Adult Stem Cell Breakthrough

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, March 7 — Adult stem cells circulating in the blood are able to differentiate into a number of organ-specific cells, researchers have found, and they believe these floating repair kits play an active role in replacing normal tissue or repairing injured tissue of various organs.

“For years, the school of thought was that when tissue was injured, the repair came from the tissue itself. But we can prove the existence of a systemic supply of stem cells distributed via the blood that are capable of tissue repair,” said Dr. Martin Korbling, a bone-marrow-transplant specialist. Korbling is the lead author of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

‘Morning-After Pill’ Prohibited

LIFESITE DAILY NEWS , March 6 — The Supreme Court of Argentina ruled the “morning after pill” known as “Imediat,” produced by the Argentinian laboratory Gador, may not be manufactured, distributed or sold in Argentina because the pill acts as an abortifacient and therefore violates the Constitutional protection of human life “from the moment of conception.”

The decision was the result of a court case brought by a pro-life organization, Portal de Belen (Stable of Bethlehem), which argued that the authorization previously given for the drug by the Ministry of Health was unconstitutional. The Court agreed and ordered the Ministry to suspend the authorization.

Imam Condemns Condoms

THE DAILY OBSERVER (Banjul), March 4 — One of the Imams of the Tallinding “Dara-ba” Mosque, Oustas Gibrel Kujabi, has strongly condemned the use of condoms as a safety precaution against HIV/AIDS.

In strong language, Oustas Kujabi deplored the assertion that condoms are a suitable bulwark against HIV/AIDS as being purported by the media, which in his own words, were only instigating sexual misconduct among the targeted group, the youths.

He also called on the media houses to distance themselves from what he called a propaganda. “If the call to use condoms is adhered to, it will be within a matter of ten years before the whole Gambian population would become HIV/AIDS patients.”

British Lawsuit Against 'The Pill'

BBC NEWS , March 4 — A test case involving more than 100 women who say they were exposed to potentially lethal side effects of the third generation contraceptive pill has started at the British High Court.

Lawyers representing the families are taking action against three pharmaceutical companies, saying the women were not warned of the possible dangers of the pill.

They claim the third generation pill caused the women to develop blood clots which led to long-term damage to their health, and in around 10% of cases proved fatal.