Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow
British scientists want to begin experiments using stem cells from human embryos who are then killed to treat a serious eye problem.
The process would be used to treat macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness among older people. According to a Times report in London, the team of British researchers have demonstrated that stem cells can prevent blindness in rats with a similar disease, and also successfully tested elements of the technology in pigs.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=501262
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I've been reading some pretty terrible journalism on this issue, and know that there is some understandable unease about this research - for that's what it is. We're not yet talking of a "cure". My only interest in this is that I have macular degeneration, and don't much want it.
Can I refer readers to the people actually doing this work?
http://www.thelondonproject.org/
My understanding is that a single fertilised egg is used to produce a line of cells, living cells, that is.
The same team is working on adult stem cells, too, and the hope is that patients' own skin can be used as the source for these. This, however, is going to be a much longer-term prospect, and the results at this stage seem pretty uncertain.
Can I also point out that some human beings have been treated by this team,, some of them successfully. It isn't all down to experiments with rats.
The project has been at work for several years, and the only thing that's brought this into last week's news agenda is that the drug company, Pfizer, has stepped up to fund a possible treatment in years to come. Seemingly this will take 6 or 7 years to develop.
I hope this is informative.
I've been reading some pretty terrible journalism on this issue, and know that there is some understandable unease about this research - for that's what it is. We're not yet talking of a "cure". My only interest in this is that I have macular degeneration, and don't much want it.
Can I refer readers to the people actually doing this work?
http://www.thelondonproject.org/
My understanding is that a single fertilised egg is used to produce a line of cells, living cells, that is.
The same team is working on adult stem cells, too, and the hope is that patients' own skin can be used as the source for these. This, however, is going to be a much longer-term prospect, and the results at this stage seem pretty uncertain.
Can I also point out that some human beings have been treated by this team,, some of them successfully. It isn't all down to experiments with rats.
The project has been at work for several years, and the only thing that's brought this into last week's news agenda is that the drug company, Pfizer, has stepped up to fund a possible treatment in years to come. Seemingly this will take 6 or 7 years to develop.
I hope this is informative.
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