Comments on: Reality Check

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:48:01 +0000

The process is a concern, as you say, Michael. The method they use to “flip the switches” may be as dangerous as underlying condition, and possibly more dangerous long-term.

The devil is always in the details, Jams. People build up hopes, and then there’s a crash. We are moving forward, but we need to broaden the front so we don’t miss anything. We know that a lot of diseases are caused by some failure in the development of the embryo, not simply by inheriting “bad genes”, so we need to know a whole lot more about the process before we find out about the problems after treating people.

By: jams o donnell

jams o donnell — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:57:01 +0000

Quiite right Bryan. This research is potentially great news BUT we have a hell of a lot to understand about the workings of embryo cells. Before we know an awful lot more about the way they work, this could be yet another false dawn. I hope the new discovery can meet expectations , I really do.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 08:00:13 +0000

I declined to participate in earlier gene replacement protocols, which used a modified mouse leukemia viral vector. Unfortunately it didn’t work very well either, the patients either didn’t have a benefit or a short lived one, and there were complications… The risk of cancer by this route is enormous.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 07:58:16 +0000

Stem cell technology may eventually allow new genes to be safely inserted, which could cure my condition and remove my dependence on orphan drug enzyme that costs … quite a bit. And there are many others like me and who have other conditions that this can cure.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:41:20 +0000

One of the things I worry about in reading this stuff is, what if it isn’t just the particular genes that are turned on or off, but the sequence in which it’s done that determines what a stem cell becomes. You can’t know that unless you can trace the normal development of a stem cell.

If the research is valid, the skin cell process opens the way for production, but it may not be best or final answer. You can’t shut down research until you know.

By: hipparchia

hipparchia — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:12:14 +0000

not to mention that if it doesn’t work, we’re back at square one, this time without anything to fall back on should we get stampeded into stopping research on embryonic stem cells.