Stem Cells

Introduction

The term "stem cell" is used so freely these days in many different forums that it is difficult sometimes understand without context what scientists, politicians, ethicists and commentators are discussing. In terms of human development, the embryonic stem cell with totipotential occurs at the blastocyst stage, mainly in the first and second week of development. After this period the inner cell mass, which forms the entire embryo, will differentiate into embryonic germ layers with restricted differentiation potential.

Stem cells as well as having the capacity to differentiate into any (totipotential) or multiple (pluripotential) cell types, have the unique capacity of self-renewal.

In vitro fertilization and growth of the blastocyst, allows isolation of these cells and their subsequent use in stem cell research. It is the collection, production and possible therapeutic applications of these stem cells which has recently attracted worldwide attention.

A key step in the development of stem cell research has been the identification of cell surface markers (proteins) which identify these cells and their state of undifferentiation.

A useful guide (online PDF document) to stem cells was produced in a report by the National Institute of Health (NIH, USA, May 2000) Stem Cells: A Primer (note large size - 4.84 Mb) and more recently NIH has established a Stem Cell information page.

Some Recent Findings

Pluripotent stem cell-derived gametes: truth and (potential) consequences. Mathews DJ, Donovan PJ, Harris J, Lovell-Badge R, Savulescu J, Faden R. Cell Stem Cell. 2009 Jul 2;5(1):11-4. PMID: 19570509

"Forum: An emerging body of data suggests that pluripotent stem cells may be able to differentiate to form eggs and sperm. We discuss the state of the science and the potential social implications and offer recommendations for addressing some of the ethical and policy issues that would be raised by the availability of stem cell-derived gametes. ...PSC-derived gamete research represents the convergence of several areas of ethical and policy debate and inquiry‚Äîstem cell research, human genetic research, reproductive technologies, and human enhancement‚Äîbringing many of today's most contentious ethical issues into the same conversation."

Conrad S, Renninger M, Hennenlotter J, Wiesner T, Just L, Bonin M, Aicher W, B√ºhring HJ, Mattheus U, Mack A, Wagner HJ, Minger S, Matzkies M, Reppel M, Hescheler J, Sievert KD, Stenzl A, Skutella T. Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult human testis. Nature. 2008 Oct 8.

"Human primordial germ cells and mouse neonatal and adult germline stem cells are pluripotent and show similar properties to embryonic stem cells. Here we report the successful establishment of human adult germline stem cells derived from spermatogonial cells of adult human testis."

Kondo T, Sheets PL, Zopf DA, Aloor HL, Cummins TR, Chan RJ, Hashino E. Tlx3 exerts context-dependent transcriptional regulation and promotes neuronal differentiation from embryonic stem cells.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Apr 7

"The T cell leukemia 3 (Tlx3) gene has been implicated in specification of glutamatergic sensory neurons in the spinal cord. ...The sequential and coordinated expression of the proneural and neuronal subtype-specific genes identifies Tlx3 as a selector gene in ES cells undergoing neural differentiation."

USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first public hearing on the safety of therapies that use human embryonic stem cells. "Cellular Therapies Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells ‚ÄìConsiderations for Pre-Clinical Safety Testing and Patient Monitoring, April 10, 2008" The biotech company Geron plans to trial a stem cell based therapy for patients with acute spinal-cord injury. (More?FDA Meeting Briefing Document PDF)

4th Stem Cell Research and Therapeutics Conference April 17-18, 2008 in Boston, MA. USA

2007 Australian state government bill (an amendment to Victoria's Infertility Treatment Act 1995) allows therapeutic cloning for stem cell research. (More? ABC News May 4 | Infertility Treatment Act 1995)

Li J, Greco V, Guasch G, Fuchs E, Mombaerts P. Mice cloned from skin cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Feb 20;104(8):2738-43.

Historic Findings 2006

Chen S, Do JT, Zhang Q, Yao S, Yan F, Peters EC, Scholer HR, Schultz PG, Ding S. Self-renewal of embryonic stem cells by a small molecule. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Nov 14;103(46):17266-71.

"A previously uncharacterized heterocycle, SC1, was discovered that allows one to propagate murine ES cells in an undifferentiated, pluripotent state under chemically defined conditions in the absence of feeder cells, serum, and leukemia inhibitory factor."

File:Aus sen crest.gif Australian Legislation A private members bill put forward by Senator Kay PATTERSON was passed (06Dec06) by 20 votes in the House of Representatives amending an earlier "Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Act 2006" relating to stem cells research. During the four day debate more than 100 MPs spoke on the bill and the majority were in favour of changing the law. The amendment will allow researchers to create and use embryos up to 14 days old for research. [../Notes/stemcell.htm Stem Cells] | ABC - Information on Threrapeutic Cloning | ABC - Researcher hails end of therapeutic cloning ban House of Representatives | Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Bill 2006 |

File:Aus sen crest.gif Australian Legislation A private members bill was introduced (19Oct06) and passed (7Nov06) in the Australian Senate amending an earlier act relating to stem cells research. Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Act 2006 This will allow stem research using human embryos under strict controls and now requires passing through the House of Represenatives before the Amendment will become law. [../pdf/SenateStemCell06Bill19100603.pdf PDF - Amendment Bill 2006]

Human embryonic stem cells and liver Baharvand H, Hashemi SM, Kazemi Ashtiani S, Farrokhi A. Differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into hepatocytes in 2D and 3D culture systems in vitro. Int J Dev Biol. 2006;50(7):645-52. "The differentiation of hESCs into hepatocyte-like cells within 3D collagen scaffolds containing exogenous growth factors, gives rise to cells displaying morphological features, gene expression patterns and metabolic activities characteristic of hepatocytes and may provide a source of differentiated cells for treatment of liver diseases."

File:Cellstemcell.jpg "Cell Press, is set to launch (July, 2007) a new monthly journal Cell Stem Cell published by Cell Press in affiliation with the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will include primary research, reviews, and commentaries while also serving as a forum for issues of stem cell research policy and ethics." Cell Stem Cell

Embryonic stem cells and not bone marrow cells can regenerate cardiac function Kolossov E, Bostani T, Roell W, Breitbach M, Pillekamp F, Nygren JM, Sasse P, Rubenchik O, Fries JW, Wenzel D, Geisen C, Xia Y, Lu Z, Duan Y, Kettenhofen R, Jovinge S, Bloch W, Bohlen H, Welz A, Hescheler J, Jacobsen SE, Fleischmann BK. Engraftment of engineered ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes but not BM cells restores contractile function to the infarcted myocardium. J Exp Med. 2006 Oct 2;203(10):2315-27. Epub 2006 Sep 5. "... Long-term engraftment (4-5 months) was observed when co-transplanting selected ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts into the injured heart of syngeneic mice, and no teratoma formation was found (n = 60). Although transplantation of ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes improved heart function, BM cells had no positive effects. Furthermore, no contribution of BM cells to cardiac, endothelial, or smooth muscle neogenesis was detected."

25 years of Embryonic Stem Cells Nature WebFocus "This year marks the 25th anniversary of two papers reporting the first isolation of mouse ES cells."

Embryonic stem cells Suzuki A, Raya A, Kawakami Y, Morita M, Matsui T, Nakashima K, Gage FH, Rodriguez-Esteban C, Izpisua Belmonte JC. Nanog binds to Smad1 and blocks bone morphogenetic protein-induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jun 26;

Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Ueno M, Matsumura M, Watanabe K, Nakamura T, Osakada F, Takahashi M, Kawasaki H, Kinoshita S, Sasai Y. Neural conversion of ES cells by an inductive activity on human amniotic membrane matrix. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jun 9 A recent study has shown the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neural cells by contact with extracellular matrix components of the human amniotic membrane in serum-free medium. PNAS Link | [../Notes/neuron.htm Neural Notes]

Modifying Spermatogonial Stem Cells Kanatsu-Shinohara M, Ikawa M, Takehashi M, Ogonuki N, Miki H, Inoue K, Kazuki Y, Lee J, Toyokuni S, Oshimura M, Ogura A, Shinohara T. Production of knockout mice by random or targeted mutagenesis in spermatogonial stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 May 23;103(21):8018-23. "Here, we demonstrate successful gene trapping and homologous recombination in spermatogonial stem cells. ...These results demonstrate the feasibility of altering genes in tissue-specific stem cells in a manner similar to embryonic stem cells and have important implications for gene therapy and animal transgenesis."

(More? [#SSC Spermatogonial Stem Cell] See also commentary de Rooij DG. Rapid expansion of the spermatogonial stem cell tool box. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 May 23;103(21):7939-40.)

Australian Stem Cells

File:Aus sen crest.gif

2006 A private members bill was introduced (19Oct06) and passed (7Nov06) in the Australian Senate amending an earlier act relating to stem cells research. Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Act 2006 This will allow stem research using human embryos under strict controls and now requires passing through the House of Represenatives before the Amendment will become law. [../pdf/SenateStemCell06Bill19100603.pdf PDF - Amendment Bill 2006]

2005Lockhart Review "On 17 June 2005, the former Minister for Ageing, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, appointed a committee to conduct independent reviews of Australia's Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002 and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002. The Committee was required to consult with the Australian, State and Territory governments and a broad range of people with expertise or experience in relevant disciplines. The Committee called for written submissions on the scope and operation of the two Acts." Lockhart Review | Lockhart Review - Media Release

See also [#NHMRC Australian NHMRC Information]

Stem Cell Use

Results from a recent Australian survey into couples' views on the use of supernumerary embryos ([#16716313 Hammarberg and Tinney, 2006]).

40% (123/311) returned completed questionnaires.

42% most common decision was donation to research (altruistic motives and desire not to waste embryos were determinants of embryo donation).

Determinants of disposal were not wanting a full sibling to existing children and opposition of embryo research.

45% found deciding distressing.

69% approved of embryo donation to stem-cell research.

Cord Blood Stem Cell

Placental cord blood is a rich souce of haematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. Cord blood can collected at birth, with no impact on the mother or neonate, and stured in cord blood banks for later use. (More? [stemcell4.htm Stem Cells - Cord Blood])

BBC (UK) A brief article on Cord Blood stem cells and their therapeutic potential.

Spermatogonial Stem Cell (SSC)

In the male testes are a population of spermatogonia cells that differentiate and meiotically divide to form spermatozoa cells (male germ cells).

Kanatsu-Shinohara M, Ikawa M, Takehashi M, Ogonuki N, Miki H, Inoue K, Kazuki Y, Lee J, Toyokuni S, Oshimura M, Ogura A, Shinohara T. Production of knockout mice by random or targeted mutagenesis in spermatogonial stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 May 23;103(21):8018-23.

Ehmcke J, Wistuba J, Schlatt S. Spermatogonial stem cells: questions, models and perspectives. Hum Reprod Update. 2006 May-Jun;12(3):275-82.

Aponte PM, van Bragt MP, de Rooij DG, van Pelt AM. Spermatogonial stem cells: characteristics and experimental possibilities. APMIS. 2005 Nov-Dec;113(11-12):727-42.

Kanatsu-Shinohara M, Ogonuki N, Iwano T, Lee J, Kazuki Y, Inoue K, Miki H, Takehashi M, Toyokuni S, Shinkai Y, Oshimura M, Ishino F, Ogura A, Shinohara T. Genetic and epigenetic properties of mouse male germline stem cells during long-term culture. Development. 2005 Sep;132(18):4155-63.

Ogawa T, Ohmura M, Yumura Y, Sawada H, Kubota Y. Expansion of murine spermatogonial stem cells through serial transplantation. Biol Reprod. 2003 Jan;68(1):316-22.

Adult Stem Cell

Adult stem cells, with pluropotentiality, are found in three main body systems: intestinal epithelium, epidermis, and bone marrow. (More? Adult Stem Cells)

Inducible Stem Cells

Stem Cell Markers

In order to carry out research on stem cells, it is important to be able to identify them. A number of different research groups in the late 90's generated several antibodies which specifically identified undifferentiated, differentiating or differentiated stem cells from a number of different sources and species. Note that the nomenclature in some cases is based upon the antibody used to identify the cell surface marker.

Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigen-1 (SSEA-1) cell surface embryonic antigen which has a role in cell adhesion, migration and differentiation and is often differentially expressed during development. Can be identified by Davor Solter monoclonal antibody MC-480 (SSEA-1).
Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigen-4 (SSEA-4) cell surface embryonic antigen of human teratocarcinoma stem cells (EC), human embryonic germ cells (EG) and human embryonic stem cells (ES) which is down-regulated following differentiation of human EC cells. Antigen not expressed on undifferentiated murine EC, ES and EG cells but upregulated on differentiation of murine EC and ES cells. Can be identified by Davor Solter monoclonal antibody MC-813-70 (SSEA-4)
Tumor Rejection Antigen (TRA-1-60) Sialylated Keratan Sulfate Proteoglycan expressed on the surface of human teratocarcinoma stem cells (EC), human embryonic germ cells (EG) and human embryonic stem cells (ES).
Tumor Rejection Antigen (TRA-1-81) antigen expressed on the surface of human teratocarcinoma stem cells (EC), human embryonic germ cells (EG) and human embryonic stem cells (ES). Both TRA antibodies identify a major polypeptide (Mr 240 kDa) and a minor polypeptide (Mr 415 kDa).
Oct-4 (Pou5f1 ‚Äì Mouse Genome Informatics) gene has an essential role in control of developmental pluripotency (Oct4 knockout embryo blastocysts die at the time of implantation). Oct4 also has a role in maintaining viability of mammalian germline.
Stem Cell Antigen 1 (Sca-1) member of the Ly-6 family of GPI-linked surface proteins (Mr 18 kDa) and a major phenotypic marker for mouse hematopoietic progenitor/stem cell subset.
CD133, AC133, prominin 5 transmembrane glycoprotein (865 aa) expressed on stem cells with hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic differentiation potential.
Alpha 6 integrin

References

Shamblott M.J. et. al. (1998). PNAS 95: 13726-13731 ; Schuldiner M. et. al. (2000). PNAS 97: 11307 - 11312 ; Thomson J.A. et. al. (1998). Science 282: 1145-1147 ; Reubinoff B.E. et. al. (2000). Nature Biotechnology 18: 399-404 ; Henderson J.K. et. al. (2002). Stem Cells 20: 329-337; Pera M. et. al. (2000). J. Cell Science 113: 5-10.; The Human Embryonal Carcinoma Marker Antigen TRA-1-60 Is a Sialylated Keratan Sulfate Proteoglycan; [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi%3Fcmd=Retrieve&%20db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15486564 Oct4 is required for primordial germ cell survival.]; Sca-1 expression identifies stem cells in the proximal region of prostatic ducts with high capacity to reconstitute prostatic tissue;

Data based on information from Appendix E.II. NIH Report "Stem Cells: Scientific Progress and Future Research Directions", Chemicon International- Stem cell marker antibodies OMIM and other sources.

Stem Cell Fake Result

Stem Cell Fake Results Hwang Woo-suk (Korean pioneer of stem cell research) Resigns A Seoul National University investigation of the original data in Science paper Jun (2005;308: 1777-83) "Eleven human embryonic stem cells (hESC) lines were established by nuclear transfer (SCNT; NT) of skin cells from patients with disease or injury into donated oocytes." announced 29 Dec 2005 that he had faked the results. The journal Science also announced it will retract the original paper (see links below). (BMJ 07 Jan) [../Notes//week2_10.htm Stem Cells] | Science News 06 Jan | Special Online Collection: Hwang et al. and Stem Cell Issues | Original Reference with link to Erratum (Science. 2005 Dec 16;310(5755):1769)

Cancer

There is a hypothesis that several cancers may arise from somatic stem or progenitor cells that exist in different tissues. These cancer stem cells are called "side population" (SP) cells and have been identified in: leukemia, breast cancer and several human cancer cell lines (central nervous system, gastrointestinal tumors, retinoblastoma). There is still a "chicken and egg" problem to be resolved, in that the cancer cells may have dedifferentiated to a stem cell-like population.

A recent paper has also identified SP cells in ovarian cancer which have properties similar to stem cells.

Reference: Szotek PP, Pieretti-Vanmarcke R, Masiakos PT, Dinulescu DM, Connolly D, Foster R, Dombkowski D, Preffer F, Maclaughlin DT, Donahoe PK. Ovarian cancer side population defines cells with stem cell-like characteristics and Mullerian Inhibiting Substance responsiveness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jul 18

References

Journals

Cell Stem Cell is the official affiliated journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).
Stem Cells welcomes original articles and concise reviews describing basic laboratory investigations of stem cells and the translation of their clinical aspects of characterization and manipulation from the bench to patient care. The journal covers all aspects of stem cells: embryonic stem cells; tissue-specific stem cells; cancer stem cells; the stem cell niche; stem cell genomics and proteomics; and translational and clinical researc

PubMed

Reviews

Pluripotent stem cell-derived gametes: truth and (potential) consequences. Mathews DJ, Donovan PJ, Harris J, Lovell-Badge R, Savulescu J, Faden R. Cell Stem Cell. 2009 Jul 2;5(1):11-4. PMID: 19570509
Moore KA, Lemischka IR. Stem cells and their niches. Science. 2006 Mar 31;311(5769):1880-5.
Li L, Xie T. Stem cell niche: structure and function. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2005;21:605-31.

Articles

Hiroyama T, Miharada K, Aoki N, Fujioka T, Sudo K, Danjo I, Nagasawa T, Nakamura Y. Long-lasting in vitro hematopoiesis derived from primate embryonic stem cells. Exp Hematol. 2006 Jun;34(6):760-9.
Meshorer E, Misteli T. Chromatin in pluripotent embryonic stem cells and differentiation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2006
Yamazoe H, Kobori M, Murakami Y, Yano K, Satoh M, Mizuseki K, Sasai Y, Iwata H. One-step induction of neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells in serum-free media containing vitamin B12 and heparin. Cell Transplant. 2006;15(2):135-45.
Skottman H, Dilber MS, Hovatta O. The derivation of clinical-grade human embryonic stem cell lines. FEBS Lett. 2006 May 22;580(12):2875-8.
Skottman H, Dilber MS, Hovatta O. The derivation of clinical-grade human embryonic stem cell lines. FEBS Lett. 2006 May 22;580(12):2875-8.
Hammarberg K, Tinney L. Deciding the fate of supernumerary frozen embryos: a survey of couples' decisions and the factors influencing their choice. Fertil Steril. 2006 May 20
Szotek PP, Pieretti-Vanmarcke R, Masiakos PT, Dinulescu DM, Connolly D, Foster R, Dombkowski D, Preffer F, Maclaughlin DT, Donahoe PK. Ovarian cancer side population defines cells with stem cell-like characteristics and Mullerian Inhibiting Substance responsiveness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jul 18

Search PubMed: May 2006 "stem cell" 154,176 reference articles of which 16,449 were reviews.

Search PubMed Now: stem cell | embryonic stem cell | adult stem cell |

Earlier Links (2002 - 2004)

California Governor Schwarzenegger Endorses Stem-Cell Bonds Oct. 18, 2004 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed a proposal to sell $3 billion of bonds to fund stem-cell research, two weeks before a vote that may make California the biggest U.S. sponsor of such studies. The initiative is a response to President George W. Bush's decision to limit federal funding of research with embryonic stem cells, which are seen as a potential source of cures for disease. The governor's endorsement may benefit a campaign that only has a narrow lead among voters, according to a recent opinion poll. "Research that we do now holds the promise of cures for tomorrow," Schwarzenegger said in an e-mail statement to reporters. "California has always been a pioneer. We daringly led the way for the high-tech industry and now voters can help ensure we lead the way for the biotech industry." Read Bloomberg Article

Sydney Stem Cells "Embryonic stem cells created in Australian first"ABC News Thursday, June 24, 2004

The medical director of Sydney IVF, Robert Jansen, says while mainstream uses are still a few years away, the team's breakthrough will lead the way for new research. "They can be used by researchers for developing or learning more about how cells become other more specialised cells that might be used, for instance, to repopulate someone's pancreas if they have juvenile diabetes," he said.

May 2004 NIH Clinical Trials Launches Study of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Severe, Treatment-Resistant Lupus (NIAMS, May 13,2004)

A clinical therapeutic trial in the USA for hematopoietic stem cells in an autoimmune disease.

"A five-year study to see whether a therapy using transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells, blood stem cells found in bone marrow, can produce long-term remission for patients with severe, treatment-resistant systemic lupus erythematosus (or lupus), a rheumatic autoimmune disease that can affect the body's major organs. The study will include a basic research component to examine the roles of B and T cells, white blood cells in the immune system, in triggering lupus symptoms."

Australian NHMRC

INFORMATION FOR HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEES SHEET NUMBER 5 - STEM CELL RESEARCH The Australian Health Ethics Committee has been approached by human research ethics committees (HRECs) seeking advice on how to review research protocols that involve stem cell research.The following guidance is interim. Formal guidelines will be developed by AHEC in the context of its review of the 1996 NHMRC Ethical guidelines on assisted reproductive technology.

(USA) NIH - Stem Cell Information

NIH Stem Cell Basics

NIH Stem Cell Information

NIH Stem Cell Reports | Regenerative Medicine 2006 | Stem Cells: Scientific Progress and Future Research Directions (2001)

National Human Genome Research Institute - Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells

Stem Cells (2001)

FDA Letter to Senator Edward M. Kennedy Regarding Stem Cells, September 5, 2001
Secretary Thompson's Oral Testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, September 5, 2001
National Institutes of Health and WiCell Research Institute, Inc., Sign Stem Cell Research Agreement, September 5, 2001
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Update on Existing Human Embryonic Stem Cells, August 27, 2001
Statement by Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Regarding Stem Cell Lines, August 27, 2001
Video Broadcast - Briefing by HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson on Federal Funding of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, August 10, 2001
NIH Statement on the President's Stem Cell Address, August 9, 2001
White House Fact Sheet on Embryonic Stem Cell Research, August 9, 2001
Statement by HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson Regarding the President's Decision on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, August 9, 2001
Approval Process for the Documentation of Compliance with the NIH Guidelines on the Use of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in NIH Research Proposed for Support Under Grants and Cooperative Agreements, November 21, 2000
Approval Process for the Documentation of Compliance with NIH Guidelines on the Use of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in NIH Intramural Research, January 16, 2001

Stem Cells in The News

(More? [../News/news.htm see Embryology News])

WWW Links

International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is an independent, nonprofit organization formed in 2002 to foster the exchange of information on stem cell research.

University of Michigan Stem Cells Explained

Transcript of discussion on ABC Radio (Dr. J Kahn , Dr. JWagner) on Genetic Technology And Ethics

A brief article on Cord Blood stem cells and their therapeutic potential from the BBC.

Monash University (Australia) [%20http://www.med.monash.edu.au/miscl/ Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories (MISCL)]

Human Stem cells in the News mainly in regard to USA political position on Human Stem Cell Research (BBC links)

Bush stem cell move widely (10 August)
Press see 'political' stem cell decision (10 August)
Bush facing stem cell storm (10 August)
Stem cell compromise angers hardliners (10 August)
Stem cells: Q & A (10 August)
Japan set to embrace stem cell research (1 August)
Read this May 2000 article on Stem Cells from NIH USA

The external link to CNN requires Quicktime Stem Cell Animation === Navigation ===

Internal Links Stem Cells

Stem Cell Ethics | Cord Blood Adult Stem Cells | Week 2 Stem Cells | Cloning

Breakthroughs in stem cell research appear frequently in the news, governments legislate about research, origin and use, community groups argue the ethics of human stem cells, individuals seek answers for fertility and disease.

More recently the finding of [#FakeResult faked results] by a key Korean stem cell researcher has drawn attention to not only to stem cell work, but also the pressure upon researchers to generate "results".

With so many levels this area of embryology has become extremely complex. This current page looks only at the embryonic stage related to the origin of first stem cells which will go on to form the entire embryo.

I include links to recent news (see also [../News/news.htm Embryology News]) items and sites which cover the research behind the stem cell "phenomena".

The term "stem cell" is now used widely to cover many different cells derived from both embryo and adult tissues.

There is still controversy over the use of excess IVF embryos as a source of stem cells (More? see [#Stem Cell Debate in Australia Stem Cell Debate in Australia]) for research as apposed to the possibility of getting some stem cells from adult tissues. The debate at present is on focusses on the social, legal and ethical use of stem cells.