On the condition that the work does not involve human embryos, Pope Benedict XVI reiterated the Roman Catholic Church’s support for stem-cell research.

Adult stem cells exist in tiny numbers within developed organs. This was the topic of discussion at a conference at Rome’s La Sapienza University on research into the treatment of heart disease with so-called adult stem cells. The pontiff directed his comments at delegates attending the conference as he held his traditional weekly general audience at the Vatican.

The use of embryonic stem cells is controversial because harvesting the cells involves the destruction of a human embryo. The cells are created shortly after conception.

The church’s position is “clear,” the German-born pope said. “Scientific research should be rightly encouraged and promoted as long as it doesn’t hurt human beings whose dignity is inviolable from the very first stages of existence,” he said.

Based on a conviction that an embryo is a human being from conception and therefore its life cannot be interrupted, the church’s objections to embryonic stem-cell research are the same as its arguments against abortion.

Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II, outlined the Vatican’s position in a 1995 encyclical, “The Gospel of Life,” saying, “Human embryos obtained in vitro are human beings and are subjects with rights; their dignity and right to life must be respected from the first moment of their existence. It is immoral to produce human embryos destined to be exploited as disposable `biological material.”

When cord blood cells are transplanted to patients, a number of ailments have begun reversing their effects as records have proven. Research has shown that diverse treatment strategies for over 70 diseases can be derived from umbilical cord blood stem cells. Where re-growth of cells is necessary for treatment and bone marrow transplants are the current mode of treatment, research is being conducted to see the potential of cord blood stem cells in this category as well.

Researchers claim that bone marrow and its hemapoietic characteristics can be found in umbilical cord blood stem cells as well. The cells that make up the various organs throughout our body can be developed from these particular stem cells. To treat disorders that surface in the various organs, cord blood stem cells are typically chosen due to their versatility. But those suffering from blood disorders make up the majority of the recipients of cord blood according to records.

Platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells can all be created by umbilical cord blood stem cells. Fanconi, Anemia, adult and child leukemia, lymphoma ,and most other malignant blood disorders are treated with cord blood stem cells for this very reason. Parkinson’s disease, immune system disorders, heart muscle disorders, cardiac diseases like heart attacks, severe spinal cord injuries, and some sight disorders, are among the life threatening diseases that have been successfully treated using umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Cord blood stem cell transplants are most commonly administered to those patients who decide to forgo the painful procedures involved with a bone marrow transplant. Children and young adults have been the primary recipients of cord blood cell transplants. One of the reasons for this is that as a recipient becomes larger, the demands of cell quantity become greater. Most often, the quantity required for adult treatment cannot be found.

Since they are the most primitive cells of the body, they are often referred to as “naive” cells. Thus, where tissue re-growth is needed , they exhibit the adaptability to form the cells of any respective organ. For this reason, the recipient’s immune response is less likely to reject the cells.

Fewer matches of cells can be found for ethnic and racial minorities. Individuals that fall into this category are encouraged to save their children’s umbilical cord blood so that it can be used by their family at a later date if needed. Finding genetically matched cord blood cells is difficult for a few other individuals as well. Others who should seriously consider cord blood stem cell banking are parents of newborn adopted children and those born though in vitro fertilization.

Preserving a baby’s cord blood stem cells makes perfect sense. Offering umbilical cord blood storage, cryogenic facilities or “cord blood banks” are accessible in nearly ever corner of the world today. Since the cells are useful in the treatment of many deadly diseases, they could potentially save a child’s life, or one of his or her siblings, or even another family member. Since it is relatively difficult to find a match for some, those individuals should strongly consider banking as well.

In order to repair the damage caused by heart attacks, British scientists will be trying a new method to treat the condition. Their hope is to regenerate tissue by using the patient’s own bone marrow. Stem cells taken from the marrow will be injected into the damaged hearts.

60 people who have recently suffered severe heart attacks will be involved in the trial which will be lead by Raimondo Ascione of the University of Bristol. The damaged tissue could potentially be repaired by stem cells that will be injected by Dr. Ascione during coronary bypass surgery. The cells have the potential to differentiate into the types of heart cells needed to fix that patient’s hearts.

About 230,000 people suffer a heart attack each year, making heart disease the biggest killer in the UK. Nearly one-third of those heart attack victims die. Because arteries get clogged with fatty deposits, blood supply is restricted, and this eventually leads to a heart attack. The hearts ability to pump blood is reduced when cells in the oxygen-deprived area die causing scarring.

“One in three people will die within two or three years and the remaining people will have a very poor quality of life,” said Dr Ascione. “Your exercise tolerance will be very poor, you will not to be able to enjoy your life. If this [experiment] works you will minimize this … the point of this trial is to do the bypass and try to repair the scar, to make it a viable muscle again.”

A type of stem cell that only forms about 1% of the bone marrow will be used for the experiment.

“This approach ensures no risk of rejection or infection,” said Dr. Ascione.

Scientists will conduct MRI scans of the patient’s hearts prior to the operation and six months afterwards.

“We expect that part we injected to be repaired and it will pump and contract properly,” he said.

Funding the trial with a

Within one month after being treated with adult stem cells in Cologne, Germany, Calvin who is a retired Fire Captain from New Jersey is reporting lower blood glucose levels and decreased insulin doses. Calvin traveled to Germany with peripheral artery disease and erectile dysfunction resulting from his type 2 diabetes.

Using small amounts of his bone marrow, Calvin was treated at the XCell-Center with adult stem cells derived from his own body. Via the femoral artery, a minimally invasive procedure was used to introduce the stem cells to Calvin’s pancreas directly. Stem cells were also introduced into the arteries that supply the penis and into his calves and thighs in order to alleviate the erectile dysfunction and peripheral artery disease that is common amongst complications associated with diabetes.

“Before scuba diving this past Sunday morning, I injected only 32% of my normal insulin dose. During the day, I ate normally – for a diabetic – without injecting any more insulin. That evening, I measured my blood sugar and I was astounded that it was only 126. A month ago, even with my full insulin doses, I never had readings below 170,” said Calvin.

Calvin is not new to the process, over the past two years his current conditions are in fact the third, fourth, and fifth conditions he has received stem cells for. He was featured in Business Week Magazine after a January 2005 stem cell infusion for coronary artery disease. Then, using minimally invasive surgery he was treated again for ischemic cardiomyopathy in September of the same year.

“Actually, what really got my attention this past weekend was that I also felt a regeneration of heart function