Controversial research to retrieve neural stem cells from human fetuses may become a thing of the past. Research data presented to the Society for Neuroscience in New Orleans this past weekend claims that harvesting stem cells, which promise treatments for currently incurable brain ailments and spinal cord injuries, may be far easier to obtain from adult tissues than previously thought.
The study by researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey shows that stem cells isolated from adult bone marrow can convert into neurons quickly and can be grown in almost unlimited supply.
This is good news to pro-life groups, which have fought to keep aborted fetuses from becoming the primary source for neural stem cells.
Related Links:
• Adult Tissue Can Yield Stem Cells, Researchers Say - LA Times.com