More good news for stem cell research

This week's BioNews reports on two exciting new studies in stem cell therapy research. Everyone agrees that stem cells could hold the key to new treatments for a range of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. But not everyone agrees on the best source of these cure-all cells, although the majority of researchers working in this area feel that studies on embryo and adult stem cells should continue in parallel.

Despite the scientific evidence to support this view, the publication of any promising new study on adult stem cells invariably triggers claims that embryo stem cell research may now be unnecessary. Perhaps this is why the journal Nature took the unusual step of jointly announcing the publication of these latest studies at a press conference last week.

One study reports the identification of adult bone marrow cells that are very similar to embryo stem cells in their ability to turn into a range of different body tissues in mice. The other shows that mouse embryo stem cells can turn into a type of nerve cell that alleviated the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in rats. While both are very interesting new findings, it is important to remember that this is a new area of research. Hundreds of stem cell studies have been published over the last few years, and there will be hundreds more before these new therapies can be tested in humans. The main authors of both studies point out that many safety issues need to be addressed before this can happen.

Meanwhile, despite the best efforts of Nature and the study authors to present a balanced view, it is inevitable that those opposed to all embryo research will be selective with their scientific evidence. The US Senator pushing for a ban on all types of cloning, including research into the use of cloned early embryo cells, has already seized upon the new adult stem cell study as proof that embryo cell therapy research is obsolete. But millions of families affected by serious diseases want effective new treatments as soon as possible, which means exploring all avenues in this promising area of research.