Sunday, August 07, 2005
De leg bone connected to de womb bone....
A fairly large discovery in the realm of stem cells. [From 6 Aug paper issue of New Scientist; I don't see it in the online edition.]
Women have long been told that they are born with a fixed number of eggs that eventually run out, triggering the menopause. But now it seems that there may be a way for a woman to replenish her egg stocks. More surprising still is where this egg recharge comes from: stem cells lodged in the bone marrow. If the researchers can show that these bone-marrow-derived eggs can be fertilised and produce healthy offspring, the implications for fertility treatment are huge.
The theory is that germ-line stem cells in the marrow make immature germ cells, which travel through the bloodstream until they hit the ovary, which grabs them and nurtures them into eggs.
Implications for cloning and stem cell research are also huge; if you can develop an egg from bone marrow, you don't need to harvest "genuine" eggs that were "intended" to become actual humans. No zero-sum game, in other words. It will be interesting to watch the ethicists juggling this one.
Hmm... wasn't there something about this in a considerably earlier journal? Something about ribs developing into humans? ¶ 10:30 AM
Women have long been told that they are born with a fixed number of eggs that eventually run out, triggering the menopause. But now it seems that there may be a way for a woman to replenish her egg stocks. More surprising still is where this egg recharge comes from: stem cells lodged in the bone marrow. If the researchers can show that these bone-marrow-derived eggs can be fertilised and produce healthy offspring, the implications for fertility treatment are huge.
The theory is that germ-line stem cells in the marrow make immature germ cells, which travel through the bloodstream until they hit the ovary, which grabs them and nurtures them into eggs.
Implications for cloning and stem cell research are also huge; if you can develop an egg from bone marrow, you don't need to harvest "genuine" eggs that were "intended" to become actual humans. No zero-sum game, in other words. It will be interesting to watch the ethicists juggling this one.
Hmm... wasn't there something about this in a considerably earlier journal? Something about ribs developing into humans? ¶ 10:30 AM
