Stem Cells Found in Fat

lucyfersam writes: "A recent study has shown that fat, the body's energy storage device, also stores a resovoir of ever useful stem cells. Check out the article in the New York Times (free reg)"

the no login required link

[jeffsenter]

http://channel.nytimes.com/2001/04/10/health/10STE M.html [nytimes.com]
Often replacing the www with channel will bypass the login requirement at the NYTimes.

That solves a t ricky ethical problem!

[pallex]

We need to research experiment on stem cells, but then you get a lot of stick from religious types, and other idiots, when you use aborted foetuses?

Now we can just use fat American housewifes!

Problem solved!

Could be an interesting cycle here...

[caffeinated_bunsen]

void life(){
eatLike(pig);
getFat();
while(true){
getHeartDisease();
growOrganFrom(heart,fat);
transplant(heart);
}}

Backup Your DNA

[dankjones]

As we grow older our DNA collects errors. Seems to me that it would be a good idea (and possibly a new industry) to store genetic material (fat and other tissues) cryogenically so we will have some young genetic material to work with when we are older.Except I don't think stem cells divide, which is when many of the errors occur, but errors also occur during normal cell metabolism in genes used by the cell in everyday operations. The result, seems to me, to be that cell neuclei become less capable over time of doing the same job, but are in some ways more able to do a different job in a different cell. "cellular repetitive stress disorder"
Also I'd like to point out that fatasses like me have the same number of fat cells as I would have if I were my proper weight therefore same amount of genetic material therefore still no ding-dongs 4me.
awww...

Away with the goodness that comes with the bad

[ishrat]

I would rather not have that reservoir of useful stems given the choice, and rather remain slim. Thse last ten years I have had a lot of restlessness due to these very beneficial stems. I want it out of my body. Push over villian!

Re:Could be an interesting cycle here...

[gduhaime]

void life(){

I noticed that in your function, life returns a void result.
Is there really nothing to be gained from life that's worth anything? I can't believe life is so meaningless.
I'm so depressed now :-(

Stem cells

[Cheese_isgood]

If any scientist out there wants to do research on some of my fat...feel free to have it!