Embryos have been produced from skin cells, according to researchers in California. In a report that could lead to the advancement of stem cell research, the embryos that were produced were clones of the two men who supplied the skin cells.

Is this science fiction? No -- reality. Although stem cell development with the use of cloned embryos has been done before, the duplication of results can be seen as a measure of success. In this case, would you be in support of stem cell lines grown from "cloned" embryos -- not "real" embryos?

The philosophical versus medical discussion can start anew here, even though Dr. George Daley indicated that the real next breakthrough would come when stem cell lines are created from cloned human embryos. Others stated that it was only "a matter of time" before that happened.

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Russian researchers said this week than they have uncovered a way to transform human egg cells where they can develop stem cells that look and act like embryonic stem cells. Of course, no embryo is required.

The scientists stated that the new discovery could produce stem cells that matches the tissue types of many different kinds of people, and that these new cells could be carefully tissue-matched in the same way as bone marrow donations to prevent rejection once implanted inside an actual person.

This, if it becomes a medical procedure that gains a following, would be "relatively safe and ethically sound," according to one of the study's researchers, Jeffrey Janus. The process involves chemically tricking an egg into developing without being fertilized by sperm.

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Research released this week concluded that stem cells taken from those patients suffering from muscular dystrophy actually helped ease symptoms in mice that exhibited symptoms of the disease.

Can stem cells from one's own body be used to help repair damage in other parts of the same body where disease make have stricken? That is the hope of course, although this research is just a preliminary step in undergoing full same-body stem cell research.

In this case, mice given stem cells from MD patients were able to run longer on a treadmill compared to mice with MD symptoms that were not given any treatment at all.

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Oregon researchers stated this week that it achieved what could be considered a minor breakthrough in stem cell transplantation. In effect, the team combined skin cells of a male rhesus monkey (macaque) with unfertilized monkey eggs.

Those unfertilized eggs did not contain DNA, so this process effectively cloned stem cells. Anything close to this process sets up debate when human embryos are involved, so perhaps the scientists are trying for proof of concept to sway stem cell critics? Who knows.

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Stem cell research continues to advance, as the discovery of these "moldable cells" has been discovered for the first time in the intervertebral discs of the human spine. For those with spine problems or chronic pack pain, this is very exciting news.

Disc slippage and wear causes millions globally to experience back pain that this there day in and day out. Repair of those discs without painful surgery would be nice, and the possibility of treating lower back pack with stem cell techniques could be somewhere in the future of medicine.

Water-binding molecules can be lost due to cells lost as these discs degenerate, and after knowing a few people with chronic back problems, they'd give anything to get rid of the pain -- and if new cells could be created from regeneration in this area from intervertebral discs, that would be good (really good) news for quite a few people.

And stem cell research marches on...

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Scientists have discovered a new place to look for potentially life-saving stem cells -- your testicles.

Apparently a team of researchers has figured out how to identify stem cells in the testicles of adult mice, that they can then manipulate into brain cells, muscle cells, heart cells and blood cells They hope that this information will one day allow them to replicate the same procedure on humans, which could be incredibly helpful in fighting the brain damage caused by Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

It's long be speculated that such treatment would be possible with embryonic stem cells, but -- in light of the controversy surround embryonic stem cell research -- scientists around the world have been looking for adult stem cells in other parts of the body (like the testicles, for instance) that can be coaxed back into an embryonic (and therefore far more mailable) state.

While more research needs to be conducted before this technology will find a practical application, the prospects are certainly exciting.

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In a recent release of research, human embryonic stem cells were found to thrive and actually repair the damaged heart of rats. Does this latest experiment give more proof that stem cells could be used to banish many human ailments? I think that ship has already sailed, but this latest research will being even more questions into the fold about the possibility of stem cell use in the near future.

If it was found that stem cells were actually capable of repairing human heart tissue after disastrous heart attacks and heart failure, stem cell research would find a new following. After all, heart disease is the single largest killer in the U.S.

Already, some want to commercialize this research, like Geron Corp. Geron wants to address the large, yet unmet need in repairing the ravages of heart disease.

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Stem cell treatment for younger kids and even teens are increasing every year, but certain precautions need to be considered as these procedures increase in number. One of them is the propensity of these kids to develop thinning bones and possible vertebrae problems.

Research from Finland concluded that almost 33% of kids who had undergone allogenic (non-patient) stem cell transplantation ended up with thinning bones and even "crushed" vertebrae. I'm not sure that "crushed" was the most appropriate term to be used, but hey -- it got my attention.

What causes this? This will be very interesting to follow as it develops, as the "bone thinning" was seen more at the hip area than at any other place in the body.

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Women who have undergone mastectomies may someday have an option for remodeling their breast tissue in a procedure that could be done on their lunch hour. Cytori Therapeutics has devised a method of mixing stem cells from a woman's fat into a concentrated mixture than can be placed in a cartridge and placed in a woman's breast. The stem cells encourage new tissue to grow.

A trial of 19 Japanese women found that the treatment worked with few side effects, but health experts say that further testing needs to be done. For instance, nothing is known about the long term health effects of the tissue growth for women with a history of breast cancer. In addition, no one knows how long the new breast tissue will last, since former attempts to use fat from one part of the body to reconstruct another have often led to the fat simply being reabsorbed.

Celution -- as the procedure has been coined -- may also someday be used for cosmetic surgery, but it's likely that if it ever happens, it's a long way off.

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As the debate for and against the use of embryonic stem cells continues unabated, some scientists now say that the possibility of embryonic stem cells created from unfertilized eggs may be a possibility.

If this becomes true, then those who opposed embryonic stem cell research on the grounds of a fertilized egg being destroyed may not have a solid argument any longer. Whatever your personal stance may be, would the possibility of embryonic stem cell research being performed without destroying fertilized embryos be against your beliefs?

I'm curious to hear from our readers here -- what do you think? This could lead to cloned body parts later according to the report -- but is that heading in the right direction?

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Yesterday -- again -- President Bush vetoed embryonic stem cell research legislation that would have expanded the role of current research. No federal funding will be added to existing research as a result.

But to those who are for the expansion of embryonic stem cell research past where it is now (with federal government support), the President also signed an executive order that would promote alternative methods to stem cells that would give scientists "stem cell-like" research without the need to destroy embryos.

Is this the right approach for advocates of genuine stem cell research? There are many who are waiting until the next Presidential election before making a comment one way or the other (I'll bet, at least).

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The debate about stem cells and associated cloning continues to be debated in some areas of the world a little more heavily than in others. While come countries seek to keep the sanctity of life intact, other countries wish to advance medical knowledge to the point of reigning in disease and suffering.

According to recent research by U.S. and Japanese scientists, stem cells (which can come from human embryos -- a source of hot contention) may be able to be harvested from skin soon.

This is a potential breakthrough that could lead to the use of stem cells but without destroying human embryos in the process. Significant? I'd say so -- as this would quash stem cell opposition that currently exists (most likely).

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There are some states that are pushing forward with their own commitment to embryonic stem cell research in the face of limited federal funding, and Wisconsin falls in that group as many stem cell news watchers may now. In fact, that state's governor said this last week: "As long as I am governor, the state will aggressively invest in, support and nurture this research."

Pretty solid words, eh? Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle is ensuring the world knows that it was from his state that the first isolate embryonic stem cells almost 20 years ago. That discovery at the University of Wisconsin was later patented, which has been fought by many groups on the grounds that it limits and inhibits stem cell research.

Last week, the U.S. patent office moved to revoke three basic stem cell patents held by the Wisconsin foundation that holds the patents, but it remains to be seen if this will actually happen.

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The usage of human stem cells continues to have its proponents and opponents these days. But in a recent study performed on rats (of course), special cells grown fro stem cells have been shown to protect eyesight from the problems of macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness for people older than 50.

The stem cells were derived from human fetal stem cells (called "neural progenitor cells"). These cells protected the eyesight of rats eye diseases similar to human diseases. Conclusion here -- human stem cells showed that they can actually protect failing eye cells.

Are stem cells ready to be used in the treatment of various human physical ailments? So far, that question is being answered by a resounding yes.

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Japanese scientists think they can make your boobs bigger with stem cells. By using stem cells to enrich fat that's taken from your stomach or thigh, they've created a method for augmentation that they hope will create larger, more natural-looking breasts.

While the clinic providing the treatment claims that: "The enhanced breasts are soft and natural, so they are the patient's "real" breasts," doctors in other parts are skeptical, urging that the technique be viewed with "extreme caution."

Concerns aside, according to Adam Searle, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, "there is exciting potential."

[via Boing Boing]

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