Stem cells

Two Universities in the United Kingdom have been authorized to proceed with research that involves using animal embryos to develop human stem cells.

Researchers in the United States are pushing for more flexibility to study stem cells. In the U.S, there are only a few existing lines that can be studied with government funding. Many researchers would like to expand their options to include new adult lines and embryonic stem cells.

Sean Morrison, director of the center for stem cell biology at the Life Sciences Institute, wrote “My laboratory studies umbilical cord blood. It is useful for replacing blood-forming cells in children that have been treated for cancer. However, it cannot do the same things as embryonic stem cells. That is why there is near universal agreement among respected scientists and patient advocacy groups that current restrictions should be relaxed,” in an opinion piece for the Detroit Free Press.

The website offers a tutorial explaining how stem cells work.

Filed under Uncategorized |