Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Rodent Research
Let's give another big hand to the mice over at Novocell Research facility. The wee beasties were implanted with embryonic stem cells which then produced insulin. The cells kept the mice's blood sugar in check even after their insulin-producing cells were destroyed. And just to make sure that wasn't a fluke the scientists then removed the implanted cells and what do you know? Their blood glucose levels went up.
Unfortunately some of the mice developed tumors and died so there's a long way to go before we can throw away the insulin and the pumps. After all we don't want the cure to be worse than the disease, do we? But over the past few years we seem to be getting closer with each new piece of research.
Now if we can only hurry up and improve robot technology, no mice will need to be harmed in our quest to live diabetes-free.
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