Superstar quarterback Peyton Manning -- who has suffered from a neck injury -- has reportedly received an adult stem cell transplant using his own stem cells. Adult stem cells are ethically-derived and have
successfully treated many patients; embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, require for their derivation the destruction of
embryonic human beings, and have yet to benefit a single human patient. From
Dr. David Prentice:
Manning has had three surgeries on his neck in the last 19 months. Little detail was available, but the information indicates that the [stem cell] procedure may have used adipose (fat) derived adult stem cells from Manning's own body; this autologous procedure (using your own adult stem cells) bypasses any problems of transplant rejection and is relatively safe. Manning's adult stem cells may have then been injected around the site of his problem vertebra in the neck, to assist healing and help with spinal disc fusion. In that respect, it sounds similar to the procedure that Texas Gov. Rick Perry received in Houston, Texas, for his back problem. ...
[T]here are actually over 2,200 FDA-approved adult stem cell clinical trials ongoing or completed, most of which in this list are in the U.S. That includes several adult stem cell trials using adult stem cells for spinal fusion, and even a couple of adipose-derived adult stem cell trials in Indianapolis. Maybe Peyton realized that only adult stem cells had real potential for safe and ethical treatment of patients. Hopefully, he will talk about his experience so more people understand the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells.
Manning could join many other awesome people -- most notably
Jack Bauer -- in benefiting from ethical stem cell research.
