...Lord Patel of Dunkeld, the chairman of the UK National Stem Cell Network and a chancellor at Dundee University, says embryonic stem cell research is simply not working. He conceded in an interview with the Scotsman newspaper that the controversial science may never deliver new treatments for diseases. "In terms of embryonic stem cell therapy, there is currently no such therapy that is available in a large number of patients," he said.Patel also admitted scientists may never be able to overcome the hurdles -- such as the development of tumors or immune syndrome rejection issues -- that plague embryonic stem cell research and make it risky in humans. "We have to be cautious," he told the Scotsman. "It may not deliver therapy for anything. We may find that stem therapy is quite a risky business. We had a lot of hype about gene therapy, and while we still use it in some cases it did not deliver the great promise we thought it would because of the side effects," he said.
Despite downplaying the prospects for success, Lord Patel told the newspaper he still thought embryonic stem cell research should move forward.
The newspaper also interviewed Dr. Willy Lensch, from the Children's Hospital in Boston, who also confirmed the possibility that the prospect of embryonic stem cell research may never play out. "I could not guarantee to anyone that this work will actually lead to improvements in disease as a definite," he admitted...
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