Why Tooth Banking Might Just Be The Next Wave In Stem Cell Research – UPROXX

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Uproxx knows that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines are driving the future of this planet forward. Every day, we see new ideas, fresh innovations, and bold trailblazers in these fields. Follow us this month as we highlight how STEM is shaping the culture of NOW.

Placentas, umbilical cords pretty much anything that comes out of a womans body is awesome in science speak. Stem cells are the master cells of the body, just waiting to help you out when you get sick. Theyre your own personal repair kit, but, like anything, time kind of screws them up. They become damaged or mutated thanks to environmental factors and the aging process and one day, they lose their incredible healing abilities altogether.

The good news is, science has finally tapped into the potential of stem cell research and, in doing so, scientists have found a solution for all that wasted power: babies. Yes, babies are disgusting blobs that poop, eat, and slobber their parents to an early grave, but those little devils also just happen to have a whole army of brand new stem cells still in their original packaging. The key is to get them before they sell out. (Im starting to equate body parts with consumerism and its getting creepy so Ill stop now.)

Placenta blood, placenta tissue, and cord blood are three sources of stem cells doctors are urging new parents to consider saving after the mom gives birth. They provide a range of cool benefits from treating certain forms of cancer to helping people heal from spinal cord injuries and they can be cryogenically frozen to help a body out whenever it needs some extra healing power. And yes, some people do eat them. Google it, there are recipes.

But while the placenta party has been raging for a while now, theres a new method of extracting stem cells that can be done all the way up into a persons teen years, and all it takes is a quick trip to the dentist. Tooth banking has become the latest way people are choosing to cryogenically secure their gene sequence.

In 2013, Songtao Shi, a dentist, was researching regenerative dentistry in a lab when Shi witnessed something extraordinary. He discovered that when you get a cavity, the dentin the inner, hard layer of your tooth that protects the nerve and pulp from exposure builds up. Basically, your tooth tries to protect itself by making more organic matter.

This led Shi to conclude that stem cells did, in fact, exist in teeth. A bit more study found that while stem cells in adult molars were able to create more dentin which is great if you want to re-grow lost teeth instead of paying a fortune for an implant baby teeth, or SHED cells (stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth) contained a whole different set of code.

While cord blood and placenta tissue contain Hematopoietic stem cells which have been used for decades to treat over 80 different diseases, SHED cells contain mesenchymal stem cells which differentiate into nerve cells as well as bone, cartilage, muscle, and fat. Cord blood contains mesenchymal stem cells too, but according to Shis research, SHED cells were able to create something unusual, dentin osteogenic material a material thats not quite dentin, not quite bone but full of possibilities like the ability to reconstruct bone.

Extracting dental stem cells is a complicated and sensitive process. First, the soft tissue has to be extracted, then it has to be disinfected (spoiler alert: your mouth is a cesspool of germs). Scientists then drill through the enamel and dentin to get to the pulp of the tooth where all the stem cells like to hide out. They take the pulp out, digest it with an enzyme, and culture the cells.

Its a lot of work, but the payoff is huge. Even tiny bits of dental pulp can carry hundreds of millions of stem cells.

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Why Tooth Banking Might Just Be The Next Wave In Stem Cell Research - UPROXX

Stem Cell Research in Hair Loss – Financial Tribune

Researchers at Royan Institute have taken a step towards stem cell treatment of hair loss through laboratory studies on rats. Dermal papillas are small ridges at the surface of the skin, and in the scalp, which provide oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles so that healthy new hair may grow. Epithelial stem cells(EpSCs) in thehairfollicle helpin normal hairfollicle growth cycle.Any damage to these cells is the main cause of hair loss. Researchers at the institute Irans leading center for stem cell research conducted experiments in which they cultivated dermal papilla and epithelial stem cellsextracted from the human scalp in laboratory conditions, Mehr News Agency reported. In the research, around 15 laboratory rats were divided into three groups: one received dermal papilla, the second simultaneously received both dermal papilla and epithelial stem cells, and the third (control group) did not receive any cells. Results published in the institutes Cell Journal showed that hair growth occurred in the two groups receiving cells, but in the group receiving both kinds of cells, the hair growth was more tangible and visible to the naked eye. It was also revealed that transplantation of stem cells effective on hair growth can cause hair growth in hairless rats. With further research and better understanding of hair growth mechanism in humans, researchers may find effective ways to treat hair loss, the institute said.

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Stem Cell Research in Hair Loss - Financial Tribune

Investment is in the blood for stem cell futurists – Financial Times – Financial Times

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Investment is in the blood for stem cell futurists - Financial Times Financial Times Disorders treated by the technology have increased from 27 in 2005 to 82 today. Global Stem Cell Umbilical Cord Blood Market Research Report ...Monotone Critic Why More Jewish Parents Are Banking Cord Blood - JewishLink of ...Jewish Link of New Jersey Stem Cell Banking Market Dynamics, Forecast, Analysis and Supply ...Green Mountain Outlook all 4 news articles »

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Investment is in the blood for stem cell futurists - Financial Times - Financial Times

Longeveron to receive Grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research … – PR Newswire (press release)

MIAMI, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Longeveron announced receiving a $750,000 grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) to continue groundbreaking stem cell research. Longeveron, a Miami based regenerative medicine company, will partner with the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University to conduct a clinical trial for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare and often fatal condition in infants caused by an underdeveloped heart.

According to Dr. Sunjay Kaushal, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at University of Maryland, and Site Investigator on this award, "We anticipate that the HLHS trial may be a game changing procedure to improve the ventricular performance for these HLHS babies that will improve their outcomes and allow them to live longer lives."

The MSCRF was established by the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006 to accelerate research using human stem cells and advance medical treatment. In a May 10 news release, Rabbi Avram Reisner, Chair of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission noted, "The awards announced are the first in our new Accelerating Cure initiative. They represent some of the most advanced regenerative medicine projects that are being undertaken. These awardees are at the leading edge of medical innovation and exemplify the purpose and mission of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund."

Longeveron Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer, Joshua M. Hare, M.D., who will serve as the Principal Investigator on this award stated, "Longeveron is honored to receive this competitive award from MSCRF to continue this important research to treat this life-threatening condition affecting infants."

About Longeveron Longeveron is a regenerative medicine therapy company founded in 2014. Longeveron's goal is to provide the first of its kind biological solution for aging-related diseases, and is dedicated to developing safe cell-based therapeutics to revolutionize the aging process and improve quality of life. The company's research focus areas include Alzheimer's disease, Aging Frailty and the Metabolic Syndrome. Longeveron produces LMSCs in its own state-of-the-art cGMP cell processing facility. http://www.longeveron.com

Contact: Suzanne Liv Page spage@longeveron.com 305.909.0850

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/longeveron-to-receive-grant-from-the-maryland-stem-cell-research-fund-300461323.html

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Stem-cell therapy for cancer comes closer home – The New Indian Express

BENGALURU:Full-fledged treatment for cancer and bone-related ailments using stem-cell within the state could soon be a possibility if a plan of a world renowned surgeon from the state succeeds.

Dr A A Shetty is a highly decorated orthopedic surgeon and professor based in the UK who won the Nobel equivalent of surgery called the Hunterian Medal, this year. In his aim to bring about next level cancer and orthopedic treatment, he has already set up two big stem cell research labs - one in Dharwad and another in Mangaluru, a few years back at a cost of around 20 to 25 crore. A hospital that will treat stem-related ailments has also been envisaged at a total cost of around Rs 200 to 250 crore.

Setting up the labs is part of a three-step goal. After setting up the labs, the next step will be producing the stem cells, whether it be for bone ailments, treatment for cervical cancer etc. Then the third step will be the application of these stem cells through our hospital or through tie-ups with other hospitals. I have already received the funding for setting up the hospital, says Dr Shetty in an interaction with CE in Bengaluru. He is originally from a small village called Asode in Udupi district.

The lab in Dharwad is located at SDM College and is being backed by Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara and will be primarily working on blood cancer and thalassemia treatment. The one in Mangaluru is located at K.S. Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA) and is backed by the NITTE group. It will work on cartilage and bone fracture treatments.The effort is no doubt for profit. We will charge the rich but the poor will be treated for free at our hospital, he says.

Already, Shetty has recruited a number of top stem cell researchers from the state who are presently abroad. I have recruited researchers who were doing their postdoc studies in Japan, South Korea. Presently there are four of them working at the two labs, he says. Shetty ultimately wants to settle in Karnataka and hopes to achieve his goal by 2020. The third stage of his plan also requires expertise in various cutting edge technologies such as robotics, computing and he will also be recruiting people who specialize in these fields.

Cancer Vaccination

Shetty also hopes to make cancer vaccination a possibility. Giving an example of cervical cancer, Shetty says, Few cancers can be vaccinated. Cervical cancer, one of the most rampant cancers, is one of them. We will use stems derived from iPS cell. In the UK, the vaccine cost 60 pounds. Our aim is to develop it and sell it at a very low cost, as low as Rs 100, he adds. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells or iPS Cells are derived from the blood and skiwwn cells and can be reprogrammed to provide an unlimited source of any type of human cell.

Stem cells for Arthritis In 2013, Shetty devised a minimally invasive procedure to treat arthritis using stem cells. When the cartilage between the bones begin to erode, the bones rub against each other and cause severe pain. Shetty treated a patient suffering from knee arthritis. He drilled a hole into the patients knee bone and released stem cells that could grow into the cartilage. In all, the procedure lasted just 30 minutes. Shetty has already done as many as two dozen such procedures in India.

Trauma Center Shetty also says that he wants to develop and provide integrated trauma services. If a patient survives the golden hour then he/she can be saved. Majority die in the first hour of trauma. My integrated services will have specialized suits that will help reduce blood loss and will have other know-how. I am negotiating with the International Rotary on this, he adds. This may be established either in Mangalore or Bangalore.

Dr Vishal Rao, head and neck oncology surgeon at HCG Hospitals says that stem cells research is in the mid-stage of development and has great potential to grow in India. The IT and BT ministry is already taking great steps by encouraging startups on these lines, starting various schemes, he says. Vishal also pointed out that a number of private organizations, hospitals and individuals like those like Dr Shetty are also investing in the field.

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Stem-cell therapy for cancer comes closer home - The New Indian Express

Patient uses fat stem cells to repair his wrist – CNN

He was tired of the daily pain that made even shaking someone's hand almost unbearable.

Marlette lost his arm in an accident when he was a teenager, but as an active kid, he didn't this slow him down. He continued to play football and golf, running track and even wrestling.

But over time, the strain on his remaining arm and wrist took a toll.

So to relieve his pain, he traveled from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Munich, Germany, with the hopes that a special procedure using stem cells could make a difference.

"There's no cartilage," Marlette said of his wrist. "I'm bone-on-bone. It is constantly inflamed and very sore."

As Marlette grew older, even the simplest things, like tucking in his shirt or putting on a jacket, became incredibly painful.

Marlette developed cysts and holes in the bones of his wrist. Doctors prescribed anti-inflammatory medications, but they only managed the pain, doing nothing to actually heal the problem. One day, his doctor, Dr. Bob Van Demark at Sanford Health in South Dakota, where Marlette works in finance, saw a presentation by Dr. Eckhard Alt.

It was about a new treatment using stem cells.

"Following an infection or wound or trauma," Alt said, "there comes a call to the stem cells in the blood vessels, which are silent, and nature activates those cells."

Stem cells are located throughout our bodies, like a reserve army offering regeneration and repair. When we're injured or sick, our stem cells divide and create new cells to replace those that are damaged or killed. Depending on where the cells are in the body, they adapt, becoming specialized as blood cells, muscle cells or brain cells, for example.

Alt was the first person to use adipose tissue, or fat, as a prime source of stem cells, according to Dr. David Pearce, executive vice president for research at Sanford health.

"He observed that the simplest place to get some stem cells is really from the fat," said Pearce. "Most of us could give some fat up, and those stem cells don't have to be programmed in any way, but if you put in the right environment, they will naturally turn into what the cell type around them is."

Fat tissue has a lot of blood vessels, making it a prime source of stem cells, and Alt recognized that stem cells derived from adipose tissue are also particularly good at becoming cartilage and bone.

Bone marrow is another source of stem cells, but these easily turn into blood and immune cells. Stem cells from fat have another fate.

"Fat-derived stem cells have a different lineage they can turn into, that is really cartilage and bone and other sort of connective tissues," said Pearce.

Van Demark traveled to Alt's Munich clinic along with some doctors from Sanford, which is now partnering with Alt on clinical trials in the United States. Marlette's doctor was impressed with what he saw and recommended the treatment to his patient.

Marlette paid his own way to Munich, where he would receive an injection of stem cells from his own fat tissue.

"I had one treatment, and my wrist felt better almost within the next couple weeks," Marlette said. "Through the course of the next seven months, it continued to feel better and better."

One injection was enough for this ongoing improvement.

"We see (from an MRI scan) that those cysts are gone, the bone has restructured, the inflammation is gone, and he formed ... new cartilage," said Alt.

MRIs confirmed what he was feeling: The cartilage had begun to regenerate in his wrist. Because the procedure uses autologous cells, which are cells from the patient's own body, there's little to no chance of rejection by the body's immune system.

Though the procedure worked for Marlette, the use of stem cells as a form of treatment is not without controversy or risk. In the US, they have been mired in controversy because much of the early research and discussion has been centered around embryonic and fetal stem cells.

Marlette traveled to Germany because approved treatments like this are not available in the United States. Clinics have popped up across the country, but they lack oversight from the Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Robin Smith, founder of the Stem for Life Foundation, first began working in this field 10 years ago. According to Smith, there were 400 clinical trials for stem cells when she first started; now, there are 4,500. She partnered with the Vatican to hold a stem cell conference last year.

"We're moving toward a new era in medicine," said Smith, who was not involved in this research. "(We are) recognizing cells in our body and immune system can be used in some way -- manipulated, redirected or changed at the DNA level -- to impact health and cure disease. It is an exciting time."

Dr. Nick Boulis is a neurosurgeon with Emory University in Atlanta. His team ran the first FDA-approved clinical trials in the US to inject stem cells in the spinal cords of patients with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and he isn't surprised to see procedures like the one at Alt's clinic in Germany have success.

"Joints and bones heal," Boulis said. "The nervous system is very bad at healing. It doesn't surprise me that we're seeing successes in recapitulating cartilage before we're seeing successes in rebuilding the motherboard."

Smith also cautioned patients to do their research, especially about the types of cells being used. "When you have a health problem, and you need a solution, sometimes you don't have three five, seven years to get there," she said, referencing the slow progression of regulations in places like the United States.

"So really ,look for places that have the regulatory approval of the country they're in. Safety has to be number one," she said.

Alt's Munich clinic was approved by the European equivalent of the FDA, the European Medicines Agency. Through the partnership with Sanford, the health group is now launching clinical trials in America, focusing on rotator cuff injuries, a common shoulder injury. This is the first FDA-approved trial of its kind.

Further down the line, Alt hopes to see stem cells used for such issues as heart procedures and treating the pancreas to help diabetics. For him, the growth is limitless.

"I think it will be exponential," he said. "It will be the same thing (we saw) with deciphering the human genome. The knowledge will go up exponentially, and the cost will go exponentially down. For me, the most exciting thing is to see how you can help patients that have been desperate for which there was no other option, no hope, and how well they do."

For Marlette, it has meant a wrist free from pain and a life free from pain medication.

Since the procedure in August, he hasn't taken any of the anti-inflammatory drugs. "I have more range of motion with my wrist, shaking hands didn't hurt anymore," he said. "My wrist seems to continue to improve, and there's less and less pain all the time."

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Patient uses fat stem cells to repair his wrist - CNN

PIO doctor to open application of stem cell research in Nitte … – Times of India

MANGALURU: UK-based orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Anand A Shetty will start a clinical application of stem cell research in the city along with Nitte University. This will help in curing cancer and other related ailments.

Dr Shetty, who hails from Asode near Koteshwara in Udupi district, was honoured with the 'Outstanding Clinical Excellence' award by the UK's House of Lords this year. Dr Shetty is winner of a host of awards including the prestigious Hunterian Surgical Medal and Hunterian Professorship for 2017 awarded by the Royal College of Surgeons of England for his research on stem cells in particular cartilage repair. Only four Indians have received this award so far.

A knee surgeon and director of stem cell research at Canterbury Christ Church University, Dr Shetty's main interest lies in stem cell research, cartilage transplant, accelerated bone healing, and robotics in minimally invasive surgery.

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PIO doctor to open application of stem cell research in Nitte ... - Times of India

Stem-cell research a step closer to making blood donation redundant – Cosmos

Illustration showing blood stem and progenitor cells emerging from hemogenic endothelial cells. The left blue cells are emerging hematapoietic stem and progenitor cells. The red cells are red blood cells.

OReilly Science Art

When human embryonic stem cells lit up the worlds headlines in 1998, it seemed the era of spare organs and tissues would soon follow.

One of the hopes was that these blank slate cells would fill the gap in the fraught supplies of blood banks by generating an endless supply of the different blood-cell types.

Almost two decades on this dream is approaching reality, as two papers in Nature suggest.

One team, led by George Daley of Boston Children's Hospital's Stem Cell Program, have trained human pluripotent stem cells (either derived from embryos or induced from skin cells) to do a fair job of replenishing a mouses blood supply.

The other team, led by Shahin Rafii of Cornell University in New York, began with endothelial cells scraped from the lining of mouse blood vessels. After training, these cells did an even better job of replenishing a mouses blood supply.

Both teams relied on genes introduced by viruses to train the cells. While the introduction of these foreign genes raises concerns as to the long-term safety of such cells, the scientists nevertheless achieved what has till now been impossible: repopulating the blood supply of a mouse.

Its great; were part of the way there, says Andrew Elefanty, who has been attempting the same feat without adding foreign genes at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne.

Elefanty, like his colleagues, found the key to educating stem cells to become blood-cell precursors was to be a keen and patient student of nature.

Whether mice or humans, developing embryos proceed through a precisely choreographed set of stages, cued by specific signals, to form different tissues. In the case of blood cells, the first cue comes at a primitive stage when a tissue called the mesoderm appears. Under further cues, mesoderm cells give rise to what is known as haemogenic endothelium. After several weeks and more cues, these cells give rise to haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) that ultimately reside in the bone marrow. Just one of these cells is powerful enough to replenish the entire blood supply of a mouse.

Repeating this performance in a culture dish starting from stem cells, however, has been difficult. Over the past two decades, researchers have often gone down the wrong path producing yolk blood cells, for instance, that have little ability to regenerate a whole blood supply.

Just last year, Elefanty and colleagues were able to reproduce the first part of the program, training embryonic stem cells to go from the mesoderm stage to haemogenic endothelium using growth factors added to the medium bathing the cells. So far his group has not been able to take the cells the final step of the way.

Daleys group followed a similar formula but took the cells the final step by pushing them with seven genes introduced by viruses.

Rafiis group began with endothelial cells derived from the lining of mouse blood vessels, made them stem-cell-like by introducing four genes, and then completed their education them by growing them on a layer of cells derived from umbilical cord.

Both produced cells that, like HSC, were able to repopulate the blood supply of a mouse.

Elefanty notes the blood stem cells produced by the two groups are not perfect at matching the capabilities of what real HSC can do. Given both methods insert foreign genes, he also notes there are safety issues to deal with: These are just the first papers; there are still lots of questions to answer.

The goal, as Daley et al acknowledge, remains the derivation of bona fide transgene-free HSCs for applications in research and therapy.

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Stem-cell research a step closer to making blood donation redundant - Cosmos

Microglia Generation For High-Throughput Experiments Optimized – Technology Networks

Microglia derived from stem cells. Credit: NYSCF

Scientists from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute have developed a robust, efficient method for deriving microglia, the immune cells of the brain, from human stem cells. Microglia are increasingly implicated in neurological disorders including Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease and multiple sclerosis, among many others. However, research into the role of human microglia in these disorders has long been hampered by the inability to obtain them from the human nervous system.

This new protocol now enables scientists around the world to generate this critical cell type from individual patients and improve our understanding of the role of microglia neurological malfunction. NYSCFs mission is to bring cures to patients faster, said Susan L. Solomon, CEO and cofounder of NYSCF. One way we work towards this goal is by developing methods and models that lift the entire field of stem cell research. This new protocol is the perfect example of the type of method that will enable researchers around the world to accelerate their work.

Published in Stem Cell Reports, this microglia protocol is optimized for use in high-throughput experiments, such as drug screening and toxicity testing among other large-scale research applications, and has the benefit of allowing such experiments to be carried out on multiple patient samples. The scientists determined that the protocol is robust and reproducible, generating microglia from sixteen induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines, stem cells that are created from individual patients.

Microglia from humans have long been a desired research model, but are difficult to obtain for laboratory experiments. The NYSCF protocol provides a new source of human microglia cells, which can be generated from disease patient samples and will complement studies in mouse models to better understand the role of microglia in health and disease. Microglia generated by the NYSCF protocol will thus provide a critical tool to investigate microglia dysfunction in central nervous system disorders and advance complex disease modeling in a dish.

This article has been republished frommaterialsprovided byNYSCF. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Pope Francis to Huntington’s patients: You deserve respect and love – Catholic News Agency

Vatican City, May 18, 2017 / 08:22 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis on Thursday offered a message of hope and love to patients with Huntingtons disease, a rare and incurable genetic brain disorder that causes intense suffering.

According to organizers, it was the first time that a pope - or any world leader - had recognized the plight of those with the disease.

In his speech, Francis said the fears and difficulties of people affected by Huntingtons disease have been surrounded with misunderstandings and barriers (for) far too long.

In many cases the sick and their families have experienced the tragedy of shame, isolation and abandonment. Today, however, we are here because we want to say to ourselves and all the world: HIDDEN NO MORE! he said.

This isnt just a slogan, but a commitment we must foster, he continued.

The strength and conviction with which we pronounce these words derive precisely from what Jesus himself taught us, he said, noting that throughout his ministry, Jesus met many sick people; he took on their suffering; he tore down the walls of stigma and of marginalization that prevented so many of them from feeling respected and loved.

Pope Francis spoke during a conference organized at the Vatican hosting people affected by Huntingtons disease, along with their families and caretakers.

Huntingtons disease is characterized by rapid, uncontrollable muscle movement known as chorea. As the disease progresses, it can lead to loss of control over speech and memory, dementia and death. The gene which causes Huntingtons was discovered nearly 25 years ago, but there is still no cure and relatively limited treatment options.

This is especially true for people living in South America, where prevalence of the disease is almost 1,000 times higher than in the rest of the world and often combined with extreme poverty. Because the disease affects families generationally, they are often caught in a cycle of need.

The meeting with Pope Francis was called HDdennomore (pronounced hidden no more) and put on in special solidarity with South America. Two families from Venezuela, two from Colombia, and one girl from Argentina all affected by the disease in different ways were brought to the Vatican by a humanitarian group to meet the Pope.

Also present at the audience were members of the medical and scientific communities who treat the patients with Huntingtons and perform research on how to prevent the disease or slow its progression.

In total, there were some 1,700 people present from 16 different countries. Seated in the front row were 150 people affected by Huntingtons that each got a personal greeting from Pope Francis, who stayed nearly an hour after the audience concluded in order to greet them all individually.

Jesus never let disease keep him from an encounter with people, but instead taught that every human person is precious and has dignity something no person or illness can erase, the Pope explained.

Brothers and sisters, as you see, you are a large and motivated community, he concluded.

May the life of each of you both those who are directly affected by Huntingtons disease and those who work hard every day to support the sick in their pain and difficulty be a living witness to the hope that Christ has given us, he said, noting that even through suffering there passes a path of abundant good, which we can travel together.

Stressing the value of every human life, the Pope emphasized that no outcome can ever justify the use or destruction of embryos for scientific research even for the commendable cause of trying to help those suffering from incurable diseases.

Some branches of research use human embryos, inevitably causing their destruction. But we know that no ends, even noble in themselves such as a predicted utility for science, for other human beings or for society can justify the destruction of human embryos, he said May 18.

Currently there are several ethical problems surrounding the research on Huntingtons disease, including the use of embryonic stem cells taken from embryos made through in vitro fertilization.

The Pope noted this fact during the audience, encouraging scientists to pursue scientific advancement only through means that do not contribute to the throw-away culture which treats human beings as objects for use.

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Pope Francis to Huntington's patients: You deserve respect and love - Catholic News Agency