May 8th, 2004
Just To Add A Little More Confusion...
Our understanding of adult stem cells is in a state of flux at the moment. This article from WCJB should add a little more confusion to the mix, reporting that adult blood stem cells could be capable of forming brain cells (or fusing with them, or performing some other action that produces the reported results). A number of researchers are currently claiming that adult stem cells cannot regenerate tissue outside their organ of origin - while others are demonstrating that adult stem cells can indeed do just this. These apparent contradictions are symptomatic of a young and complex field of research: we have a great deal yet to learn about stem cell types, biochemistry, and behavior.