Stem cells from fat used to repair girl's skull

[madokie]

Doctors report damaged bone grew back after surgery

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6727466/

Surgeons have used stem cells from fat to help repair skull damage in a 7-year-old girl in Germany, in what’s apparently the first time such fat-derived cells have been exploited to grow bone in a human.

The girl had been injured two years before in a fall, which destroyed several areas of her skull totaling nearly 19 square inches, the German researchers reported.

Other surgeons had failed to correct the defects, and the girl wore a protective helmet. Her brain could sometimes be seen pulsating through the missing areas of her skull.

But several weeks after the stem-cell surgery, she was able to leave her helmet behind, the researchers report in the December issue of the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery. The skull is now smooth to the touch, the missing parts replaced by thin but solid bone, said Dr. Hans-Peter Howaldt of the Justus-Liebig-University Medical School in Giessen, Germany. The child was not identified.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Wow. Just wow.

I am assuming the fat is from the patient?

[madokie]

3. me too. another reminder of what we have been missing out on

by having a trained monkey in the whitehouse. you can teach 'em about anything except be smart.

[Igel]

4. Except that this kind of research isn't in the least restricted.

It's eligible to be federally funded, if conducted in the US.

Remember the catch-phrase: "**embryonic** stem cells". Such research had restricted federal funding (--> some federal funding, for certain lines of stem cells). All such research continued to be legal, however, and private funding was forthcoming. I personally know a guy doing embryonic stem cell research on unapproved lines of stem cells: private funding.

I'm not sure of the funding status for fetal stem cell research, if such research can receive federal funding. But all other stem cell rearch is funded without any restriction other than the worthiness of the project.

In fact, fundies would love this article. It's precisely one of the kinds of stem cell research that they posed as an alternative to embryonic stem cells, and one that they--and *--backed whole-heartedly. It's just that it's not only US researchers that think it's worthwhile. On the other hand, researchers have known for a number of years that adult stem cells found in in fat tissue can reliably be used to grow bone.

[FedUpWithIt All]

7. New research on...

placental and amniotic stem cells is proving very successful. The stem cells harvested are very similar to those of embryonic lines but so far have been showing less likelihood for tumors, which are a problem with embryonic stem cells.

My wish is that they would more actively research these lines. It would by-pass the ethical complaints of many and therefore increase the likelihood of effective treatments being found. Less ethical arguments, more treatments found.

[flyarm]

2. THIS STORY IS ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD BUT A GREAT STORY

i remember reading this in european papers approx 2 years ago ..and i was interested in it as a friend of mine had a granddaughter born with a birth defect...i begged my friend to take her granddaughter to germany..

but this is such great news and advancement of stem cell research..and application!!

thank you for posting ,people need to be aware that the research is going on in other nations!!

fly

[Lurking Dem]

5. I'm starting to find it interesting

all these stories lately involving adult stem cell advances.

I mean, I think it is VERY cool. But 2 year old stories? Leaves me wondering.

[Greyhound]

6. This is indicative, to me, of exactly what is wrong with us, as a culture.

On the rare occasion that I see one of these stories in the amerikan press, I get a little spurt of optimism and then I realize that hardily any of my countrymen are reading this and, thanks to our native anti-intellectualism, even fewer care.

If we could somehow get the sheeple to understand how powerful this knowledge is, how many lives could be saved and what incredible advances are within our reach now, if only the ignorant and superstitious would set aside their prejudice, or merely keep their noses out of others business, they would demand that this technology be made a national priority.

Once our understanding is, more or less, complete, undifferentiated stem cells could well make virtual immortality a reality. It might take 50 years or it might take 5, but as long as we torture this issue with politics we (as in the U.S.) will be relegated to standing on the sideline, watching the rest of the world move into the future while we are left clinging to our pathetic mythology and nescience.

[Tellurian]

8. Geeze, ya think Bush would volunteer for Stem Cell therapy..

transplanted Stem cells may be able to manufacture
missing Brain Cells Bush pickled during his alcoholic years.

Nah...on second thought, there ain't enough cells left to make a donation!