In The World of Science LXII: Stem cells create a jaw.

The Highlord · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 551

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8290138.stm

WheelsOfConfusion · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 13375 Location: Unknown Kaddath

E-boy · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:57 pm Post subject:

Oh it'll be a while yet. LOL!

They've also come pretty far in basic stuff like growing new bladders (although it get's tougher in multi-tissue type organs). They've come quite a ways with teeth and even hearts (Although once again they run into problems with vascularizing the new tissue they think they'll have this licked in years rather than decades).
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Vox Raucus · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:13 am Post subject:

I misread the title as "Stem cells create a jew".
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Michael · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 11007

so _that's_ why the conservatives are against it!

gally912 · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject:

Darqcyde · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject:

this thread should be LXII
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Sojobo · Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 2477

And your "In the World of Science: XLXVI - Jurassic Beer" should perhaps have been simply LVI?

Is the numbering system really that important when Hollywood is plotting to fill the world with Jewclones?
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Him · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 4274 Location: On edge

Stemcell research has gone too far!

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Kilgore · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 2834 Location: The Marine Corps

WheelsOfConfusion · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 13375 Location: Unknown Kaddath

The Highlord · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 551

But think of the (snowflake) children!
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E-boy · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:39 am Post subject:

It's a non-issue these days anyway. They can now extract small numbers of cells from the center of the blastocyst without harming the embryo. It just does some extra cell divisions to make up the difference. They can also coax fully grown skin cells into forming pluripotent cell lines capable of differentiating into a number of tissue types.

There are already several blood diseases that stem cell treatments have cured, both the press and medical practicioners have a tendency to accentuate the positive and play down the negative though. Great progress has been made to be sure, but they are still working on how stem cells get their bearings. For example if scar tissue from an injury exists (as has happened with spinal injuries they are attempting to address with stem cells) where the cells are introduced they will often simply become scar tissue. Then there's the possibility of them not properly differentiating and simply forming tumors or spreading to various parts of the body and becoming inappropriate cell types.

Manufactured organs are definitely making progress. Apparently they have made real progress with growing hearts in an article I read a while back they were still trying to lick getting blood vessels to grow into the hearts to supply oxygen and now they seem to have that settled. Having said that the new hearts they are growing aren't on the level with the original. They are talking more about using a combination of regrown tissue and machanized assist for now. The new tissue doesn't have the structural integrity of the original (but it's getting better).

One development I found entertaining was something the army funded. They call it "pixie dust". In a nutshell it's a substance that provides encouragement to already existing stem cells in the body to settle in and do their thing. In one instance it was applied to the stump of a recently amputated finger tip and the tip grew back nail and all (this happens for some folks naturally, of course) and applied to more substantial finger amputations it encourages the growth of enough new flesh to make some fine grip possible such as turning a key.

Breakthroughs are coming and I am slightly more than cautiously optimistic. It seems especially promising used in conjunction with gene therapy (which is also starting to see some success now after huge set backs initially).
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"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid" ~ SGT John Stryker from "Sands of Iwo Jima".

Yorick · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 12176 Location: October

ol' jaw bone
come and get along
come and get along with an old jaw bone

bad*lil*kitty · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:21 am Post subject:

I hadn't really heard anything about this til this thread. It's intriguing for sure. Makes me wonder where we'll be in a few years.
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