Fat from liposuction as a source of stem cells – could this solve our health care and economic problems?
If we could harvest fat as a source of stem cells, then we may have just found the next big American cash crop. Because one thing we do have in abundance in America is fat! And we solve global health issues since stem cells show great promise in treating cancer, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, muscle damage, and other impairments and conditions.
Think this is too good to be true. Read on…
Recent studies from Stanford University and the Proceedings of the National Academy for Sciences (http://www.pnas.org/) report that human fat cells sucked out during liposuction are proving to be good candidates for stem cells. This keeps with the trend in stem cell research toward techniques that do not involve using human embryos.
Embryonic stem cell research has been a political hot potato because anti-abortionist clam that harvesting stem cells from human embryos is like an abortion. So while radio talk show hosts and basic cable pundits boosted their ratings by yelling about embryos, stem cell research funding stalled and the millions who could benefit from the most promising medical breakthrough in modern history continued to suffer and die.
Stem cell researchers re-focused their attention on other sources such as adult skin tissue (called adult stem cell research). And while this sidestepped the embryo debate, these techniques have proven difficult to produce to stem cells. But recent research on fat cells suggests that “lipo leftovers” are more easily coaxed into stem cells than other non-embryonic sources.
If pay dirt for stem cells is fat, then we can solve our American economic woes and fix our ailing heath care industry. All we have to do is setup a global market for fat as the source of stem cells. Then we do what us Americans do best – eat! Then we get fat, sell our fat, get rich, eat more, and get fatter, and so on…
If this isn’t the American Dream our forefathers fought and died for, then I don’t know what is! (Laughing and kidding…sorta)
Okay, so I’m having a little fun. But seriously, if fat from lipo can help promote the promise of stem cell research and help bring healing to those who are hurting, I am all for it! Eat-up!
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