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The source of this article is The Daily Bruin: http://tinyurl.com/4xgs5 Stem cell lines not ready for humans ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- By Jeyling Chou DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF [log in to unmask] Embryonic stem cell lines that have been federally approved for research may be contaminated by the animal cells used to culture them, according to a study released last week. These contaminated stem cell lines, 22 in total, cannot be applied therapeutically because the foreign particles would trigger rejection by the human immune system. The findings, published by scientists from UC San Diego and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., confirmed the belief of many stem cell researchers that culture techniques may provide obstacles to clinical use of the current federally approved lines. Embryonic stem cells are cultured in media and nutrients derived from mice, calves and other animals. Therapeutic application of embryonic stem cells, however, is still several years of research away. "It isn't surprising that there would be some issues with the existing lines in terms of their clinical utility," said Jerome Zack, a professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics and associate director of the UCLA AIDS Institute. "It was pretty obvious we couldn't use these cells clinically even if there was a therapeutic application now," said Zack, who is researching the use of stem cells for HIV treatment. The study confirmed that human stem cells have the ability to pick up these foreign molecules. The current state of stem cell research, however, is far from the point where stem cells could be injected into a human patient for the potential treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes. "Regulations require strict processing of all biologics that are going to go into humans," Zack said. "These cells are not being cultured that way now so they would not be useful clinically without major changes in culture procedures." "The reality of it is it really doesn't affect the man on the street because these cells are not ready for clinical use," Zack said. "In the grand scheme of things there isn't a net loss to the potential for stem cells, we just have to rethink whether the presidential approved lines would be suitable use for humans," he added, referring to the federally approved lines. Currently, over 60 researchers at UCLA are investigating the potential of stem cells to treat neurological disorders, regenerate tissue, and treat other diseases. "Right now the majority of UCLA researchers doing stem cell research are interested in fundamental issues rather than carrying into treatment," said Harley Kornblum, an assistant professor in molecular and medical pharmacology and pediatrics in the UCLA School of Medicine. Kornblum is currently investigating the use of neural stem cells in neurological repair and regeneration, and has been an active supporter of stem cell research on the UCLA campus. "I think there will be very little impact of this work on UCLA research except to underscore the need for the development of new lines," Kornblum said. The foreign animal molecules can be eliminated from already contaminated cell lines if they are cultured under careful conditions in human serum for several weeks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn