4 ms·

"Avoiding the stem cell phase eliminates ethical concerns raised when producing what are called pluripotent stem cells, which are similar to embryonic stem cell

"Avoiding the stem cell phase eliminates ethical concerns raised when producing what are called pluripotent stem cells, which are similar to embryonic stem cells in their ability to become all adult cell types." Wait... what??? Why is this even remotely a concern?

iagooar 9y ago
Murica
thedailymail 9y ago
The concern is that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are known to form tumors (teratomas) when transplanted subcutaneously in mice; induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are generated by reprogramming ordinary cells into ESC-like pluripotent cells, also form teratomas. This creates challenges for a lot of proposed cell transplantation protocols because pushing pluripotent cells to differentiate into a mature cell type (such as motor neurons) is not 100% efficient, and the transplantation of even a small number of residual pluripotent cells could lead to tumorigenesis. The direct reprogramming method described in this article bypasses the pluripotency step, which could make it safer for clinical use.
- andars 9y ago
  That doesn't seem like an ethical issue.
  - danharaj 9y ago
    Can't ethically perform trials on humans if you can accidentally and easily give them cancer.
    - ada1981 9y ago
      Or maybe also people who have religious views about stem cell research?
      - nawgszy 9y ago
        >religious views about stem cell[s] I find this hilarious. Not knocking your comment or anything, just fairly sure religious texts didn't say 'thou shall not induce artificial stem cell growth'
        mschuster91 9y ago
        > Not knocking your comment or anything, just fairly sure religious texts didn't say 'thou shall not induce artificial stem cell growth' Well many religious texts disallow altering your body in any way - Jehovas Witnesses, for example, even prohibit blood transfusions, and in Islam it's haram (a sin) to have tattoos. Pretty certain this would also prohibit doing experimental stuff with stem cells.
        nielsbot 9y ago
        serious question: is tattoos being haram open to interpretation? i know the bible for example can be seen an conflicting itself in many places.
        mschuster91 9y ago
        I'm neither Muslim nor an Imam, but apparently a majority of Muslims seems to believe it: https://www.thoughtco.com/tattoos-in-islam-2004393 https://www.thoughtco.com/tattoos-in-islam-2004393
        nielsbot 9y ago
        thanks.
        losteric 9y ago
        Right, but Jehovas Witnesses wouldn't be a concern here - they would reject both pluripotent stem-cell based approaches, and this one.
        grzm 9y ago
SubiculumCode 9y ago
In human neuroscience we cannot ethically take living human brain samples. For example, many autism researchers would like to examine how drugs can affect neurotransmitter pathways in neurons from autistic humans, but we cannot get those neurons. Recent research is getting funded in which skin cells, which can be ethically collected, and are coaxed into neurons. While there are bound to be differences between these neurons and 'real' neurons from the brain, it is a big step forward.
melling 9y ago
Because you can’t get federal funding, which is quite substantial, for research. Eliminating ethical concerns will hopefully get billions more in research money.

iagooar 9y ago

Murica

thedailymail 9y ago

The concern is that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are known to form tumors (teratomas) when transplanted subcutaneously in mice; induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are generated by reprogramming ordinary cells into ESC-like pluripotent cells, also form teratomas. This creates challenges for a lot of proposed cell transplantation protocols because pushing pluripotent cells to differentiate into a mature cell type (such as motor neurons) is not 100% efficient, and the transplantation of even a small number of residual pluripotent cells could lead to tumorigenesis. The direct reprogramming method described in this article bypasses the pluripotency step, which could make it safer for clinical use.

andars 9y ago
That doesn't seem like an ethical issue.
- danharaj 9y ago
  Can't ethically perform trials on humans if you can accidentally and easily give them cancer.
  - ada1981 9y ago
    Or maybe also people who have religious views about stem cell research?
    - nawgszy 9y ago
      >religious views about stem cell[s] I find this hilarious. Not knocking your comment or anything, just fairly sure religious texts didn't say 'thou shall not induce artificial stem cell growth'
      - mschuster91 9y ago
        > Not knocking your comment or anything, just fairly sure religious texts didn't say 'thou shall not induce artificial stem cell growth' Well many religious texts disallow altering your body in any way - Jehovas Witnesses, for example, even prohibit blood transfusions, and in Islam it's haram (a sin) to have tattoos. Pretty certain this would also prohibit doing experimental stuff with stem cells.
        nielsbot 9y ago
        serious question: is tattoos being haram open to interpretation? i know the bible for example can be seen an conflicting itself in many places.
        mschuster91 9y ago
        I'm neither Muslim nor an Imam, but apparently a majority of Muslims seems to believe it: https://www.thoughtco.com/tattoos-in-islam-2004393 https://www.thoughtco.com/tattoos-in-islam-2004393
        nielsbot 9y ago
        thanks.
        losteric 9y ago
        Right, but Jehovas Witnesses wouldn't be a concern here - they would reject both pluripotent stem-cell based approaches, and this one.
      - grzm 9y ago

SubiculumCode 9y ago

In human neuroscience we cannot ethically take living human brain samples. For example, many autism researchers would like to examine how drugs can affect neurotransmitter pathways in neurons from autistic humans, but we cannot get those neurons. Recent research is getting funded in which skin cells, which can be ethically collected, and are coaxed into neurons. While there are bound to be differences between these neurons and 'real' neurons from the brain, it is a big step forward.

melling 9y ago

Because you can’t get federal funding, which is quite substantial, for research. Eliminating ethical concerns will hopefully get billions more in research money.