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Published online 22 August 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1060
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Blood transfusion for stem cell company?
Red blood cells could provide new hope for beleaguered ACT
Observers could be forgiven for thinking they had spotted a phoenix rising from the ashes of Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) earlier this week. The Los Angeles, California-based company, which is devoted to turning human embryonic stem cells into therapies, had been reported on the verge of extinction last month after it told the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it would run out of money on 31 July.
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Who said this about the iPS cells: "This work represents a tremendous scientific milestone, the biological equivalent of the Wright brothers' first airplane," and "It's a bit like turning lead into gold." Now, with iPS cells already pop up everywhere and can be turned into "any" cells so "easily" and "precisely", why should we go back to beg on the "unethical" hES cells? Should we return history to the pre-Write brothers' time? Or should we trade "gold" with something else? ----Shi V. Liu (SVL@logibio.com; http://im1.biz; http://blog.sina.com.cn/im1)
I have already, also in www.nature.com, (e.g., http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080604/full/news.2008.875.html?q=2#last-comment) underlined my critics to the actual use of stem cells. In fact, we all agree with considering stem cells as the therapy of future. As a consequence, all around the world, scientists are working on the possible utilization of these cells, in spite of their origin. However, we have to pay great attention to the FACT that every stem cell, including human blood progenitor cell, (not red blood cells, i.e., erythrocites, which are lacking DNA!)is furnished by both n-DNA and mit-DNA, and thus - in case of biophysical-semeiotic constitutions - such as cell can transmitt the related predisposition to diseases,if there is the Inherited Real Risk, I discovered: diabetes, arteriosclerosis (CAD), cancer, a.s.o. As I referred in former comments also in this website (e.g., http://blogs.nature.com/reports/theniche/2008/04/ stemcell_skin_creams_a_san_die.html#comments) before using stem cells in whatever disorders physicians have to know perfectly possible biophysical-semeiotic constitutions of stem cell donor, to avoid that they may bring about other possibly more dangerous or severe disorders (See also my earlier comment on Washington Post website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/comments/ display?contentID=AR2007041101736&start=41 .
What was, is, and will be the P/E value for this hES-derived blood? If it does not make an economic sense, then it will still remain in the hyping domain of science and the rescued ACT will once again in a need for another money infusion to survive.----Shi V. Liu (SVL@logibio.com; http://im1.biz; http://blog.sina.com.cn/im1)