Researchers have made ordinary skin cells act like embryonic stem cells, and turn them into nerve, brain, heart and other tissues! As human stem cell colony is pictured left.
Laboratory tests on two continents have reported success in this endeavor, which first made headlines five months ago, when it was initially accomplished in mice.
This method will not avoid the ethical concerns over cloning actual embryonic stem cells, but it’s a simpler method for pursuing new treatments for diseases. On the other hand, scientists claim it will likely be years before EST research will be able to offer any new treatments.
So science comes in to rescue ESC research from its ethical concerns, now that’s science at its best!
Laboratory tests on two continents have reported success in this endeavor, which first made headlines five months ago, when it was initially accomplished in mice.
This method will not avoid the ethical concerns over cloning actual embryonic stem cells, but it’s a simpler method for pursuing new treatments for diseases. On the other hand, scientists claim it will likely be years before EST research will be able to offer any new treatments.
So science comes in to rescue ESC research from its ethical concerns, now that’s science at its best!
I support embryonic stem cell research. But it's great to see this stem cell discovery, as it expands our abilities to provide health care - one day.
ReplyDeleteI'm personally am so tired of people treating the lack of federal funding of embryonic stem cells as if it is a ban - it is a ban on federal funding, which I don't approve, but it's not a ban on research nor is it the end of the world. And all of the supposed discoveries coming from embryonic stem cells turned out to be frauds by the doctors.
You're 100% right, Rachel.
ReplyDeleteI support federal funding of the research as well, although I'm also respectful of the ethical concerns, and those concerns are not merely those of "religious fanatics," but of medical and bio-ethicists, as well.
This seems to be a huge step in the right direction, in that it renders most, if not all of those ethical concerns moot.