I haven’t been reporting on stem cell research lately, but there has continued to be a flurry of advances in the field. None of them, however, involve embryonic stem cell research. All of them involve adult stem cells, cord blood stem cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells (adult cells reprogrammed back to an embryonic state).
The latest advance was announced earlier this month. Scientists extracted stem cells from a two year old girl’s bone marrow and created a new windpipe with it in less than a week. Growing one organ from the cells of another body part is truly astonishing work!
Here are some other recent medical advances in non-embryonic stem cell research that I have not reported on:
- Adult stem cells used to restore the ability to walk in dogs who experienced severe spinal cord injuries (11/12)
- Adult skin cells converted to heart cells (5/12)
- Cord blood stem cells treat Type 1 diabetes (1/12)
- iPS skin cells used to create fresh liver cells (10/11)
- Adult bone marrow stem cells used to create a new trachea for a man with tracheal cancer (7/11)
- iPS cells used to restore mobility in a paralyzed monkey (12/10)
- iPS cells used to treat Parkinson’s in rodents (8/10)
- A broken leg was saved from amputation by adult bone marrow stem cell therapy
- Adult stem cells taken from a man’s good eye were injected into his blinded eye and restored his sight (12/09)
- Adult bone marrow stem cells restored a man’s ability to walk after being rendered immobile by Multiple Sclerosis (12/09)
So much for all the hype about embryonic stem cells being necessary for cures! They aren’t curing anything, while adult stem cells continue to work miracles in both the lab and in real patients.
Thinking to Believe 
May 10, 2013 at 10:28 am
Stem cell research and progress is truly amazing and opens the mind to the final victory: no more death. The age old dream of every man woman and child, immortality.
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May 10, 2013 at 4:07 pm
That final victory will be achieved, but not by man. It will be achieved by Jesus Christ, who has already overcome death. In the meantime, we’ll just have to settle for temporary healing.
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May 13, 2013 at 8:33 am
Yes Jason, Amen to that !
Isn’t interesting that Jesus provides the solution to Man’s ultimate quest for immortality……truly a “mind opening” experience !
Naz
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May 13, 2013 at 8:37 am
To the one called Naz:
Leave it to religion to take the credit for all medical advances even though Christians are the main and continuing opposition to stem cell research?
But this has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus, rest assured about that. So lolable
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May 16, 2013 at 10:11 am
Leo,
How is “religion” taking credit for these scientific and medical advancements?
And please tell us who in “religion” is opposed to “stem cell research”? Christians are not opposed to all stem cell research: only embryonic stem cell research, because it involves the killing of an innocent human being, and treats that human as a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
And guess what, the kind of stem cell research we support is the only kind that has been fruitful. Even the California stem cell agency that was started to fund embryonic stem cell research knows this. That’s why 75% of all the grant money they have handed out has been for non-embryonic stem cell research.
Jason
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May 16, 2013 at 10:46 am
Christians wre opposed to stem cell research and used the embryonic reason saying it involved killing an innocent human being which was the most laughable excuse they could come with because the innocent human beings of whom you speak were destined for the dumpster, so opposition did nothing to preserve life, they simply agreed that dumping the so called “innocent human beings” in the dumpster was a more acceptable method of killing which what they called it.
It was like the policy grocery supermarkets use today, grocery stores dump food into the dumpsters when it reaches the “best before date” instead of sending it to Food Banks to feed the multitudes, Why? to avoid possible lawsuits…..
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May 16, 2013 at 10:49 am
Jason :
“How is “religion” taking credit for these scientific and medical advancements?”
I said that referring to the comment on your site that was praising Jesus because of the stem cell construction of a new windpipe. A misplaced praise in my opinion.
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May 16, 2013 at 3:18 pm
I didn’t praise Jesus for this advancement. I was commenting on your statement: “The age old dream of every man woman and child, immortality.” I was saying that immortality will never be achieved by man, but only by Jesus, and that until that happens we’ll have to settle for temporary healing — these stem cell treatments being on example of such.
Jason
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October 21, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Scientist discovers ‘biological clock’ that may further explain aging.
SOURCE STORY:
http://news.yahoo.com/scientist-discovers–biological-clock–that-may-further-explain-aging-204526749.html
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