Embryo Stem Cell Breakthrough - Harvest w/o death

It is being reported that a new procedure can harvest stem cells
invitro without killing the preborn human. The success rate is
not that high ~ 51% ... but it is getting better.

This could REALLY make a positive difference in the stem cell debate.
We can have our cake and eat it too - harvesting stem cells and
not causing the death of the preborn.

www.timesonline.co.uk...

Excerpt

Stem cell breakthrough opens way to ‘spare part’ tissue banks
From Mark Henderson Science Correspondent in Montreal
Times on Line
Oct 17, 2005

STEM cells have for the first time been harvested from embryos without
killing them, using a technique that could eventually provide children with
a personal store of spare part tissue for treating diseases later in life. The
successful experiment in the United States paves the way for scientists to
create and “bank” master cells that are genetically identical to children
before they are born. Should the child grow up to develop a disease such
as diabetes or Parkinson’s, the cells could be used for therapy.

It also promises to address one of the strongest ethical objections to
embryonic stem (ES) cell research. The cells have great medical potential
as they can form any type of tissue in the human body, but their use is
opposed by religious groups, as they can be extracted only by destroying
embryos.

If the new procedure, tested so far only on mice, also works in human
beings, it would allow researchers to obtain ES cells from embryos that
remain intact and could go on to become children.

MORE INFO -

www.timesonline.co.uk...



[edit on 10/17/2005 by FlyersFan]

Did it report where they got the embryo from and what they would do with it afterwards?

Did the report say what the embryo if implanted and carried to term would be like? In other words would it suffer in some way after birth and be handicapped in any way?

It seems there could still be unanswered questions.

Originally posted by dbrandt
Did it report where they got the embryo from and what they would do with it afterwards?

Did the report say what the embryo if implanted and carried to term would be like? In other words would it suffer in some way after birth and be handicapped in any way?

It seems there could still be unanswered questions.

Those questions came to my mind too.

Besides that, adult stem cells work a LOT better than embryonic. So just ditch the embryonic research altogether (besides, embryos are too young to consent to this kind of stuff) and work on adult stem cells.

Sure, there are tons of questions yet to be answered and I too
would rather see them work with adult stem cells. However, this
is good news and perhaps as more information on this comes out
it will be a way for two opposing camps to come together and
agree. I'm hopeful.

Originally posted by Amethyst
Besides that, adult stem cells work a LOT better than embryonic.

According to whom exactly? You? Every research paper I have read have stated time and time again that embryonic stem-cells are much more effective then Adult. I seem to remember one or two articles claiming better efficacy of Adult Stem cells for certain applications, but from what I understand from the literature is that Embronic Stem cells have a much broader uses. I cannot be too specific atm have to dig around a bit.

As for the Preborn comment, wouldn't it be ironic if the Anti-Space Exploration crowd to use a similiar argument when Mars or even Moon colonization becomes feasilbe. From Save the Embryoes to Save the Microbes using pretty much the same arguments. Offtopic I know, it's just an observation on my part.

Originally posted by sardion2000
From Save the Embryoes to Save the Microbes using pretty
much the same arguments.

Preborn humans vs microbes? No... I don't think that
argument is even close.

Anyways, I thought this was good news and I thought I'd
share it. Ya'll see it as you will ...