Adult Stem Cells Again Proven Versatile

March 7, 2002

Houston, TX--Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have found that stem cells circulating in the blood stream can grow into liver, gut, and skin tissues. Stem cells in the blood stream could provide a practical source of stem cells which are easy to harvest and do not pose a moral dilemma (as embryonic stem cells).

The discovery suggests that stem cells circulating in the blood stream play an active role in replacing normal tissue or repairing injured organ tissue. "If peripheral blood stem cells are capable of differentiating into many different organs, this may affect the treatment of many diseases," stated Dr. Zeev Estrov, a professor of bioimmunotherapy and one of the study's principle investigators.

The study (published in the New England Journal of Medicine) is the latest finding that proves that adult stem cells share many of the properties of embryonic stem cells (such as the versatility of stem cells found in the blood stream) but do not destroy an innocent human life in their cultivation.

As Pro-Life advocates, we must always stress the alternatives to destructive embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cells have already cured many, many people and new discoveries are found continually.

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