Scientists Uncover New Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Method

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Scientists Uncover New Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Method

Special Report - January 9, 2007
Researchers at Wake Forest and Harvard universities announced this week the discovery of a new stem cell source that may yield treatments for a variety of diseases and conditions without necessitating the destruction of a human embryo. Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IRM) at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is heading up the research that uses stem cells found in the amniotic fluid surrounding developing embryos in pregnant women. According to an IRM statement, researchers have already used these new stem cells, called “amniotic fluid-derived” stem (AFS) cells, to create “muscle, bone, fat, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells in the laboratory.” Scientists also discovered similar stem cells in the placenta and other membranes that are expelled after birth. The stem cells resemble embryonic stem cells, which are obtained through a highly controversial procedure that entails the destruction of a human embryo, a process that many believe is comparable to abortion. A study discussing the IRM research was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology on January 7.

“Our hope is that these cells will provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for engineered organs as well,” said Atala in a statement. “These cells are capable of extensive self-renewal, a defining property of stem cells. They also can be used to produce a broad range of cells that may be valuable for therapy.” According to the IRM statement, AFS cells do not produce tumors (a side effect commonly seen in other types of stem cells) and can be grown in large quantities. A stem cell bank hosting 100,000 specimens could ostensibly provide 99 percent of the American population with transplantation options, Atala said.

Even though researchers continue to discover new non-controversial methods of stem cell research, Congress is currently considering legislation that would lift federal funding restrictions on destructive embryonic stem cell research. On January 5, Representative Diana DeGette (D–CO) introduced H.R. 3–Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, a bill that would rescind President Bush’s 2001 directive that federal funds be used exclusively for embryonic stem cell lines already in existence and that no taxpayer dollars be devoted to additional research that involves the destruction of a human embryo. The bill has 211 co-sponsors, included North Carolina Representatives G.K. Butterfield, Bob Etheridge and David Price.

To learn more about the successes of non-embryonic forms of stem cell research, download our policy paper entitled “The Alternative to Embryos: Successes of Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Treatments.”