[ExI] More Stem Cell Breakthroughs, and follies

[John K Clark]

Yet another completely different method for generating Embryonic Stem
Cells without harming an embryo has been announced in the January 11
issue of the journal Cell Stem Cells. Unlike the previous breakthrough of
a month ago it is immediately ready for commercialization.  Robert Lanza,
M.D. the lead author of the paper said:

"This is a working technology that exists here and now. It could be used to
increase the number of stem cell lines available to federal researchers
immediately. We could send these cells out to researchers tomorrow. If the
White House approves this new methodology, researchers could effectively
double or triple the number of stem cell lines available within a few
months. Too many needless deaths continue to occur while this research is
being held up. I hope the President will act now and approve these stem
cell lines quickly."

They took one cell away from an 8 cell fetus and then froze the remaining 7
cells. This is no different from thousands of single cell biopsies performed
every year in fertility clinics that cause no harm to the fetus. The one
cell is then induced back into it's Embryonic Stem Cell state and everyone
is happy. Well, not quite everybody.

Story Landis is Bush's Stem Cell Czar and he is an ethicist, and that means
he is far more ethical than you or me, and Story Landis admits that the
procedure is identical to cell biopsies performed thousands a times a year
in fertility clinics but we can't know with absolute positive 100% certainty
that it's harmless unless we unfreeze the 7 cells and let it develop into a
baby, but in a delightful twist he adds that we must never do that because
it might be harmful. If you are unable to follow this logic it is because
you are not a mighty ethicist like Story Landis.

On a completely different subject that has nothing to do with the above
I note that there will be a different President one year from now.

  John K Clark