TORONTO (LSN.ca/CWNews.com) – A study reported in mid-March in the journal Nature was trumpeted by the media as refuting the claims of success of adult stem cell research. The new study was immediately picked up by advocates of human embryo research to lobby for funding of destructive research on human embryos. However, Naohiro Terada of the University of Florida– the lead researcher in the study– said the media had “distorted” the findings.
Media headlines declared: “Adult Cells Found Less Useful Than Embryonic Ones,” “Study Questions Usefulness of Adult Stem Cells,” “Hybrid 'Frankencells' Develop in Laboratory Tests.” However, Terada clarifies that his study did not even use human embryonic stem cells at all but only mouse embryonic stem cells. “We are using mouse ES cells alone in our lab, and no human ES cells. We are not planning to use any human ES cells in the future either.”
“I'm really afraid that our message was somehow distorted by media people,” wrote Terada. “We never said adult stem cells are no longer hopeful, nor dangerous. If someone took our message that way, that is a misinterpretation.” He explained further, “Indeed, the whole stem cell program in University of Florida is trying to prove therapeutic roles of adult stem cells (not human ES cells), and that is the central policy of our program.” The researcher hopes to “apply the knowledge obtained from mouse ES cells to a better use of human adult stem cells.”
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