[extropy-chat] Oz stem cells from embryo

[Damien Broderick]

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/23/1087845007481.html?oneclick=true

Team breaks ground with stem cells

By Deborah Smith
June 24, 2004

Human stem cells have been obtained from an Australian embryo for the first 
time.

Scientists at a Sydney fertility clinic, Sydney IVF, used a surplus embryo 
donated by a couple who had undergone IVF treatment.

Human embryonic stem cells can turn into any type of tissue in the human 
body, and doctors hope they will eventually revolutionise treatments for 
diseases such as juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injuries and Parkinson's.

But moral concerns have been raised because their extraction involves the 
destruction of days-old embryos.

Sydney IVF medical director Robert Jansen said yesterday the team's success 
in developing a human embryonic stem cell line, or colony, on its first 
attempt was world class, and reflected the use of a very high-quality embryo.

The clinic's research on human embryonic stem cells could not only help in 
development of new therapies for incurable diseases, but it could also lead 
to improved IVF rates through better understanding of embryo development, 
Professor Jansen said. "The potential of stem cell research is boundless," 
he said.

The embryonic stem cell research had cost the clinic $500,000 so far, 
without government grants. [etc]