STEM CELL BANKS PROLIFERATE IN US
As American baby boomers move into their 60s, many are taking out "bioinsurance policies" in the form of frozen stem cell samples. It is being called the next big thing in consumer health marketing. Already more than 20 companies store umbilical cord blood. One stores stem cells from circulating blood and another opened recently which extracts stem cells from the soft pulp in children’s baby teeth. A company called Cytori Therapeutics is planning to open a bank for fat stem cells harvested from liposuction procedures.
However exciting the potential of these procedures may be, they are still unproven and clients are risking their investment. "Heads are spinning right now," says Dr Marc Hendrick, the president of Cytori. "I’m bullish on [stem-cell banking] long term. But as a practical matter, either doctors or patients will need better proof of therapeutic use before a big market will develop." , "even those who are enthusiastic about the potential of adult stem cells say they’re dismayed by the pace at which the marketplace is running ahead of the science."
- 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
Media approaches peak cognitive dissonance over the ‘T’ in LGBT Pride month
The media is approaching peak cognitive dissonance in Pride Month over the issue of transgenderism. On the one hand, Glamour...
The Economist: ‘Global fertility has collapsed’
The Economist, the oracle of politicians and economists the world over, has turned bearish on the future of humanity. The...
Croatia plans to import sperm. No one back home wants to donate
Sperm and egg donation has been legal in Croatia since 2012. But no one has donated. The problem seems to...
Australian woman freed after 20 years after new genetic evidence raised ‘reasonable doubt’
An Australian woman who spent 20 years in jail for murdering her four infant children has been pardoned on the...
Is surrogacy a way of combatting ‘compulsory familialism’?
For people on either side of the debate, surrogacy can seem like a black-and-white issue. Opponents stress human dignity; supporters...
The FDA finally approved Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip for human trials. Have all the concerns been addressed?
Since its founding in 2016, Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company Neuralink has had the ambitious mission to build a next-generation brain...