ANA Discussion Forum

General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: Crazycat on March 11, 2009, 10:58:11 am

Title: Stem Cell Update
Post by: Crazycat on March 11, 2009, 10:58:11 am

Perhaps this bodes well for replacing damaged cranial nerves?

Please watch this video and comment.....

http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/12402675

Paul

Title: Re: Stem Cell Update
Post by: Crazycat on March 11, 2009, 12:33:11 pm

Wow, there aren't that many people I recognize anymore on this message board. A whole new crop of ANers!

Title: Re: Stem Cell Update
Post by: Jim Scott on March 11, 2009, 01:47:56 pm

Hi, Paul ~ 

Support site forums tend to have a basically transient population.  Once the patient is safely through surgery and/or radiation, they have no reason to keep visiting the site and many just want to move on.  I don't expect to still be posting (much less, moderating) here in 5 years, but you never know.  Right now, I feel my time is well spent here.

Thanks for the link.  I watched the stem-cell news report video.  It was certainly interesting and I'm happy for the young girl who is now able to see because of the stem-cell transplant.  Although stem-cell research is fascinating and may well have implications for AN patients in the future, I hope the scientists can use adult stem cells which I believe have shown great success, or, as in the case of the Colorado teenager in the video, umbilical cord blood stem cells, preferably donated, to avoid the vexing moral issues inherent when you produce embryos for the specific purpose of killing them to 'harvest' stem cells.  In the realm of medical science, it's a great time to be around but as always, with scientific progress come ethical and moral dilemmas.  I trust the scientific community and society will be able to reach some level of conciliation on these thorny issues and I suspect that using adult stem calls or donated umbilical cord blood stem cells might be the result. 

Jim

Title: Re: Stem Cell Update
Post by: lori67 on March 11, 2009, 02:28:03 pm

Amazing story and amazing technology.  Thanks for sharing that.

I agree with Jim, I guess we'll have to find a happy medium that allows us to enjoy the benefits without compromising our morals.  It can be done, I think that's already been proven.

There are just so many people that this therapy may help someday - and who knows - it might very well be one of us.

Lori

Title: Re: Stem Cell Update
Post by: Crazycat on March 11, 2009, 02:28:47 pm

Well said Jim!

Hope to see you in April!

Paul