This is truly groundbreaking. The FDA has approved a bid by Geron Corporation to do human testing of embryonic stem cells that are tuned for neural repair. The hope is that crushed spinal cords can be induced to regrow nerve tissue. This clinical trial will need to use anti-rejection drugs since the cells are not derived from the patient being treated. And the testing is being geared toward finding out if this use of embryonic stem cells will produce tumors as have past uses.
While I hope for the success of such ventures, I hope even more for the success of follow-on trials with adult stem cells, which actually should be more compatible due to not requiring anti-rejection drugs, and an absent concern regarding tumors and cancers induced.
If I owned shares of Geron (I don't) I would sell them now. Their shares rocketed 50%on the news. But if another biotech outfit comes along with a similar trial, using adult stem cells, Geron's shares will likely plummet. Adult stem cells are the wave of the future, not embryonic stem cells.
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