Embryonic Stem Cells Without Destroying Life [Breakthrough]

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This could be awesome news. Coming from the NYT I was initially skeptical, I usually don’t agree with the Times on what is morally acceptable, but this looks legit. The process still has the same instability as embryonic stem cells that can cause cancer but the scientists seem optimistic about controlling that instability.
I, for one, hope and pray that this is a real solution.

nytimes.com/2007/11/21/science/21stem.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
 
NEW YORK (AP) - Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy.

Laboratory teams on two continents report success in a pair of landmark papers released Tuesday. It’s a neck-and-neck finish to a race that made headlines five months ago, when scientists announced that the feat had been accomplished in mice.

The “direct reprogramming” technique avoids the swarm of ethical, political and practical obstacles that have stymied attempts to produce human stem cells by cloning embryos.
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Let us all pray that this is an actual breakthrough and end the need to kill babies for science.

Of course the last sentence of the article was a scientist that wants to still do cloning and see which method is best.:confused:
 
The news embargo now seems to have been broken on what is likely to rank as the most important development in stem cell science since the first derivation of human embryonic stem cells in 1998.

Two prominent scientific journals—Science and Cell—are each today publishing papers that demonstrate extraordinary success with a technique called “somatic cell reprogramming.” Working separately, and using slightly different methods, these two teams (one of which is led by James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin, the original innovator of human embryonic stem cells) have each successfully taken a regular human skin cell and transformed it into what appears to be the equivalent of an embryonic stem cell—all without the need for embryos, or eggs, or any other ethically controversial methods. The resulting cells (which they call induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells) have passed all the tests for “pluripotency” and seem to function just like embryonic stem cells. Again, they’ve done this in humans, not just in animals. Thomson’s team puts the matter plainly in the usual scientific deadpan: “The human iPS cells described here meet the defining criteria we originally proposed for human ES [embryonic stem] cells, with the significant exception that the iPS cells are not derived from embryos.” In other words: embryonic stem cells not from embryos. A “significant exception” indeed.

This is first of all an extraordinary scientific discovery—quite apart from its connection with stem cell research. It suggests a previously unimagined level of plasticity at the cellular level in human beings that will have huge implications for medical research and future therapies, and not necessarily stem cell therapies. The ability to take one cell type, insert a few genetic factors, and end up with a completely different but functional cell type will revolutionize cell biology, and get a lot of PhD level textbooks thrown in the garbage today.
corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZGY4MTRhMmVlNDU4OGE3ZGQ3NWJlMjA0ZWYxNWUwN2Y=
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Jonah Goldberg makes good point:
What I find fascinating about this — indeed, what I find fascinating about the role of technology generally (I’ve long wanted to write a big think piece on this) — is how necessity is not only the mother of invention, it’s the father of immorality.

Because President Bush wisely placed limitations on one scientific path, scientists needed to come up with another route to the same goal. It now sounds like they found it. Huzzahs to everyone (Memo to the Communications Director: Bush should give a speech on this taking his share of the credit).
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KathleenElsie said:
Let us all pray that this is an actual breakthrough and end the need to kill babies for science.

Of course the last sentence of the article was a scientist that wants to still do cloning and see which method is best.:confused:
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I’ll still take this. If it’s found that these cells are just as good as the embryonic cells (and I’m betting it will be, with the added advantage that these cells could be taken straight from the patient and thus wouldn’t cause an immune response against foreign tissue), there’s not a need to use the morally bankrupt embryonic cell option. In fact, it seems as though the adapted cells would be the better option in terms of supply, cost, and immunology.
 
I was so excited to hear about this. Of course they said that much research still needs to be done, but I think that this may be just as promising as embryonic stem cell research. Not to mention that it would save the lives of so many innocent babies!!!
 
I remember first hearing about this back in June in a primary debate. The candidate and party won’t be mentioned due to forum rules, but it was in response to support of embryonic stem cell research. He explained, as best he could, that researchers are working on a way to create embryonic stem cells from skin cells and he supports that sort of work.

It wasn’t a very good soundbite…and debates are all about soundbites. 😛
 
I have been rejoicing for the last day over this. It just goes to show the value of hope and persistance. When it seemed secular science would march on unabated, our bishops, and our president, stood their ground when the outlook was bleak. Now, thanks to them keeping the argument on the table, we start to see real fruits. I love how, regarding fetal stem cells, they called the Catholic Church’s positon a “show stopper”. Thanks to our church for stopping the show long enough to give us this hope!

LT
 
I really don’t think that the position of the Catholic Church had much influence on the Japanese research team who participated in the race to be first in this development. Don’t take credit where it doesn’t exist.

Matthew
 
drafdog said:
I really don’t think that the position of the Catholic Church had much influence on the Japanese research team who participated in the race to be first in this development. Don’t take credit where it doesn’t exist.

Matthew
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Hi Matthew,

I think you misread the post. ltravis said “Thanks to our church for stopping the show long enough to give us this hope!” IOW…ltravis was praising the Church for resisting the research on Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Without that resistance, many more embryos would have been killed in the name of science. Now the Japanese research team is giving us hope that the issue will before our government and others cave on this important issue.
 
drafdog said:
I really don’t think that the position of the Catholic Church had much influence on the Japanese research team who participated in the race to be first in this development. Don’t take credit where it doesn’t exist.

Matthew
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It’s just my opinion, but sometimes God allows good to florish if He can see enough faith on Earth. Just as evil can florish where there is lack of faith.
 
Like usual, the MSM lets their agenda get in the way of the facts.

These are NOT embryonic stem cells

They may act like them, but they are not. They are adult stem cells no matter what people say.
 
WanderAimlessly said:
Like usual, the MSM lets their agenda get in the way of the facts.

These are NOT embryonic stem cells

They may act like them, but they are not. They are adult stem cells no matter what people say.
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That is correct. I called them “embryonic” stem cells, because I’m not sure what other term to use. They are not simply adult stem cells though. I guess we could call them Altered Adult Stem Cells? Embryonic-mimicking Altered Adult Stem Cells?
 
WanderAimlessly said:
Like usual, the MSM lets their agenda get in the way of the facts.

These are NOT embryonic stem cells

They may act like them, but they are not. They are adult stem cells no matter what people say.
Click to expand...
I think this is an important point. Too often abortion supporters twist words to vilify the pro life side. Calling these embryonic stem cells allows them to claim a type of victory, in a sick and twisted way.
 
rlg94086 said:
That is correct. I called them “embryonic” stem cells, because I’m not sure what other term to use. They are not simply adult stem cells though. I guess we could call them Altered Adult Stem Cells? Embryonic-mimicking Altered Adult Stem Cells?
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I think it’s fair to say they are adult stem cells that mimic the properties of embryonic stem cells in the **theoretical ** ability to turn into other cell types useful for therapeutic means.

sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120095400.htm
 
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