Scientists have for the first time grown colonies of prized human embryonic stem cells using a technique that does not require the destruction of human embryos, an advance that could significantly reshape the ethical and political debates that have long entangled the research.
Shall we count how many mistakes are in that one sentence? Let's allow Richard Doerflinger, of the Bishops Pro-Life Secretariat to count for us, shall we? Let's start with the contention that no embryos are harmed by this process. But the process did destroy them. Mr. D?
The experiment is itself gravely unethical, because it involved thawing and manipulating 16 human embryos and then discarding them.
Plus
It is widely believed that one cell of a very early embryo may separate and become a new embryo, an identical twin. By picking single cells from eight-celled embryos and culturing them overnight, it is possible the researchers created and destroyed as many as 91 additional very early embryos to get two new cell lines.
Not to mention:
As noted by the National Institutes of Health in congressional testimony last summer, the safety of the "embryo biopsy" technique has not been established. Some embryos do not survive the process, and some survivors may have long-term adverse effects later in life. It was only after a million live births from "in vitro" fertilization (IVF) that major studies confirmed an increased rate of some birth defects from that technique.Well, you would say that --anything to save an embryo right?
The authors admit there are "remaining doubts about safety," and conclude that their approach should be confined at present to cases where embryos are already subjected to embryo biopsy for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). But IVF and PGD pose their own serious issues of safety and ethics. An especially tragic irony is that the very embryos who would most benefit from having their own genetically matched "repair kit" of stem cells will be the ones found by PGD to be genetically "imperfect," and therefore thrown away.
So in fact this "new process" doesn't do what it says and will be just as contentious as the old process? The MSM has it wrong and is relying on company press releases without independent verification again?
Do you have a better solution, Mr. D?
Last month a unanimous Senate and a strong House majority recommended federal funding for ways to obtain versatile, embryonic-like stem cells without using human embryos at all, and President Bush has said he will direct the NIH to explore these. This seems a more promising avenue for avoiding harm to embryonic human beings in stem cell research.
I'll say --especially when this process didn't even garner the support of the "ethically diverse" President's Council on Bioethics. Move along people. Nothing to see here.
