Adult Stem Cells

Over at The Corner, they're all aflutter over a Journal of the American Medical Association article discussing the possibility of an adult stem cell breakthrough in treating Type I (early onset) diabetes. Sounds great, right?

I guess we should probably take a look at this amazing treatment before casting judgement. First the patient, usually a child, takes a massive dose of chemotherapy along with antibiotics, then the patient goes through that ever so pleasant bone marrow withdraw, which I guess is stripped down to the adult stems cells which are then injected intravenously.

For this horrible ordeal the patient then typically could go a couple of years without insulin. (Later results may prove to last longer.)

Now, you have to ask yourself, who the hell would put their child through this to avoid something that can be treated with a pump? Moreover, who did put their children through this procedure so that the study could take place. It certainly wasn't American children, that study would have never gotten approval in the US.

Instead the study was conducted on Brazilian children, probably indigent, most likely participating for a check, some as young as fourteen.

We are positive that Mengele is dead, right? Remember. Trust, but verify.