Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Stem Cell Breakthrough

The latest news in stem cell research is very encouraging both on a scientific and an ethical level. Scientists in Japan have recently found a procedure they believe will give adult cells the kind of pluripotent ability possible in embryonic stem cells. In other words, scientists (including Ian Wilmut of Dolly fame) believe they have found a way to benefit from the potential of embryonic stem cell while avoiding all the ethical concerns.

What is most encouraging to me in this article and in others I have perused is the sense that the scientific community seems poised to embrace this development with a significant amount of gusto. For all the years while adult stem cells have been successfully applied and embryonic stem cells have failed, all the press and money have gone for the embryonic stem cell research.

More ethical issues lurk around the corner, however. According to the article, this breakthrough puts us one step closer to human cloning. In fact, according to a recent U.N. study, we might only be 20-30 years away from living, breathing, lab-created human clones.

There is still a lot of ethical work to be done!

2 comments:

jcubsdad said...

So much work to be done for sure, but it is work that has its rewards. It is like the 3 men who were building a cathedral. A priest asked the first one what he was doing, he said he was putting mortar on the bricks, the second, I am building a wall, and the third said "I am building a cathedral". We must see the small things as a step towards the greater meta narrative laid out by God.

The more and more we learn about the cell, the more and more we see a creator behind it. I welcome the scientists inquiry because eventually they will have to come to the end of thereselves and say... maybe there truly is a creator.

Anonymous said...

1 oct 2009 thursday
BREAKING NEWS
INSTRACTION FOR READING MY THIS E MAIL MSG,
Each members my request please reading my this e mail msg carefully. If you are not link with my this e mail msg, my request with you, please any others linked companies and peoples sending to my this e mail msg. thanks a lot,
MY INTRODUCTION
My Name is Qamar-uz-zaman khan, My age is 43 years, I am Pakistani , I have been living in Punjab/Rawalpindi Pakistan, from last 62 years, My late father was an spiritual person. And had a great information about the spiritual knowledge and magic word, Especially to 90% reduce speed of all types [storms, thunderstorms, hurricane, winds, whirlwinds, twister, tornado, and lightning] my father had done the experiment to 90% reduce speed of all type storm,e.t.c many times in his life, He tested his knowledge to 90% reduce speed of storms, the coming or expected all types of storms, in Pakistan and got success 99% my father was my teacher, my father hed taught me this spiritually knowledge and magic words, before his death, this spiritual knowledge and magic words consists some magic secret books, that recite to 90% reduce speed coming and expected of all type storms, I had experienced this knowledges 90% reduce speed of all type storms, during my father’s life, and I had also gotten the 99% success.CONTACT WITH ME qamar_219@hotmail.com & qamars_219@yahoo.com
My Cell No. +92-333-5754017 [ P a k i s t a n ]