Monday, May 07, 2007

Embryonic stem cells can repair eyes, company says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stem cells made from human embryos can home in on damaged eyes, hearts and arteries of mice and rats, and appear to start repairs, a U.S. company said on Monday.

Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology said it had devised a straightforward way to make blood vessel precursor cells out of the stem cells and plans to test them in humans.

"We figured out how to produce literally billions of so-called 'hemangioblasts'...," Dr. Robert Lanza, vice president of research and scientific development at ACT, said in an e-mail.

After reading the article, I'm almost convincd that Lanza and his company hold the keys to "everlasting life" (this is sarcasm, folks):

"...they have incredible reparative potential."

Embryonic stem cells are the ultimate master cell of the body...

They directed the stem cells into becoming what they believe are hemangioblasts...

"The cells are really smart, and amazingly, knew not to do anything in uninjured eyes."

"...showed remarkable reparative capacity in animals..."

"If the same thing works in humans ..."

...the company wanted to test the cells in people...

"We also have studies underway indicating that the cells can also considerably accelerate wound healing, repair lung damage, and can even generate unlimited amounts of red blood cells for transfusion."

Science gone mad...They hope to have permission for human test subjects by year's end...


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