News Snippet on Adult Stem Cells Research in Boston

News Snippet on Adult Stem Cells Research in Boston

An article from the Boston Globe reprinted in Boston.com Business describes the research being done with adult stem cells by Dr. Charles Vacanti of Brigham & Woman’s Hospital. Vacanti to chose to work with adult stem cells not only to avoid the ethical debates about embryonic stem cells but because of the fact that with stem cells taken from a patient’s own body there no risk of rejection. He also sees them as less likely to become cancerous.

Vacanti has grown pancreatic cells from adult stem cells, and has also used neural cells to help treat spinal injury in dogs. The dogs had been previously accidentally injured, rather than being deliberately injured by the researchers.