CORD BLOOD SETBACK
Umbilical cord blood has a reputation for being the easiest source of adult stem stems. Businesses have even sprung up to store it at a child’s birth as a kind of biological insurance policy. This year a British stem cell bank is touting its facilities as a Christmas present from doting grandparents. “Stem cells are not just for life; they’re for Christmas,” is the slogan of Smart Cells International.
However, the confidence of investors in this potential treatment has been shaken by the suspension of a clinical trial using cord blood by Viacell, an American biotech. Viacell was trying to use cord blood stem cells to treat blood cancers for patients who were compatible, but not perfectly matched. Two of the participants in the trial developed a severe adverse reaction.
Researchers are not sure where the problem lies. One possibility is the proprietary cocktail of growth factors used to multiply the stem cells. At the moment, scientists do not understand how to force stem cells to replicate themselves in a reliable fashion. Viacell’s failure is not a setback for the field as a whole. A competing company, Gamida-Cell is due to begin a trial with its own therapy next year.
- 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
Last Australian state finally launches ‘assisted dying’
As of November 28, eligible people in New South Wales can request “voluntary assisted dying”. NSW was the last Australian...
Two opposing conferences on population this weekend: one proudly pro-natalist, one dismally pro-extinction
Declining rates of fertility around the globe are slowly creeping into headlines and the conference circuit. This weekend, there will...
Do women suffer from depression after their abortions?
“It’s important for folks to know that abortion does not cause mental health problems,” Debra Mollen, of Texas Woman’s University,...
A sperm donor’s can of worms
Assuming that letters to Slate’s agony aunt are 100% the real deal is a bit dangerous. A failed novelist in...
Al-Jazeera investigates euthanasia in Canada
Most people are completely ignorant of how radical Canada's right-to-die legislation has become. This documentary from Al-Jazeera exposes the incredible...
Do gender-questioning kids need psychotherapy rather than hormones?
If you consult the “Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy” page of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, you will discover that...