I study the politics of stem cells, so my newstrawl brings me gems like these:

C’elle’s exclusive and revolutionary service provides women with the unique opportunity to collect and preserve vital stem cells that can be harvested from the body’s menstrual fluid during the menstrual cycle. Until now, menstrual blood has typically been discarded as unsanitary waste. However, exciting new research shows that menstrual fluid contains, self-renewing stem cells that can be easily collected, processed and cryo-preserved for potential cellular therapies that may emerge in the future.

(I found it via Attila Csordás at Pimm. There’s also a Wired article now.)

I’m guessing the stem cells here are supposed to be blood or uterus adult stem cells, since sifting through menstrual blood to find the odd blastocyst that didn’t attach sounds terribly unpromising. Notice the double hedging: “potential cellular therapies that may emerge in the future”. (Much like saying “it may be possible to spread herpes”.)

This struck a chord because the San Francisco Chronicle ran an article about a similar venture several days ago:

A San Carlos startup is offering to create “personalized” stem cells from the spare embryos of fertility clinic clients on the chance that the cells, frozen and stored away, may some day help a family member benefit from medical breakthroughs.

But some of the most fervent denunciations of StemLifeLine came from vigorous supporters of embryonic stem cell research. Two Stanford University critics aired their complaints in newspaper editorial pages. A prominent Stanford ethicist challenged UC San Francisco scientists who are advisers of the company to sever those ties. These critics accuse StemLifeLine of trying to profit from the promise of stem cell research in the present, even though the work may not yield medical treatments for decades, if ever.

Whether StemLifeLine’s clients ever benefit hinges on the chance that a stem cell therapy will arise for a specific disease by the time a family member needs treatment for that very illness. In addition, the company that developed the therapy would have to be willing and able to use the family’s StemLifeLine cell culture. The chances of all that are remote, say some of the most ardent backers of stem cell research.