This may turn out to be a "win-win" discovery for everyone -- a relatively easy to acquire source of stem cells that doesn't require the taking of human lives!

Scientists reported Sunday they had found a plentiful source of stem cells in the fluid that cushions babies in the womb and produced a variety of tissue types from these cells — sidestepping the controversy over destroying embryos for research.

Researchers at Wake Forest University and Harvard University reported the stem cells they drew from amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women hold much the same promise as embryonic stem cells. They reported they were able to extract the stem cells without harm to mother or fetus and turn their discovery into several different tissue cell types, including brain, liver and bone.

"Our hope is that these cells will provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for engineered organs as well," said Dr. Anthony Atala, head of Wake Forest's regenerative medicine institute and senior researcher on the project.

It took Atala's team some seven years of research to determine the cells they found were truly stem cells that "can be used to produce a broad range of cells that may be valuable for therapy."

Now this development likely means that we don't have to deal with the issue of cloned embryos or aborted babies being used for "spare parts" by ghouls claiming to be scientists. It means that much of the promise that allegedly exists in fetal stem cell research can be achieved without complicity in the abortion holocaust. (and I say "allegedly exists" because the most promising results have come from adult, not fetal, stem cell research).

Of course, some of the ghouls insist that they have to keep killing babies to achieve progress.

Dr. George Daley, a Harvard University stem cell researcher, said that finding raises the possibility that someday expectant parents can freeze amnio stem cells for future tissue replacement in a sick child without fear of immune rejection.

Nonetheless, Daley said the discovery shouldn't be used as a replacement for human embryonic stem cell research.

"While they are fascinating subjects of study in their own right, they are not a substitute for human embryonic stem cells, which allow scientists to address a host of other interesting questions in early human development," said Daley, who began work last year to clone human embryos to produce stem cells.

Dr. Mengele -- Dr. Daley calling for you on line one.

Posted by: Greg at 08:16 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 420 words, total size 3 kb.