More exciting news from the world of science:
"Researchers have discovered cells that continually replenish leukemia tumors. Killing these infinitely renewing cells could be key to halting the disease"
"Isolating these so-called cancer stem cells paves the way for creation of drugs to target them. Specifically destroying leukemia's stem cells -- the source of the cancer -- could eliminate the disease better than treatments that randomly kill cancer cells"
As with many such studies, it once again reopens the embryonic stem cell debate:
"The promise of this line of research can only be realized, Weissman said, by studying adult stem cells as well as embryonic stem cells, which are controversial because an early embryo is destroyed when researchers remove stem cells from it. While in this study volunteers could provide samples, that won't be the case for all types of disease. An alternative is to take the stem cells from embryos that carry a genetic defect for specific diseases."
"'There are whole areas of tissues you can't get at, but which human embryonic stem cells almost certainly will develop daily,' Weissman said"
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