What Does Rick Weiss Have Against Adult Stem Cells?

Weiss reports on yet another embryonic stem-cell project that led to the growth of cancerous tumors in its subject, in Stem Cell Work Shows Promise and Risks:

Nerve cells grown from human embryonic stem cells and injected into the brains of rats with a syndrome mimicking Parkinson's disease significantly reduced the animals' symptoms, but the treatment also caused tumors in the rodents' brains, scientists reported yesterday.

Researchers said the work showed both the potential benefits and risks of human embryonic stem cells, which have been highly touted for their capacity to replace diseased tissue but are controversial because they are derived through the destruction of human embryos.

I'd love to sit down with a little Nexis-Lexis grant to document the number of adult and cord-blood stem-cell advances and search for coverage in the Post. For the most part it's an undiscovered country. Adult Stem Cells Help Weakened Hearts, LA Times, Sept. 21. Adult stem cells used to repair non-healing bone fractures (.pdf). Italians Report Stem Cell Advances, UPI, Sept. 16:

Italian scientists have reportedly made important advances in stem-cell research, specifically for kidney and liver disease.

The researchers say the cells appear able to turn into an array of other body cells, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. The scientists said their findings were made in adults, not using embryonic stem cells.

A Florence team led by immunologist Sergio Romagnani reported identifying kidney stem cells that can help damaged kidneys repair themselves....

Scientists in Turin announced a similar discovery involving adult stem cells in livers.

"The progenitor cells identified by our team are able to differentiate into liver cells, bone cells, blood cells and even pancreatic cells that produce insulin," lead researcher Benedetta Bussolati said.

That's from quick online searches absent mega right-wing-conspiracy grant or multilayered fact-checking media. Oh well, maybe Weiss will report today's press release from the Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston:

Encouraging 12-month results from a Phase I trial investigating the injection of adult, autologous CD34+ stem cells into the hearts of patients with severe coronary artery disease will be presented for the first time at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's (CRF) eighteenth annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in Washington, D.C.  The data provide evidence that this therapy is well tolerated at this stage and that larger, Phase II clinical trials can continue in humans....

Twenty-four patients were enrolled at three centers in the United States from December 2003 through March 2005.  There were five females and 19 males with a mean age of 63.  Through the duration of the study, there were no deaths or heart attacks.  Fifteen of the 18 total Phase I study subjects who received the cells reported feeling better with reductions in chest pain and/or improved exercise capacity.

Leading to more research. And not leading to tumors.