Overhyped, But Interesting

(Via the Muskogee Phoenix). A research team are claiming their discovery of pluripotent stem cells in bone marrow to be an important discovery: "University of Louisville researchers have coaxed stem cells from adult mice to change into brain, nerve, heart muscle and pancreatic cells." I think this is greatly overhyped; small pluripotent - or even pseudo-embryonic - cell populations have been discovered elsewhere in the body over the last year or two. This is not to demean the promise offered by a local source of suitable adult stem cells for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine - it's a big deal. But that isn't cause to issue calls to halt the vital work of embryonic stem cell research.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20051212-16032200-bc-us-stemcells.xml

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