Stem cells- miracle cure?

[Psychic_Sandwich]

As it turns out, yes.

Stem cells 'halt nerve disease'

An injection of stem cells has been used to cure mice with a normally fatal nervous system condition.

The therapy which helped repair faulty nerve wiring raises hopes of treatments for children with rare and deadly nervous leukodystrophy disorders.

A UK expert said human treatments were still some way off - but potentially the technique could be used to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

The US study features in the journal Cell: Stem Cell.

The scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center believe it may be the first time that this type of "shiverer" mouse has been cured.

Its genetic makeup means that its nerve cells do not have enough myelin, a fatty coating which acts like the sheath on an electrical wire.

Without it, nerve signals do not travel properly from cell to cell, causing the trademark shaking and wobbling symptoms, and normally death within four months.

There are dozens of rare human disorders which involve genetic myelin-related faults in the nervous system, most of which are fatal in childhood or young adulthood.

One of the most well-known of these affected Lorenzo Odone, who died last week after decades battling adrenoleukodystrophy.

Surviving minority

The US team did not use "true" stem cells, which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body, but precursor stem cells, which can become one of a limited number of cell types.

The "glial cells" used here can become among other things, oligdendrocytes, the cells which produce the myelin sheath.

The cells were injected in different places in the central nervous system in a bid to see if this could make any difference to the overall symptoms.

For most, it made none, with three-quarters of the 26 mice injected dying around the same time as mice who had received no treatment.

However, for six mice, the difference was stark - in just two months, the cells had spread around, multiplying, and covering nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and producing myelin to coat them.

Two of the mice lived longer than usual, but the other four were still alive a year later, free from virtually all symptoms.

'Awful disease'

Professor Steven Goldman, who led the study, said: "We kept expecting them to die, but not only did they not die, they improved day by day.

"It's extremely exciting to think about not only treating but actually curing a disease, particularly an awful disease that affects children.

Professor David Attwell, from University College London, said the study represented an "important proof of principle" that transplantation of these "precursor" cells could help restore myelin not only within people with leukodystrophies, but in theory within those affected by other conditions involving loss of myelin, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury.

However, he said: "The work is still a long way from being applied in humans, and the paper raises several issues which could affect the chances of that happening.

"Only a small fraction of the mice were cured, and it is unclear why."

He said that other potential hurdles were whether within humans, defective myelin-producing cells would be as readily replaced by the new transplanted in versions, and whether, as in the mice, the immune system would have to be suppressed prior to treatment.

This is awesome. Now we don't have to worry about whether stem cells can actually be used to cure these types of diseases, we have documented proof that they can, even if they aren't actually usable yet.

[ray245]

Will the religious people have a easier time accepting stem cells, if we develop a stem cell from a cloned embryo?

They MIGHT use the reasoning that a cloned embryo is part of you as oppose to a new human...it is still a stupid reasoning, but at the least this can push stem cell research forward.

[ArmorPierce]

Considering how religious people are against cloning in all forms as an abomination to god and playing god, I doubt it.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

This is awesome. Now we don't have to worry about whether stem cells can actually be used to cure these types of diseases, we have documented proof that they can, even if they aren't actually usable yet.

Given that the treatment was either completely or mostly ineffective for nearly 85% of the mice in a fairly small sample, I'd be rather hesitant about loudly proclaiming this as proof of the curative power of stem cells. Theraputic, yes. Curative . . . not quite.

[Alyrium Denryle]

This is awesome. Now we don't have to worry about whether stem cells can actually be used to cure these types of diseases, we have documented proof that they can, even if they aren't actually usable yet.

Given that the treatment was either completely or mostly ineffective for nearly 85% of the mice in a fairly small sample, I'd be rather hesitant about loudly proclaiming this as proof of the curative power of stem cells. Theraputic, yes. Curative . . . not quite.

Very promising. This was basically a naked injection of stem cells And frankly, even with a 15% success rate, it is better than the doom forecast by leukodystrophy.

Of course, if this stuff got properly funded in the US, we would probably be well ahead of this. As it stands, we cannot even use the same salaried staff, or petri dishes that we use for government funded research. We have to operate labs like a damn Kosher kitchen.

[Psychic_Sandwich]

Given that the treatment was either completely or mostly ineffective for nearly 85% of the mice in a fairly small sample, I'd be rather hesitant about loudly proclaiming this as proof of the curative power of stem cells. Theraputic, yes. Curative . . . not quite.

Alyrium Denryle said it. There are two states for a person (or mouse) with this condition; dead, or horribly crippled and well on the way to dying. Recovery doesn't, at the moment, enter into the equation, at all. With a disease like that, 'therapeutic' means 'we make them a little more comfortable before they die.' Apparently curing some mice of a 100% fatal disease is not far short of miraculous.

Obviously, it needs more work. For example, when they find out why it only worked on some mice, they'll likely be able to get the treatment to work better. However, as far as anybody can tell, it's still a cure for the mice it worked on.

Of course, if this stuff got properly funded in the US, we would probably be well ahead of this. As it stands, we cannot even use the same salaried staff, or petri dishes that we use for government funded research. We have to operate labs like a damn Kosher kitchen.

What's the rationale behind that? It's not like stem cells are going to escape into the wild and mutate into some sort of horrible monster dedicated to ending human civilisation.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Alyrium Denryle said it. There are two states for a person (or mouse) with this condition; dead, or horribly crippled and well on the way to dying. Recovery doesn't, at the moment, enter into the equation, at all. With a disease like that, 'therapeutic' means 'we make them a little more comfortable before they die.' Apparently curing some mice of a 100% fatal disease is not far short of miraculous.

Well, in the case of Leukodystrophy, more like slowing the disease down to make it more comfortable for the parents of the 7 year old who is suffering from a progressive and irreversible nervous system degeneration...The most therapeutic thing for the actual patient would be euthanasia at this point.

What's the rationale behind that? It's not like stem cells are going to escape into the wild and mutate into some sort of horrible monster dedicated to ending human civilisation.

It is because we cant use federal funds for (useful) embryonic stem cell research. That means we cant have overlap in equipment (which is purchased using grant funds) or staff unless they are paid using different grants and log hours as such.