Thursday, May 8, 2014

THOSE WONDERFUL STEM CELLS AND THE TOOTH FAIRY

Researchers in Australia have discovered that stem cells taken from teeth can be altered and grown to resemble brain cells. The hope is that one day these cells can be used to restore brain tissue damaged by strokes. Beyond that, they may possess the potential to combat brain cancer and Alzheimers disease. The moral of this story is don't give your teeth to the tooth fairy.

Danish scientists found that injecting stem cells directly into the heart can help patients suffering from heart failure. The stem cells promote the development of new blood vessels as well as heart muscle tissue.

Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a way to take  mammary stem cells and keep them alive in the lab. These stem cells are responsible for forming breast tissue. Scientists hope that by keeping these cells functioning, they can determine if they also play a role in breast cancer.

And to think some religions and politicians wanted to halt stem cell research. I suppose they prefer to deal with the tooth fairy.

1 comment:

  1. The Salk Institute...as in Jonas Salk...the inventor of the polio vaccine. Need I say more?

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