SCIENCE REPORT - New Stem Cell Study

SCIENCE REPORT
—
March 27, 2002: New Stem Cell Study

By Mario Ritter

This is the VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT.

Researchers at an American medical center say special stem cells in normal human blood can develop into other
kinds of healthy, new tissue. The new findings could become important in forming public policy concerning stem
cell research.

Adult stem cells are unformed cells that exist in the blood and blood-making tissue of the
body. Researchers at M-D Cancer Center in Houston, Texas say adult stem cells taken from
blood can create new tissue in several organs.

They made the discovery after examining about twelve patients who had received blood from
family members. The blood was rich in the rare stem cells that make red and white blood cells.

The patients needed the blood and stem cells after cancer treatments had destroyed the ability of their own bone
marrow¹ to make new blood cells. The doctors had thought the stem cells would only restore the patients’
ability
to make new blood cells.

However, they found that some of the stem cells spread to the patients’
livers and began to grow liver cells.
Some of the stem cells also grew into skin cells and cells in the intestine². The researchers said some of the stem
cells settled into the patients
’
organs within two weeks.

The research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The doctors who did the research say the tests prove that adult stem cells can become liver, skin and other kinds
of cells. The experiment appears to show that adult stem cells are more useful than medical researchers had
thought.

Until recently, doctors did not think that adult stem cells could produce new tissue in organs. For this reason,
many people have urged Congress to permit research on embryonic³ stem cells taken from fertilized⁴ human eggs.
These unformed embryonic stem cells are believed to be able to become any kind of tissue in the body. However,
the Bush administration has put limits on embryonic stem cell research. President Bush believes it is not moral to
experiment on fertilized human eggs.

If confirmed, the new discovery will add to the debate over stem cells. It will also strengthen the idea that adults
have cells that can repair damage to organs. And experts say it could lead to new treatments for diseases based on
using the body ’s own cells.

This VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT was written by Mario Ritter.

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1 marrow   

n.骨髓；精华；活力

参考例句：

• It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了，他感到寒冷刺骨。
• He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。

2 intestine   

adj.内部的；国内的；n.肠

参考例句：

• This vitamin is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine.这种维生素通过小肠壁被吸收。
• The service productivity is the function,including external efficiency,intestine efficiency and capacity efficiency.服务业的生产率是一个包含有外部效率、内部效率和能力效率的函数。

3 embryonic   

adj.胚胎的

参考例句：

• It is still in an embryonic stage.它还处于萌芽阶段。
• The plan,as yet,only exists in embryonic form.这个计划迄今为止还只是在酝酿之中。

4 Fertilized   

v.施肥( fertilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The study of psychology has recently been widely cross-fertilized by new discoveries in genetics. 心理学研究最近从遗传学的新发现中受益匪浅。
• Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. 花常在蜜蜂采蜜时受粉。