Scientists study the uses of adult stem cells research

A new dissertation says that the study of both the embryonic and adult stem cells benefits the medical science but banning either one of them can have a negative impact on the other. The scientists from Stanford University, Michigan University and Mayo clinic Rochester in Minnesota did a research few weeks ago. They studied whether the large number of studies done on certain adult cells types can change the overall research course. About two thousand research papers were investigated regarding uses of adult stem cells and it was found that adult cells do not replace the embryonic stem cells during the research. They analyzed that disruption in finding of any of the two would have adverse affect on the overall stem cell investigation.

As per the National Science Foundation (NSF), Science and Innovation policy Program Director, Julia Lane, the study is significant as it examines the co-authorship network of stem cell articles and then uses them for understanding the connection between both the complimentary research areas. This sounds interesting as the technique it uses is the new analytical one that enhances the knowledge regarding the policy implementation in an area affecting the scientific research in another field. The research was however published in the Journal Cell on the 9^th June 2011.

A sociologist in Michigan University, Jason Owen Smith says that the benefits of stem cells in using both types of cells in case of the comparative study are higher. He discovered that the knowledge behind the adult cells can be reprogrammed that are known as human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Even after their easy availability, they are still in the world of infancy. This is why the hiPSCs are not capable for an easy solution to the ethical questions associated with the embryonic stem cells research. These pluripotent cells are those that can differentiate into any tissue. Thus the human embryonic stem cells or simply embryonic stem cells are also known as pluripotent.

The research papers examined were of the years 1998 to 2010. It was found that the ratio of papers showing uses of adult and embryonic stem cells both was growing rapidly rather than those using adult cells simply. In 2008 where only 5.1 percent papers reported the use of adult cells and three among them used both. While in the year of 2010 about 28 percent did study on both cell technologies and 62.1 combined the use of both cell lines. This study further demonstrates that the two types of cells have become so interconnected that denial of funding of anyone of them would affect the stem cell research of the other.

If the research on stem cells taken from the human embryo is stopped, then they would have a negative impact on the study of adult stem cells. Further, adding to this the bioethicist, Christopher Scott of University of Stanford said that it might happen that it would never be possible to select one out of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent as no one knows which of the cell type is perfect for such stem cell treatments. The whole idea is to understand the impact of decisions of the policy on science as the study proves that both cells are complementary.