Men Potentially Carry Own Supply of Stem Cells

Ronald Bailey | September 20, 2007

Woody Allen famously quipped that his brain was his second favorite organ. Researchers have found that men may have a ready supply of stem cells in their first favorite organ, specifically, in their testes. Researchers have identified a type of stem cell in mouse testes that can be transformed into nearly any type of tissue or cells which could be used as transplants to repair damaged organs like the brain. As the Washington Post reports:

U.S. researchers say they've successfully reprogrammed adult stem cells from the testes of male mice into a wide variety of cell types, including functional blood vessels, contractile cardiac tissue, and brain cells.

If the same can be done with adult testes stem cells from humans, they may offer a source of new therapies to treat men with health problems such as heart disease, vascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and even cancer, the researchers said...

For male patients, this "could someday mean a readily available source of stem cells that gets around ethical issues linked to embryonic stem cells. It also avoids issues linked to tissue transplant rejection, since these autologous cells come from the patient's own body," said [Shahin Rafii, of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.]

The researchers will shortly try to find such cells in human testes. This morning an NPR reporter asked one of the researchers if anyone in the lab had volunteered to donate tissue for the research. He replied that they had discussed it and so far no one has put it on the line for science yet.

Whole Post article here.

Comments

Russ 2000|9.20.07 @ 11:47AM|#

You can have the stem cells from my cold, dead.... er, lemme rephrase that

SIV|9.20.07 @ 11:49AM|#

The left can ban the research as unfair to women.

The Artist Formerly Known as T|9.20.07 @ 12:11PM|#

When Hillary Care 2.0 goes into effect, mandatory stem cell donations by men are going to be required before you will be hired for a job.

|9.20.07 @ 12:24PM|#

You mean my balls might be good for something other than getting me in trouble?

VM|9.20.07 @ 12:36PM|#

GO 'WAY. 'BATIN.

errr.

PLEASE VACATE. AM CONDUCTING STEM CELL EXTRACTION RESEARCH.

dhex|9.20.07 @ 12:38PM|#

When Hillary Care 2.0 goes into effect, mandatory stem cell donations by men are going to be required before you will be hired for a job.

finally, an upside to socialized medicine.

SPD|9.20.07 @ 12:52PM|#

Great news. That is the balls.

Adam W.|9.20.07 @ 12:59PM|#

VM wins the thread.

ed|9.20.07 @ 1:20PM|#

But wouldn't those cells be tainted?

Because everything that issues|9.20.07 @ 1:31PM|#

For male patients, this "could someday mean a readily available source of stem cells that gets around ethical issues linked to embryonic stem cells."

Since of course no ethical issues have ever attached to the right ordering of reproductive forces.

VM|9.20.07 @ 1:40PM|#

ed - depends on the method you use.

if you use the underhand quasi reach around, yes, you could get some taintal contact.

However, if you use a rope and pulley system, (what I call the "hoist away, mateys!") you should be fine.

ed|9.20.07 @ 2:01PM|#

I'm sorry I asked.

VM|9.20.07 @ 2:04PM|#

had to be done.

Phillip|9.20.07 @ 2:51PM|#

Did the testes have to be removed for the stem cells to be harvested?

My brain or my balls? Now THAT is [a] question!

ed|9.20.07 @ 4:03PM|#

Did the testes have to be removed

No, just scraped a little with a sharp knife.
Totally painless (they say).

wsdave|9.20.07 @ 6:48PM|#

Adds a whole new dimention to thinking with your balls.

aaack!|9.20.07 @ 8:24PM|#

...and, subsequently, without them

|9.20.07 @ 9:21PM|#

Did the testes have to be removed

No, just scraped a little with a sharp knife.
Totally painless (they say).

Or you can just drag them over broken glass in the direction of a recent ova donor.

:)

|9.20.07 @ 10:50PM|#

Sorry VM, you were the clear winner, but Stevo just one up'd ya. ;-)

M|9.21.07 @ 4:12AM|#

= "Eggs over easy."