Stem Cells harvested w/o destroying embryos

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- In what could prove to be a medical milestone, researchers have succeeded in generating new lines of human embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo.

"The approach described here does not involve the destruction of an embryo, nor does the biopsied cell ever develop into an embryo at any point. Therefore, we hope this method can be used to increase the number of stem cell lines available for federal funding - and thus give the field a badly needed jump-start," Lanza said. "But I guess we'll have to see what the President and Congress have to say about it all."

Article from MSN:
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Destruction of embryos or not, its not like those embryos are going to be used anyway. If they are not going to be used for research, they are going to be destroyed anyway. May as well use them for a good purpose. What would they do with an embryo anyways after taking out a stem cell? I doubt it could be used for anything anyway.

Wow. I'm not going to Bush was right in the subject of stem cell research. In fact, his administration's stance has set back stem cell research by years relative to other countries. Regardless of the issues, the scientist at the leading edge have worked around this stumbling block put in place by the administration and, in doing so, have created a controversy-free human stem cell. I am much more comfortable using this type of stem cell than straight embryo's (That's not to say I would oppose embryonic stem cells, but this is a MUCH better situation)

Bravo, Science.

This is good news.

this new process is going to knock just about all the wind out of the sails of those that oppose stem cell research.

as was said by the good doctor; bravo science

*snort*

This article even hints that they've had this way open to them for years:

Lanza's new paper improves on research his team did last year. In that study, the Massachusetts group succeeded in cultivating mouse embryonic stem cell lines by removing just one cell from the mouse embryo. The procedure is similar to that used for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, used to check for genetic disorders during in vitro fertilization (IVF). In this case, the mouse embryos survived.
...
"We used a single-cell biopsy technique to pluck out one cell when the embryo was at the 8-to-10-cell stage," Lanza explained. This is the same stage used for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Excising a cell at this point doesn't interfere with the embryo's development, the scientist explained.

The single cell biopsy thing has been done for quite a while during IVF, to prove that implanted babies would be genetically healthy. Why did they wait this long to do research in this area? (Hopefully not for political reasons along the same level as Roe vs. Wade~there are people out there who want no restrictions on "genetic research" and will withold their data on lopholes in the off chance that they can get their way without using other ways. Thankfully, not enough of those types are actually in the field of research to drive me batty.)

Potentially, this could be done every single time IVF is done, and reduce the cost of IVF a bit with such a donation~since not all couples can really afford it.

While it can be done successfully, I want to know the failure rate. How many embryos were destroyed in this study to produce one/a few that wasn't/weren't, and how many still die every time they do this proceedure? The rate of failure is going to have to be very small for most those who believe life begins at conception.

And if a line is successfully developed off a failure of this particular proceedure, how is it going to be handled? Is it to be flushed..or still developed, but never government-funded? (probably too early to answer this one...)

But it's nice to see much of the tension being taken out of this issue...at least for now.

Stem cells were defined naturally as organ and systemic dependent... During Fetal Development, few are present at embryotic stages... They would have to be modified by technology, and administered locally, for specific organ repair... ONLY BIRTH CHORD STEMS CELLS are allowed for live medical treatment, unless the fetus is terminated.. otherwise. it takes abortion harvesting after the 1st trimester... DISGUSTING ! a reply to: TONE23