Embryo-Safe Stem Cells? Not so Fast, GPI
Posted on: Monday, 8 January 2007, 15:00 CST
Despite recent reverie over embryo-safe stem cells, a U.S. group said Monday amniotic fluid-based stem cells are no stand-in for embryonic cells.
In a statement, the Genetics Policy Institute said it applauded the discovery of apparently versatile stem cells in amniotic fluid as a positive thing but warned that the much-heralded finding cannot replace the need for standard embryonic stem cell research.
This discovery is a welcome development that opens up a new line of research, said Eve Herold, GPI's director of public policy research and education. However, much more work needs to be done before anyone can determine the cells' future clinical value.
Over the weekend, a research team from Wake Forest University School of Medicine said it had created what appeared to be highly versatile stem cells taken from the amniotic fluid of women who were about ten weeks pregnant.
People have been excited about new cell types in the past and were later disappointed, Herold added. Science is a slow process. Experiments need to be repeated and independently verified before they become established as facts.
She stressed that this latest twist in stem cell research should definitely be pursued, but not at the expense of the science that has been proven over and over again to be so promising.
Source: United Press International
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