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Is it just me or is anyone else concerned about the dangers of implanting human stem cells into animals? This is aside from the normal stem cell debate and not concerned with cloning human organs and not concerned with transplanting organs between species. Isn't there a concern about transplanting cells that can turn into anything based on their surroundings between species? Doesn't anyone think there is danger here? Would like to hear from the medical community regarding this. I'm no expert but this is a big red flag to me. Regards Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Cottingham" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 9:12 PM Subject: Technion researchers build 1st stem cell "pacemaker" > The source of this article is Globes Online: http://tinyurl.com/3klyv > > Technion researchers build 1st stem cell "pacemaker" > > The cells helped correct a defective heart rate in a pig's heart. > > David Hayoun 26 Sep 04 18:41 > > In its Internet edition published today, prestigious journal "Nature Biotechnology" reports that researchers from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology have built a biological pacemaker by transplanting cells with pacemaker properties. > Together with his laboratory team, Prof. Lior Gepstein MD of the Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Institute of Medical Sciences at the Technion Faculty of Medicine created heart cells out of human fetal stem cells, which he implanted in a pig's heart. The pig previously underwent treatment to artificially slow its heart rate. The implanted tissues partially corrected the resulting defective heart rate by in effect constituting a biological pacemaker. > > "The human stem cells fit in well with the activity of the pig's heart," Geptstein said, adding, "Our experiments indicate the potential of human stem cells for correcting heart defects." > > The researchers propose using cell therapy as a tool for assisting current electronic pacemakers. > > Rappaport Institute dean Dr. Rafael Beyar said, that this was the first time that researchers anywhere had constructed beating heart tissue out of fetal stem cells, and implanted them in a pig's heart. > > Geptstein is also a radiologist at the Rambam Medical Center. > > Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on September 26, 2004 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn