LIFE DIGEST: Harmless cell breakthrough gives hope for cures
- Sep 3, 2008 - comment
Researchers have converted a kind of adult cell into another within an animal, producing a stunning breakthrough that could result in treatments for numerous afflictions and further undermine the campaign for destructive embryonic experiments.
Scientists at Harvard Stem Cell Institute reprogrammed a typical cell in the pancreas of a mouse into ones that produce insulin, which is necessary for diabetics to live, according to The Washington Post. The results were reported on the Internet Aug. 27 in the journal Nature.
The discovery avoids harm to human embryos, which are destroyed when stem cells are extracted from the tiny human beings, and skips a step used in the promising new field of induced pluripotent, or reprogrammed, stem cells (IPSCs). In November, research teams in Japan and Wisconsin reported they had converted normal human skin cells into IPSCs, which were effectively embryonic in nature.
A fervent opponent of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) hailed the latest discovery by the Harvard team.
“I see no problem in this basic technique,” said Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, according to The Post. “This is a ‘win-win’ situation for medicine and ethics.
“This adds to the large and growing list of studies helping to make embryonic stem cells irrelevant to medical progress.”
The new type of reprogramming, which was produced by flipping molecular switches in mice, raises hopes for cures not only for diabetes but for other diseases and afflictions. Human trials could begin within five years, said research team leader Douglas Melton, The Post reported.
Embryonic stem cells are considered “pluripotent,” meaning they can develop into all of the different cell types in the body. Adult stem cells, also referred to as non-embryonic stem cells, typically have been regarded as “multipotent,” meaning they can form many, though not all, of the body’s cell types. Last year’s studies by the Japanese and Wisconsin teams showed adult cells can become “pluripotent.”
Stem cells are the body’s master cells that can develop into other cells and tissues, giving hope for the development of cures for a variety of ailments.
Wife killed for not aborting daughter
An Indian wife was killed allegedly for refusing to abort her unborn daughter, and her husband and in-laws are facing murder charges in the case.
Neelam Kumar died Aug. 24 in the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh, and her body was cremated the same evening, according to Catholic World News. Kumar’s brother, Sushil Kumar, reported his sister was being pressured to have an abortion, since her baby was a girl.
Sex-selection abortions have produced a huge gap between male and female babies in India. Ultrasound machines are being used to identify the sex of children in the womb, fueling the abortion onslaught against girls and producing the growing imbalance between the sexes. There are 927 females for every 1,000 males from birth to 6 years old in the populous Asian country, according to the 2001 census.
In April, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for an end to sex-selection abortions, saying at a national meeting on saving girls, “One of the most inhuman, uncivilized and reprehensible practices is the practice of female feticide. The patriarchal mindset and preference for male children is compounded by unethical conduct on the part of some medical practitioners assisted by unscrupulous parents who illegally offer sex-determination services.”
In the Hindu religion, a father is unable to gain salvation unless a son performs his last rites, Catholic World News reported. This religious-based preference for male children has joined with an emphasis on smaller families in India to produce an environment in which sex-selection abortions are sought, according to the report.
Mexico high court upholds abortion rights law
Mexico’s Supreme Court upheld Aug. 28 the abortion rights law of the country’s capital in a ruling pro-lifers fear will encourage the spread of the practice’s legalization to other regions.
The high court voted 8-3 in support of the law, which permits abortion in Mexico City during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The justices rejected arguments that the country’s constitution protects the rights of unborn children, saying the rights of women must be considered, the Los Angeles Times reported. Mexico City’s legislature approved the legislation in April 2007.
Abortion in the heavily Roman Catholic country normally is permitted only when the mother’s life is threatened or in cases of rape or severe fetal deformities.
Jorge Serrano Limon, director of the pro-life organization Pro Vida, described the ruling as a “real tragedy.”
“The fact is that a person has no protection before 12 weeks of life,” he said, according to the Times. “It’s going to spread across Mexico. We’ll keep fighting. It’s just going to be more difficult.”
Officials report more than 12,600 women have had abortions in Mexico City since the law went into effect, according to the Times.
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Further Learning
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