According to the New York Times, the NIH report says that the results of stem cell research will give humanity a "dazzling array" of possibilities to treat a host of diseases by replacing or repairing failed cells, tissues and organs.
The report supports continuing research using stem cells retrieved from human embryos and adults. "All avenues of research should be exhaustively investigated, including both adult and embryonic sources of tissue," the report says.
But clear distinctions are made between the value of adult stem cells, which are rare, and embryonic stem cells, which "have an unlimited ability to proliferate" in the laboratory, the report says.
Their capacity to replicate "may give [embryonic stem cells] an advantage over adult stem cells by providing large numbers of replacement cells in tissue culture for transplantation purposes," the report says. It remains unclear whether adult stem cells could generate sufficient amounts of replacement cells and tissue to meet the demands of patients, according to the report.
In addition, their ability to replicate imbue embryonic cells with a certain risk - they may be more likely to induce the formation of tumors, particularly benign tumors, according to the report. |
