Superior Stem Cells

[billroper]

According to this article, two different groups of researchers have cracked the problem of creating embryonic stem cells from human skin cells. Obviously, that's a solution that's looking for applications still, but -- if you believe that embryonic stem cells are likely to be useful in treating human diseases -- this is wonderful news.

Whatever your beliefs about the morality of harvesting embryonic stem cells from embryos, the stem cells that we'll get from this process (if it all works out) have the distinct advantage of being able to carry the same set of genes as the target recipient. This eliminates nasty problems with rejection and immunosuppressant anti-rejection drugs.

And it looks like a process that works around moral objections for almost everyone. (I say almost, because there are people who have moral objections to any form of medical treatment. But for the vast majority of Americans, this method of generating stem cells should be just fine.)

Better living through biology. :)

Comments

You know, your post makes it sound

[capplor.livejournal.com]

as though you favor suppressing the science, because you don't like what people MIGHT do with it. How does this make you any different from the Bush administration, which suppresses embryonic stem cell research because people MIGHT create embryos for the purpose of research alone (though there is no need to do so)?

Re: You know, your post makes it sound

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

I guess I can see how you might get that impression. I think it would be a net positive for humanity if it works completely, but like any non-trivial development, there is a down side.

The only thing I'd actually favor suppressing is sensational pseudo-journalism.