all they do with most of the cord blood, and the rest is throw it away. Why isn't it recognized or studied?
2006-10-27 11:47:32 · 4 answers · asked by NANCY K 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
As noted already, stem cells are harvested from umbilical cord blood. There are probably a couple of reasons why there is emphasis on the use of embryonic cells for stem cell work.
One is that researchers and medical treatment facilities are not dependent on the availability of women giving birth. An extension of this is whether sufficient amounts of stem cells could be harvested. Also, how viable would these stem cells be in terms of reproduction?
Another is that by using embryonic stem cell lines, you can exert greater control over the genetic basis of those lines. This means that researchers can use solid baselines to evaluate the means of using stem cells to address specific tissue types.
Your question illustrates how perception can color opinion. The preference for one or the other is likely to be affected by one's belief as to when the label "human" can be applied to an organism.
2006-10-27 12:01:23 · answer #1 · answered by eriurana 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
There are different types of stem cells. The earlier a cell is in embryonic development, the more types of cells it can become. Cord blood has stem cells, but they have already differenciated. They can only become certain cells, not any cells. So they are good, but not great.
2006-10-27 15:54:14 · answer #2 · answered by lizettadf 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cord blood is used for stem cell harvesting and has been for years. I dont know why you would assume otherwise.
2006-10-27 11:49:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
so what do you suggest be done with the unused unneeded unwanted IVF embryos?
500,000 frozen embryos left in stasis?
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/...
2006-10-27 11:52:55 · answer #4 · answered by rwl_is_taken 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋