Stem-cell therapy is no miracle cure
Scientists from around the world express a note of caution on stem-
cell therapy
Sir, We are convinced that stem-cell research is a highly promising
area of science offering potential for new methods of treating many
serious diseases. We welcome legal acceptance, public and private
funding, and international co-operation for a range of stem-cell
research.
But we also wish to caution against false optimism and unrealistic
claims for as yet unproven avenues of research. It is irresponsible,
unjustified and, especially, unfair to patients for researchers to
claim without evidence that a refusal to fund, to license or to
approve a particular research approach will "delay treatments for
incurable illnesses".
In particular, given the current state of more conventional embryonic
stem-cell research, of adult stem-cell research, and of induced
pluripotent stem-cell research, there is no demonstrable scientific
or medical case for insisting on creating, without any clear
scientific precedent, a wide spectrum of human-non-human hybrid
entities or "human admixed embryos".
We therefore question the scientific validity of proposals to create
such embryonic combinations currently before the UK Parliament. We
note with concern that, though not widely reported, the Bill does not
just propose licensing so-called cybrids (99.9 per cent human, 0.1
per cent other species). It also proposes that embryos "created by
using human gametes and animal gametes" (50 per cent human, 50 per
cent other species) or human embryos "altered by the introduction of
one or more animal cells" (ie, any percentage of human material)
could be created under licence (UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology
Bill 2007-08, Section 4A(5) and Schedule 2. 3(3)).
All such proposals are highly speculative in comparison to
established sources of human stem cells, and we remain unaware of any
cogent evidence suggesting any might yield significant therapeutic
dividend.
As scientists and clinicians actively involved in stem-cell research
and regenerative medicine, we do not hold a single common view about
the relative merits, ethics and potential of adult v (conventional)
embryonic stem cells. But we all believe that extravagant claims
regarding the purported merits of human-non-human interspecies
embryos are mistaken and misleading, and that such research would
damage public confidence and support, to the detriment both of the
cause of stem-cell science and, ultimately, of patients.
Prof Neil Scolding, Bristol
Prof Michael Chopp, Detroit
Prof Dr Wolfgang M. Franz, Munich
Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, Queensland
Professor T. John Martin, Melbourne
Dr Rodney L. Rietze, Queensland
Prof Dennis McGonagle, Leeds
Prof Dr Bodo-Eckehard Strauer, Düsseldorf
Professor Gianni Angelini, Bristol
Dr Roger Barker, Cambridge
Dr Maureen L. Condic, Utah
Prof Dr Ursula Just, Kiel
Prof Dimitris Karussis, Jerusalem
Dr Letizia Mazzini, Piedmont
Dr Jean Peduzzi-Nelson, Detroit
Dr Carlos Lima, Lisbon
http://www.timesonl
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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