About Diabetes
Complications
Warning Signs
Screening Test
Donate Now
E-Lerts™
Index
Latest News
Diabetes Terms
Health & Fitness
Online Press Center
Britain Opens World's First Stem Cell Bank
posted 05/29/04
The world's first embryonic stem cell bank opened in Britain
on Wednesday, breaking new ground in one of the most controversial areas of
medical research.
The bank aims to store and supply stem cell lines for research and ultimately
for treatment of conditions like diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
disease. Its store of stem cells is expected to number tens of thousands.
But opponents say such research is unethical and have condemned the bank. The
first two stem cell lines, developed by separate teams of scientists in Britain,
will be deposited at the bank in Hertfordshire, southern England, which promises
to help scientists explore treatments for currently incurable diseases.
"This potentially revolutionary research could benefit thousands of patients
whose lives are blighted by devastating diseases," Health Minister Lord Warner
said in a statement.
The bank puts Britain into conflict with pro-life campaigners and with the
United States government, where President George W. Bush issued an executive
order in August 2001 limiting federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research.
Anti-abortion groups argue that the bank is unethical because the extraction of
stem cells from human embryos violates the human rights of the embryos. "It
ultimately trivialises human life by creating embryos - which mark the very
beginnings of the quality of human life - and effectively turning them into
pharmaceutical products," said Patrick Cosworth of the anti-abortion group Life.
"So-called therapeutic cloning is something which we feel is unethical,
unnecessary and very dangerous," he told BBC radio.
The bank will be funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. "Stem cell research
offers real promise for the treatment of currently incurable diseases,"
Professor Colin Blakemore, Chief Executive of the MRC, said in a statement. "The
bank will ensure that researchers can explore the enormous potential of this
exciting science for the future benefit of patients."
The bank's first two stem cell lines were developed separately by researchers at
King's College London and the Centre for Life in Newcastle, northern England.
Source: Diabetes In Control.com.
|
|
|
To be sure and come back to keep up with all the
Latest News and important information for diabetics - and to remind
yourself to manage and control your diabetes, click the yellow link
below
to add a small icon of our Defeat Diabetes® "Torch"
logo to your desktop. All you need to do after that is
click on the "Torch" to open our website.
Remember, we're here for you!
Translate this page into Spanish using FreeTranslation.com. © Copyright 2001 - 2004, Defeat Diabetes Foundation, Inc., All Rights Reserved |
We
subscribe to the HONcode principles