All attention is on Obama's funding of close-to-futile ESC research and Geron Corp's dubious and potentially catastrophic trial of nerve cells derived from ESCs (see last post).
Meantime, here is an ASC trial in spinal cord patients (news release today US time) - showing no tumour formation, no adverse effects, and (like the earlier Portugese study at http://www.apssci.org/pdf/olfactory.pdf) subtle early benefit to patients. Early days, but safe and promising. And uncontentious.
This is the great future of stem cell therapy – entirely ethical, safe from the problems plaguing ESCs – and yet you can bet the newspapers will hardly mention it. Not sexy. Of no value in the culture wars; not useful for rubbing 'conservative' noses in the dirt.
For readers who have no prejudice against great science that happens to be supportive of human values, read this report out today on Science Daily – and the abstract of the article below.
Multiple Route Bone Marrow Stem Cell Injections Show Promise To Treat Spinal Cord Injury
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312130650.htm
Journal article
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