| Recent discoveries about the role of stem | | | | problem. Interviewed by Vision Magazine at |
| cells in cancer have altered the landscape of | | | | the Stem Cells World Congress earlier this |
| cancer research, says Medical News Today. | | | | year in La Jolla, California, veterinarian |
| There is, however, a long-running | | | | and CEO of Vet-Stem, Robert Harmon, explained |
| philosophical rift over stem cell research at | | | | how his company is currently providing stem |
| both the state and federal levels. Some | | | | cell therapies for animals. Injected into an |
| groups would rather focus on adult stem cell | | | | injury or degenerated tissue, the stem cell |
| research, avoiding the moral and ethical | | | | treatment evokes healing in unprecedented |
| questions about research involving embryos. | | | | ways. As it has been since its discovery |
| While ethical debate on human embryonic stem | | | | almost 400 years ago, the cell and the "vital |
| cells will continue, much more is occurring | | | | force" that makes it the seat of biological |
| on the rings surrounding this bull's-eye | | | | life continues to hold attention. It is |
| issue, including research in both drug | | | | likely that there will be no end to the moral |
| development and adult stem cells. Biologists' | | | | and ethical questions and investigations. |
| understanding of new sources and uses of | | | | Today's new age of molecular understanding, |
| adult and nonembryonic stem cells is | | | | genomics, proteomics, gene splicing and |
| advancing rapidly. Called "niches" or | | | | bioengineering is barely underway. It is not |
| "crypts," it seems that almost anyplace one | | | | surprising, then, that the more we know, the |
| looks in the body (nose, eye, hair follicle, | | | | more we recognize how little we understand. |
| intestine, bone marrow, central nervous | | | | The timeline of discovery has been |
| system), stem cells are being found. From | | | | exponential: from discovery of the DNA double |
| such basic knowledge, it has been reported | | | | helix in 1953, and the understanding of the |
| that successful animal and human therapy | | | | genetic code, gene splicing and cell |
| using patient stem cells is already | | | | differentiation in the 60s, 70s and 80s, |
| occurring. As more stem cell crypts are | | | | science rapidly jumped up the learning curve |
| discovered, the desire to understand how to | | | | to the cloning of whole organisms and the |
| manipulate them within the body only becomes | | | | discovery of embryonic stem cells less than a |
| more acute. At the 2007 Annual Meeting of the | | | | decade ago. The future possibilities for the |
| American Association for Cancer Research, | | | | application of this knowledge seem enormous. |
| researchers presented new discoveries about | | | | Read the full article about Stem Cell |
| stem cells in leukemia, breast and colon | | | | Research and interviews with speakers at the |
| cancer that add to the growing evidence that | | | | Stem Cells World Conference at Vision.org. |
| perhaps cancer is, fundamentally, a stem cell | | | | |