Hopes Now Outpace Stem Cell Science

NY Times ^ | July 29, 2004 | GINA KOLATA

[hocndoc]

This is the closest I've seen in any major media article to explaining the need for cloning of a twin of the patient:

""Many scientists hope eventually to make customized stem cells for patients by starting the cloning process, making an embryo that is genetically identical to the patient, but interrupting the clone's development when it was a few days old and extracting its stem cells.""


Although the "interupting the clone's development" is a little tame - sort of like "The Nazis interupted the development of 6 million Jews."


Also, at least the reporter admits that researchers have never been able to influence the development of embryonic stem cells into specific cell types. On the other hand, adult and umbilical cells *have* been induced to de-differentiate and others have been identified as stem cells that can be induced to both differentiate into specific stem cells and/or fuse with the local cells, increasing function and healing muscle, neurological tissue, and even producing insulin.


Notice that the author did not mention the patients with spinal cord damage who are now walking with braces and swimming independently after only a couple of months?

[hocndoc]

btw, here's an article on how the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation is spending money on embryonic research - $3 million for research and $1 million for lobbying.
Take a look at Proposition 71 info, too.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/science/AP-Stem-Cell-Funder.html

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link. How did you know where to find such a recent link?

[hocndoc]

The NYT has a great search engine at the top of the page. Usually on the same page as the artcles I read, they offer a link called "Times News Tracker."
Also, I use Google News
http://news.google.com/

[neverdem]

Thanks for the search tips!

[Saundra Duffy]

Chris Hansen Letter To The Editor - A Former Embryo Speaks Out

Since I am a former embryo, I have every right to speak out on behalf of embryos who can not speak for themselves. I am glad that my stem cells weren't harvested! I would have been killed in the process. Many embryos have sacrificed their lives for research, and not a single disease has been cured in the process. I am now an adult, and I have lots of stem cells to donate. I don't mind donating part of myself for research. I just don't want to die in the process! Adult stem cells have cured three-hundred diseases without killing a single person. Embryos of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your lives!

Chris Hansen
Author of
Revelation Revisited