a miracle cure. This is a phase one trial to look at the safety of doing these injection, there is no expectation of a cure at all. I don;t claim to know more than the scientists involved, but I certainly know more about what they know, about the science involved, and about the process of clinical trials, than you do.
Since we agree that neither of us know as much as the scientists, then neither of us should claim we know how this will turn out when they don't know either.
@Observer, well, I side with the scientists themselves and not expect a miracle. Do I know how their phase 1 trial will turn out? No, I don't know if the treatment will turn out to be safe or not, thought I suspect it will, as do the scientists doing the study. Do I know weather or not it will be a miracle cure for paralysis? Yes, I do, and so do the scientist doing the study. It will not. No scientist involved in the study is claiming it will, they are say it might help. Here's the difference between us, I am going by what the scientists themselves are saying, you are going by hype caused by political fervor and ignoring the scientists. This is not a miracle cure, do not expect a miracle cure, miracle cures don't happen. Contact any scientist in the field, or any neurosurgeon you can, and get their opinion, I think you'll find they say the same.
don't try the neurosurgeon – these people are not qualified to understand the science on a particularly meaningful level.
God bless the doctors and scientists involved in this! This is incredibly exciting news that could potentially affect many people, helping them live life more completely.
I could not agree more.
@Dan, which is it? You just told all the "religious fanatics" to go away, then liked a statement that said "God bless".. lol
@s.f. and others who are envisioning babies being killed for this: These are leftover, 4-5 day old masses of cells that would be discarded anyway. They are blastocysts in a deep freeze, not little babies in a womb. How cruel and inhuman it would be to deny a viable treatment for people who are paralyzed. Can you imagine being in their place? If your child were paralyzed wouldn't you want medical science to do everything they could to restore bowel and bladder function and allow them to walk again?
@ Kimo, Excellent Point! Though I doubt S.F. will concede it since it shoots his argument full of holes. No embryo's are being killed in this endeavor.
@kimo your disregard for human life is duly noted and you have taken it upon yourself to reduce it to a commodity. WHAT YOU FAILED TO UNDERSTAND IS HUMAN LIFE BEGINS AT FERTILIZATION...you and your kind have taken human trafficking to another level. You want to REDEFINE life and when it begins, a human blastocytes are human babies...you scientist can rename all you want: you called murdering a viable, healthy full-term 9month baby: partial birth abortion.
@Attila the Hun...deceitful word game. These are human, embyronic CELLS which is human life developing to human embryos and babies. Stop pillaging and staking and mudering innocent lives of humanity. It is amazing how many of you supporting this embryonic research,
name-handle are related to death.
Hey S.F. Did you know that it's a sin to not use the brain that God gave you.
TO ALL WHO REJECT THIS BECAUSE OF RELIGION: You are narrow minded fools who are choosing to condem those whom are living in pain over those who may never be born into loving familys. You are sick and misguided. I am a christian who wants those who are suffering to be cured. Jesus guides the healing hands of DOCTORS !!
I so totally agree. I hope it helps people in all sorts of ways. Hearts, livers, pancreases, and so on need repair, and what better way than the original building block cell. And fetuses r not killed 4 this. Many stem cells come from chord blood, so the public need 2 learn before they blast these valiant efforts at healing. More power 2 all of u physicians, patients that r brave enough 2 undergo this process !!!!
shame for those who are doing research in this and also those who approve this ... killing your own species for the recovery of ur sickness
@Blue Sea – if it makes you feel better I am suitably shamed. Now go away and stop imposing your beliefs on people who don't want to listen to you.
before u go trying 2 shame some one for their work, do your won work so u will know what u're talking about. U sound so foolish, without your facts. Learn first, comment second.
Whatever floats your boat, just stay away from these articles and from enjoying the benefits that WILL arise from this research and get on with your life.
Let the rest of us drive innovation and push our species into a better future. We tried religion, it lead to corruption, massacres, biggotry, and greed; we're now trying something else. Thanks!
@APz...the evil you are condoning: IVF and use of "leftovers" for embryonic stem cells research is MASSACRES of humanity. It is hatred toward the human eggs of the unborn, those weak, those without defense whom have been marginalized by humanity for embryonic research is the ultimate BIGOTRY toward humanity. And what is the motive of all human trafficking of every kind is the profits...the profits from death, the destruction of life in all form: GREED.
how come you say you can reconize these things @APz...but you are blind to its presence in the death-product sold in the reproductive industry.
This was christopher reve's dream...great news!
About time. Hopefully we hear great things from this soon.
Come to think of it, this is like recycling the gifts that nature gives us. If it works, it's almost as good as getting bacon. (ie, You can feed anything to a pig, and you get bacon.) I have to love that there is a use for discarded fetuses, assuming this trial proves to be successful.
S.F, I'd really like you to stand in front of the patient who just lost their mobility and their family, and also in front of the family that donated the stem cells and try and convince both of those families that despite their own horror and sadness, that you know best and that you sincerely hope the treatment doesn't work. I'd like to see you do that heartless action and the subsequent consequences of your actions.
@S.F.
You seriuosly have a low I.Q. if you think embryonic stem cells are from abortions. You are not going to heaven... sorry.
@S.F.
You seriously have a low I.Q. if you think embryonic stem cells are from abortions. You are not going to heaven... sorry.
The article clearly states these are not "aborted" fetuses; rather unused embryos from in-vitro. Regardless, I am a Christian and most of us don't believe like S.F. If God gave us his Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins, why wouldn't He gives us the ability to heal ourselves? Praying and science heals... not one without the other.
SF, you can believe what you want. More power to you. I promise I will never force you to use stem cells, but don't for one second tell me I can not, because of YOUR religious beliefs.
To all you religious believers out there, did you ever stop to think about the fact that it is God to gave these scientists such a brilliant mind in order that they could discover new ways to help people. Always remember the saying "God helps those who help themselves." I hope this new stem cell therapy is a success and it becomes a way to help suffering patients around the world. That would truly being doing God's work!
This could turn out to be a good thing. What's the difference between taking an embryo from a dead fetus to save a life and taking an organ from someone that say died in a car accident? Nothing...
As a mother of a disabled child, this brought tears to my eyes because maybe someday my daughter will be able to have a regular life, get her first kiss, maybe get married. All the things I use to take for granted. To all those who oppose this, go adopt a special needs child or take care of someone who is paralyzed, you would change your mind in a second.
Brook, you're acting as though the people against killing embryos are against curing disease. No one's against curing disease. Hundreds of millions of people, though, ARE against killing embryonic human beings as an avenue for research. You DO know that spinal-cord patients have benefited from ADULT stem cells, do you not?
I am beginning to believe these people are disciples of kervokian and belong to the hemlock society. It is disgusting to see those in support of the culture if death have the nerve to having beating heart and breathing breathes...you are a testimony of the contradiction to yourselves before others. If you love death and the killing of the innocent...why are you still here??? Is it to show the sane world you are a testament of liars?
So many hateful people in the world. I thought your God and Jesus preached love.
@Wayne Jesus did preach love. And Jesus preached hate: a hatred for sin and death. And yes we do HATE the sin and indignity of killing and murder of life. And yes we do LOVE humanity and its dignity and we do LOVE the embryos and the unborn: the Life of Humanity.
S.F. sorry dear, gods and fairies don't exist. But science does, and one day you might want science to help you instead of praying to non existent beings.
@Chad you atheists, agnostics, and satanists we can always count on your attendance to every barren moment and every barren issue.
No, we atheists are the only ones that are keeping civilization running while you ignorant people try to destroy it. You do know that you're certifiably insane, don't you? Go read your stupid book of make believe and shut the hell up.
S.F.-They are not aborted children you fool. They are from LEFTOVER EMBRYOS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN AWAY. I think if their is a god, he would rather see these embryos help to save lives than go to waste. And all your comments about "eternity" are ridiculous. I choose to focus more on doing good for my time here, IN THIS LIFE, instead of worrying about the next. I choose to be judged on that.
Scott, that is a total lie, my brother works in a lab. They do not use left over embryos they are no good. They want fresh embryos.
You are either a liar or an idiot. Maybe both. The embryos are left over from IVF. Educate yourself. Don't depend on your "brother". I suspect all he does is feed the rats.
So do I. The left-over ones are kinda soggy. Fresh ones are firmer and fry up nice and crisp. They're great with hot sauce.