Stem Cells and Cancer

[Johnny Pneumatic]

Do embryonic stem cells become tumors in the body? My BS meter went off when I heard this. Basically can they live up to the hype they are given in the news?

Also, one thing I don't get is why don't scientists grow all they need in bio vats on a farm? HeLa cells are still going and will continue to exist as long as humans don't destroy them; and this is highly unlikely. This would remove all the damn controversy from Right Wing nutters.

 

[Dr. Imago]

Do embryonic stem cells become tumors in the body? My BS meter went off when I heard this. Basically can they live up to the hype they are given in the news?

Well, first off, where did you hear this? Whomever from wherever you heard this may be confusing this with a teratoma, a very interesting type of malignant growth that is a type of germ cell tumor that has pluripotent features.

Also, one thing I don't get is why don't scientists grow all they need in bio vats on a farm? HeLa cells are still going and will continue to exist as long as humans don't destroy them; and this is highly unlikely. This would remove all the damn controversy from Right Wing nutters.

HeLa cells are from one specific cancer tumor, from a patient named Henrietta Lacks who died decades ago, and are used in anti-cancer models because they have retained the feature of immortality (i.e, they can be cultured). These are not good cells to do anything other than cancer research on. Very different from pluripotent stem cells.

So, nice idea, but won't fly.

-TT