Alternate Stem Cell Supply

Hi all, I just heard on the nightly news that scientists have located stem cells in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women. This could really negate all the moral implications of current stem cell research. As you probably all know, stem cells can currently only be collected from a fetus. This could potentially open many doors for modern medicine. I would be extremely interested as to what my fine (and always engaging) friends at ATS think of this...

for the record: the umbilical cord is another source which is readily available, but don't count on embryonic stem cells going away. political profiling basically requires controversial issues.

Here's the thing.

A stem cell is a cell that is "equipotent", it can be come anything.

An identical twin is where an embryo breaks off some of its stem cells, and they grow into a copy of the original person.

A stem cell is potentially an embryo. So if its a problem to harvest stem cells from embryos, technically, it shoudl be a problem to use stem cells, period. Any of them could, with the proper care, become a person.

I don't see it as a problem, but I think that the objectors to embryo harvesting, and using embryonically derived stem cell lines, should consider that.
ITs an emotive issue, not a rational one. Rationally, any stem cell is a potential person, and it doesn't matter if it was embryonically derived.

While you may have a point in that each stem cell is a potential life, the fact that there is already a fetus developing limits the possibility of any other stem cell development into its own entity. At this point the stem cells are (somewhat) expendable without the risk of altering the development of the existing fetus. This is not to say that we should abandon our morals on this issue, but maybe just relax them a bit. After all, are the potential benefits not worth it?