Chalk up one more re…

Chalk up one more reason to avoid embryonic stem cells.

Researchers have isolated stem cells from human skin and coaxed them into becoming fat, muscle and bone cells.

Stem cells are able to become any type of tissue. Harvesting of stem cells from embryos has been highly controversial, so researchers have looked for alternatives that, while not as useful, might fulfill some needs.

The new study, detailed today in the journal Stem Cells and Development, is among the first to actually show the ability of a single adult stem cell to become multiple tissue types.

“These cells should provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for organs as well,” said Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and senior researcher on the project. “Because these cells are taken from a patient’s own skin, there would not be problems with organ or tissue rejection.”

Yet folks are falling all over themselves trying to make abortions less objectionable by suggesting that it can be used for a good cause, even though adult stem cells are already being used successfully.

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