News from Adelaide
Meanwhile, in a more positive development for Australian stem cell research,
a University of Adelaide researcher says that teeth can help to heal brain
damage from strokes.

Dental pulp stem cells from extracted human teeth and stroke-affected rat
brain tissue are being used to repair stroke-damaged rat brains. Dental pulp
stem cells are highly promising as precursors of replacement neurons (brain
cells) because they are easily accessible, can be taken from the patient needing
treatment, and they have similar properties to the cranial neural crest cells
which normally make brain cells and other cranial tissues.

This adult stem cell research is partially funded by the Catholic Church.
"The Catholic Church obviously has a moral objection with embryonic stem cells
and they decided the best way of doing that would be to offer a grant every two
years with groups that use adult stem cell populations," Dr Simon Koblar told
the ABC. ~ University
of Adelaide, Sept 16; ABC, Sept
16

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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