AUSTRALIAN STEM CELL TRIAL CURES HEARTS
A world-first clinical trial with adult stem cells has helped six patients with severe heart disease, Australian scientists claim. Doctors at a hospital in Newcastle, north of Sydney injected a rare type of adult stem cell, mesenchymal precursor cells, taken from the patients’ own bone marrow, into damaged heart tissue. Afterwards they reported having fewer angina attacks, taking less medication, and having improved heart function.
The next phase of the research will involve donor tissue, as bone marrow in older patients with heart disease is "not the best", said cardiologist Suku Thambar.
Embryonic stem cells are also in the news this week for curing heart disease — but in rats. In an article in Nature Biotechnology, scientists from the University of Washington and from the private biotechnology company Geron claim that the rats developed new heart muscle and were protected against the progression of heart failure. The study did not disclose what happened to the rats in the long term. This is a serious concern, because embryonic stem cells often form tumours with time.
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
The mouse with two dads, no mum
Using stem cell technology, scientists in Japan have succeeded in breeding mice with two fathers and no mother. Katsuhiko Hayashi,...
Belgian euthanasia chief explains 10% rise
Why are more people resorting to euthanasia in Belgium? The number of cases of euthanasia in Belgium rose by 9.85%...
Romanian doctors harvested pacemakers from dead patients – and reused them
An occasional reminder that doctors are not exempt from participating in dark and dodgy get-rich-quick schemes might not go astray....
Making Victorian euthanasia easier
The first legal euthanasia in the Australian state of Victoria took place on July 15, 2019. Almost four years later,...
Should bioethicists hold a conference in Qatar?
FIFA’s choice of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup sparked huge ethical controversies. What about its abominable record on migrant...
Should slavery be invoked in debates about embryos?
A Virginia judge has referred to an 1849 statute about ownership of slaves in his deliberations about the fate of...