Scientists working at a British laboratory have achieved one of the most controversial breakthroughs ever made in the field of stem cell science by taking cells from dead embryos and turning them into living tissue.
The technique could soon be used to create treatments for patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the researchers say. The breakthrough has been hailed by many scientists and ethical experts because it could circumvent opposition to stem cell experiments.
‘This should get round opposition to stem cell science because live embryos will no longer need to be used in all experiments,’ said Professor Miodrag Stojkovic, the researcher who carried out the experiments at the Centre for Stem Cell Biology at Newcastle University last year.
That’s what he thinks. Wanna bet?
Last night right-to-life campaigners called for caution. ‘In theory if an embryo is obtained ethically and a stem cell can be derived after that embryo has died naturally, then that will remove all ethical objections as there is no destruction of a living organism,’ said Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, a Catholic campaign group. ‘We do not have objections to the use of donated tissue and organs in other areas of medicine.’
But Quintavalle warned that the case for the use of dead embryo cells had not been proved. ‘There is the critical question of how you know when an embryo is dead or not.’
The superstitious always get stuck in to their reliance on “belief” and “morality” that arises from books written by even more superstitious folk a millenium or two ago. Modern science is perfectly capable of relying upon ethical systems within the context of modern knowledge.
Please notice that I said “knowledge” — not “politics”.
One thing is clear: harvesting even a single enzyme molocule from a dead embryo is murder. 🙂 Just ask White House press secretary Tony Snow.
And I’ll go further: male masturbation is mass murder, destroying countless potential human lives.
I’ll go even further: getting a haircut or using Head and Shoulders shampoo is genocide. This is because science is undoubtedly on the verge of being able to create a complete organism from a single protein molocule or dandruff flake.
“There is the critical question of how you know when an embryo is dead or not.”
— As long as they make every effort to revive the little guys… the use of a defibrillator, mouth to mouth resuscitation, adrenaline injections etc… then I have no problem with it.
JimR: go get your dictionary and look up “embryo,” then look up “fetus.” Then try to do mouth-to-mouth on a freakin’ embryo. 🙂 Actually, that sounds like the basis for a hilarious SNL sketch.
Shout out to John C. Dvorak: Are you and your editors wanting to drive away religious people?
IT’S ALIVE!
-Dr. V. Frankenstein
J/P=?
Proteome – Only the ignorant, close minded ones. The rest seem to be welcome.
In fact that statement goes for all people I guess.
Hmm … is it just me or is the picture completely irrelevant? (and only designed to get fundamentalist Christians mad)
>Modern science is perfectly capable of relying upon ethical systems >within the context of modern knowledge.
So if a company instead of killing embryos for stem cells and instead grows it out to full size to get a large supply of organs a la The Island, then that’s OK with you?
The reality is that modern science is perfectly capable of relying upon ethical obfuscation in pursuit of knowledge and money.
I don’t think this site wishes to alienate all religious people. In the past they have been very kind to Pagans. I believe several of the editors like the sound of that orgy under the full moon bit. 😉
I kinda like the afterword caption: “….wanna bet ?!?”
I’d bet if you create something “alive” from something “dead” you’re gonna catch fire and brimstone from the reigious folks . Definition of
life and death seems to be a major issue with these guys who don’t hesitate to use the lastest technology to condemn the very science that gave them the tools of definition. Makes me a bit nostalgic for the dark ages when people were just as susceptible to plagues and illness as the rest of the animals. Definition was a lot easier.
Um… Kendall #3, re: #2… I was joking.
I’m always joking.
Proteome: Pissin’ off the Christians, both left and right wingers, is just good sport around here. Kind of like the relationship the ancient Christians had with their buddies the Romans.