My favourite Poowoomba Doc.

Blood, 1 September 2006, Vol. 108, No. 5, pp. 1515-1523.
Prepublished online

Human embryonic stem cells are a promising tool to study events associated with the earliest ontogenetic stages of hematopoiesis. We describe the generation of erythroid cells from hES (H1) by subsequent processing of cells present at early and late stages of embryoid body (EB) differentiation. Kinetics of hematopoietic marker emergence suggest that CD45+ hematopoiesis peaks at late D14EB differentiation stages, although low-level CD45- erythroid differentiation can be seen before that stage. By morphologic criteria, hES-derived erythroid cells were of definitive type, but these cells both at mRNA and protein levels coexpressed high levels of embryonic () and fetal () globins, with little or no adult globin (). This globin expression pattern was not altered by the presence or absence of fetal bovine serum, vascular endothelial growth factor, Flt3-L, or coculture with OP-9 during erythroid differentiation and was not culture time dependent. The coexpression of both embryonic and fetal globins by definitive-type erythroid cells does not faithfully mimic either yolk sac embryonic or their fetal liver counterparts. Nevertheless, the high frequency of erythroid cells coexpressing embryonic and fetal globin generated from embryonic stem cells can serve as an invaluable tool to further explore molecular mechanisms.

"an invaluable tool to further explore molecular mechanisms" science Dr David not psuedo-christain ethics.

It’s great to read Dr van Gend arguing for scientific integrity in the therapeutic cloning debate.

And surprising too, since here http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=3914 he argued that the use of RU486 should be determined by non-scientists, and here http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2271 he misused the work of Dr Robert Spitzer http://www.ralliance.org/SpitzerStudy.html to argue against equal rights for gays and lesbians.

Here http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4033 in response to the Lockhart Committee’s recommendation that therapeutic cloning be allowed under strict supervision, van Gend again pleaded for our non-scientist parliamentary representatives to decide.

Maybe today’s article is a sign that van Gend has moved to a position that the scientific merits of an issue should be decisive.

Or maybe he’s still just cherry-picking – pushing for issues to be decided in the forums (and to the criteria) most likely to deliver the outcome he wants.

In either case, you’ve got to ask yourself if the OLO editor was being just a little bit ironic in giving this article the header “Charlatans of science.”

Steve, I get the point, but the details of the abstract you’ve posted need a bit of explaining to my uninitiated head, and I suspect I’m not alone in this.

Hmmm, "Further explore molecular tools".

This tends to make me think that research on embryonic Stem Cell could lead to the development of natural amino acids and therefore human protiens - certain ones being responsible for conditions like alzheimers. Imagine a pill (or more likely an injection) that could deliver proteins that would reverse or even cure this condition.

On the downside, Australia is signatory to the Helsinki protocol, whose main manefesto is the Nuremburg Code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Code). It seems you can abort a zygote but not then put it to greater good.

A quote attributed to Professor Colin Masters “Professor Colin Masters, Australia’s leading authority on degenerative diseases of the brain, dismissed as “fairyland” any proposal for stem cell therapy in Alzheimer’s.”

Such absolute statements always remind me of the saying

“We do not know what we do not know”

Whilst I have no commercial or material interest in Alzheimer’s disease, no debilitated relatives or friends and a very strong likely hood of expiring from something other that dementia, I would observe, it is an essentially a very arrogant man who can determine that, based on his own lack of research, anything can be deemed “fairyland” - I think the Pope said something similar to Galileo regarding the earth, the sun and what circled around which.

It sounds like the anti-stem cell brigade (or what ever name you care to give this particular vested interest group) sense their divine right to research funds is under threat.

There are 65 papers on human embryonic stem cells and Alzheimers. Peer reviewed and published in reputable journals. In fact using a mouse model and mouse embryonic cells alzheimers has been reversed.

Of course this does not corellate to a cure for alzheimers but it is certainly a field of research that should be persued.

It really doesn't matter, the US allows this kind of research (the US Federal Govt. will not fund it). Singapore has become the world centre for researchers and their Govt. does fund it.

No Nobel Prizes for Aussies in stem cells, remember when H-Pylori had nothing to do with ulcers and HPV had nothing to do with cervical cancer?

David your views are yours to express but please do not hide behind this crud, why not come out and say "I don't like human embryonic research" then we would not have to read between the lines.

David van Gend speaks the truth when he says that Altzheimers and like-minded diseases will not be cured by embryo stem cell research. Adult stem cells have successfully treated more that 70 diseases so why not concentrate energy on where the action is? From a purely economic view-point American companies are financially supporting adult stem cell research. Why do we always lag behind and support what has already been found wanting in other countries?
We see these poor people misled into believing that ESC's will cure everything known when the researchers are well aware that they want this research legalised to MAKE MONEY - not cure the ill! That's where the state Premiers are coming from too.