A Squirt of Stem Cell Gel Heals Brain Injuries

2009-09-05 06:05:53

#1

Harmor: Error_Name_Not_Found; +605|6836|San Diego, CA, USA

Popular Science wrote:
Scientists have developed a gel that helps brains recover from traumatic injuries. It has the potential to treat head injuries suffered in combat, car accidents, falls, or gunshot wounds. Developed by Dr. Ning Zhang at Clemson University in South Carolina, the gel is injected in liquid form at the site of injury and stimulates the growth of stem cells there.

...

The new gel could treat patients at varying stages following injury, and is expected to be ready for testing in humans in about three years.

I thought with all the debate from the Health care bill (because it included Stem Cell Research), this would be interesting to discuss.

I wonder if this technique could be used to fix spinal cord injuries?

As long as the stem cells are not embryonic I think this is all fine and good. Scientists can generate stem cells from a sample from the inside of your nose. Also some stem cells can be created from your skin.

Thoughts?

2009-09-05 06:18:19

#2

AussieReaper: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°); +5,761|6440|what

Re: Spinal cord injuries.

Yes. There's already been some promising research, but it does need further testing, funding to become the standard.

And to all those against stem cell research, I can donate my own stem cells, so who's it hurting then?

2009-09-05 06:18:39

#3

Spark: liquid fluoride thorium reactor; +874|6962|Canberra, AUS

The problem with adult stem cells is that once you get them they're not very good for anything - quantity is important. Also where the stem cells came from is kind of crucial. The skin stem cells you mention are fairly useless in that sort of application (useless being an exaggeration but transdifferentiation (that's a horrid word) in humans is by no means agreed on let alone proven).

(Why am I dragging myself into this)

I wonder if this technique could be used to fix spinal cord injuries?

Quite possibly. It's only been quite recently that we've discovered that yes, given the right conditions/treatments, the spinal cord can repair itself to a degree (i.e. you can regrow the neurons, once thought impossible. The orthodoxy, about ~6 years ago when I first learn it, was 'once you lose a neuron (brain cell or nerve), you can't get it back'. That's changing now)

AussieReaper wrote:
Re: Spinal cord injuries.

Yes. There's already been some promising research, but it does need further testing, funding to become the standard.

And to all those against stem cell research, I can donate my own stem cells, so who's it hurting then?

The collective moral high grounds of thousands.

Last edited by Spark (2009-09-05 06:19:22)

The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
^{~ Richard Feynman}

2009-09-05 06:41:22

#4

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6698|'Murka

Harmor wrote:
As long as the stem cells are not embryonic I think this is all fine and good.

^This

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2009-09-05 07:08:26

#5

Poseidon: Fudgepack DeQueef; +3,253|6825|Long Island, New York

FEOS wrote:
Harmor wrote:
As long as the stem cells are not embryonic I think this is all fine and good.
^This

Is it not true that the embryos used were going to be thrown out anyways?

So you'd be perfectly content with said embryo being thrown out instead of going towards helping mankind?

2009-09-05 07:09:07

#6

SEREMAKER: BABYMAKIN EXPERT √; +2,187|6856|Mountains of NC

it also does wonders for the hair

https://static.bf2s.com/files/user/17445/carhartt.jpg

2009-09-05 07:12:35

#7

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6937

Poseidon wrote:
FEOS wrote:
Harmor wrote:
As long as the stem cells are not embryonic I think this is all fine and good.
^This
Is it not true that the embryos used were going to be thrown out anyways?

So you'd be perfectly content with said embryo being thrown out instead of going towards helping mankind?

But you're killing children! Think of the children Poseidon!

2009-09-05 07:39:24

#8

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6698|'Murka

Poseidon wrote:
FEOS wrote:
Harmor wrote:
As long as the stem cells are not embryonic I think this is all fine and good.
^This
Is it not true that the embryos used were going to be thrown out anyways?

So you'd be perfectly content with said embryo being thrown out instead of going towards helping mankind?

Did I say that?

If the embryos are going to be destroyed anyway, I have no problem. But it's a slippery slope. What I do not want is embryos being created simply for the purpose of creating stem cells...or just thrown away.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2009-09-05 18:48:11

#9

twiistaaa: Member; +87|6956|mexico

who cares about embryonic stem cells. they have created induced pluripotent stem cells that do exactly the same thing.

but regardless, with all the fertilized eggs that never actually join to the uterus and then the countless miscarriages at whatever stages of the pregnancy (this number would be in the billions if not trillions) why not use embryonic stem cells? "gods" or natures system certaintly doesn't give a shit about embryos.

2009-09-05 21:15:16

#10

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6698|'Murka

twiistaaa wrote:
who cares about embryonic stem cells. they have created induced pluripotent stem cells that do exactly the same thing.

but regardless, with all the fertilized eggs that never actually join to the uterus and then the countless miscarriages at whatever stages of the pregnancy (this number would be in the billions if not trillions) why not use embryonic stem cells? "gods" or natures system certaintly doesn't give a shit about embryos.

The majority of miscarriages are due to the embryos being non-viable. There are no tests being done (like CVS or Pre-implantation diagnosis) to ensure that the embryos being used for stem cell research wouldn't be viable.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2009-09-05 22:55:44

#11

twiistaaa: Member; +87|6956|mexico

FEOS wrote:
The majority of miscarriages are due to the embryos being non-viable. There are no tests being done (like CVS or Pre-implantation diagnosis) to ensure that the embryos being used for stem cell research wouldn't be viable.

still, that doesn't mean that some viable embryos or healthy fetuses aren't making it to term (even 1% of total rejections would still be in the millions).

2009-09-06 03:30:26

#12

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|6869|SE London

I like the idea of the other new thing they're doing with stem cells, where they wrap them around a bit of iron and position them inside the body with magnets....

2009-09-06 05:01:44

#13

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6510|Brisneyland

One of my Uni lecturers helped to develop the nasal cells that regenerate spinal nerve cells. The results are amazing. They actually cut a rats spinal cord. Then regrew it using stem cells. They even showed the rat climbing some rat obstacles after treatment. Human trials were next.

I was never totally against using embryonic stem cells, however the advances in using host cells to heal the host seem to be so great, we may not need to use embryonic stem cells at all.

2009-09-06 09:20:25

#14

Harmor: Error_Name_Not_Found; +605|6836|San Diego, CA, USA

Burwhale wrote:
I was never totally against using embryonic stem cells, however the advances in using host cells to heal the host seem to be so great, we may not need to use embryonic stem cells at all.

That's awesome. I mean even if the United States doesn't invest in embryonic stem cell technology other countries that don't have a moral problem with it will research it.

Using the host to create their own stem cells means 0% rejection rate.

2009-09-06 09:53:55

#15

CC-Marley: Member; +407|7116

AussieReaper wrote:
Re: Spinal cord injuries.

Yes. There's already been some promising research, but it does need further testing, funding to become the standard.

And to all those against stem cell research, I can donate my own stem cells, so who's it hurting then?

I think most who are opposed only disagree using embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells do just fine.

2009-09-06 10:06:10

#16

Harmor: Error_Name_Not_Found; +605|6836|San Diego, CA, USA

Is there ANY treatment they have found for embryonic stem cells yet?

2009-09-06 14:52:08

#17

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6698|'Murka

twiistaaa wrote:
FEOS wrote:
The majority of miscarriages are due to the embryos being non-viable. There are no tests being done (like CVS or Pre-implantation diagnosis) to ensure that the embryos being used for stem cell research wouldn't be viable.
still, that doesn't mean that some viable embryos or healthy fetuses aren't making it to term (even 1% of total rejections would still be in the millions).

That would be due to other forces, not the nature of the embryo/fetus itself.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2009-09-06 14:52:39

#18

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6510|Brisneyland

I had a quick look at wiki. I think the applications would be very similar.

Wiki wrote:
Therapeutic application
On January 23, 2009, Phase I clinical trials for transplantation of a human-ES-derived cell population into spinal cord-injured individuals received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marking it the world's first human ES cell human trial [10]. The study leading to this scientific advancement was conducted by Hans Keirstead and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine and supported by Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, CA. The results of this experiment suggested an improvement in locomotor recovery in spinal cord-injured rats after a 7-day delayed transplantation of human ES cells that were pushed towards an oligodendrocytic lineage

BF2S Forums A Squirt of Stem Cell Gel Heals Brain Injuries

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