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Exciting New Developement in Stem Cell Research No Embryos, No Cloning, No Eggs--No Problem!
Two prominent embryonic stem cell scientists today published results showing that they can produce cells with the qualities of embryonic stem cells directly from human skin cells, without the need for creating or destroying embryos, without cloning, and without the need for eggs used in cloning. The groundbreaking news by Dr. James Thomson, first to grow human embryonic stem cells, and Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, Japan, was that they produced what are called "iPS" cells (induced Pluripotent Stem cells) using a simple recipe that involved adding four genetic factors to a human skin cell. When comparing these new cells with existing embryonic stem cells, Thomson noted that iPS cells "meet the defining criteria" for embryonic stem cells "with the significant exception that the iPS cells are not derived from embryos." Yamanaka and Thomson are to be congratulated for pushing forward the frontiers of science and demonstrating that good science can also satisfy ethical requirements. Coupled with the recent announcement by Dr. Ian Wilmut, cloner of Dolly the sheep, that he is shelving cloning as an unproductive technique in favor of this new ethical method, dubious experiments involving embryo cloning and embryo destruction are being rendered obsolete. Scientists can now work with "embryonic-like" stem cells without ethical concerns, while for patients the adult and cord blood stem cells continue to treat thousands of patients now. Congress should move swiftly to ban all human cloning by passing the Brownback-Weldon human cloning prohibition. Sold on New Cells
In news that some are comparing to the greatest scientific achievement "since the discovery of DNA," the world continues to revel in the discovery of an "embryo-free" method for producing stem cells. Even the most ardent supporters of research that destroys human embryos are celebrating what they consider the end of the long and contentious stem cell debate. For states like New Jersey, the announcement brings a huge sense of relief. Imagine voters' horror if they had followed Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) advice this November to borrow $450 million for ESC research that is all but obsolete. For others, like columnist Charles Krauthammer, a former ESC proponent, it vindicates six years of White House policy. In his Washington Post op-ed today, he congratulates President Bush for withstanding "unrelenting demagoguery" and vilification in drawing a moral line. He concludes, eloquently, "Providence... saw to it that the technique be so elegant and beautiful that scientific reasons alone will now incline even the most willful researchers to leave the human embryo alone." In response, Germany already plans to double the country's funding of ethical research. Surely the U.S. Congress should hasten to match--if not exceed--Germany's offer. Meanwhile, FRC's Senior Fellow for Life Sciences, Dr. David Prentice, is helping countries like Costa Rica on the latest developments in stem cells and human cloning. In a visit this week, Dr. Prentice has met with key Costa Rican leaders, including Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno. With this breakthrough, FRC looks forward to strengthening our pro-life alliances in Costa Rica and abroad. Out-Celling the CompetitionJust two weeks ago, scientists in Japan and the U.S. announced that they can produce "induced Pluripotent Stem cells" (iPS cells) directly from skin cells, creating embryonic-type cells without the use of embryos, cloning, or eggs. The significance of this discovery cannot be underestimated. For years, scientists have clamored for human embryos and cloning to pursue the creation of such cells. Yet in the wake of lead researcher Shinya Yamanaka's success, many of these same scientists have discounted the value of iPS cells, claiming that they're a cancer risk and arguing that it could take years to prove that iPS cells are as useful as embryonic stem cells or cloning. In the meantime, these researchers insist that we should continue to pursue the destruction of human embryos and harvest human eggs for cloning. Last week, however, Dr. Yamanaka continued to silence critics, showing that he can produce iPS cells without the cancer gene that was a focus of concern. Yesterday, scientists at MIT added to the growing list of iPS accomplishments by proving that these cells can be used to successfully treat of sickle cell anemia in mice. Researchers had tried the same experiment with cloning and failed. Let's not forget that this newfound success of iPS cells only adds to the long list of accomplishments of adult and cord blood stem cells, which are treating patients as we speak. Yet again, researchers are proving that the compatibility of science and ethics continues to be not only the most principled approach but also the most promising. |
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