Numerous news sources report that scientists have turned "ordinary skin cells into what appear to be embryonic stem cells--without having to use human eggs or make new human embryos in the process." A Reuters headline, for example, reads "Scientists create embryonic cells from skin cell" and other articles suggest "Research May Sidestep Ethical Concerns Over Stem Cells." CBS calls the research a "Stem Cell Workaround" and the Financial Express asserts Stem cells sans human embryos possible!
Have Harvard researchers developed a source for embryonic stem cells that does not require the destruction of human life. Well, not quite. Amid the hype are more realistic articles reporting that the hybrid cells were derived from embryos that were previously destroyed:
The Harvard researchers used laboratory grown human embryonic stem cells - such as the ones that President Bush has already approved for use by federally funded researchers - to essentially convert a skin cell into an embryonic stem cell itself.Harvard’s press release tells a much more qualified story (emphasis mine):Now researchers must figure out how to remove the genetic information that was contributed by the embryonic cells in order to help the hybrid cells "differentiate," or grow into another type of tissue that can be used to treat disease.
A new study by Kevin Eggan, Douglas Melton, and colleagues offers hope that it might be possible in the future to produce embryonic stem cells without using human embryos. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers will report in the Aug. 26 edition of the journal Science that it may be possible by fusing two cells together to some day produce cells with the properties of embryonic stem. The researchers caution, however, that many daunting challenges must still be overcome and the promise of their work should not be seen as a reason to slow present research efforts.And, while the hybrid cells have many of the characteristics of embryonic stem cells, "The authors conclude that human embryonic cells have the ability to reprogram adult cell chromosomes following cell fusion."
I noticed this as well:
Researchers caution, however, that like many other nascent therapies that initially seemed promising, stem cells may never live up to their promise.And, there is this issue:
Because it involves the fusion of a stem cell and a person's ordinary skin cell, the process leads to the creation of a hybrid cell. While that cell has all the characteristics of a new embryonic stem cell, it contains the DNA of the person who donated the skin cell and also the DNA that was in the initial embryonic stem cell.Finally, consider the following quote:[snip]
"Their data are certainly very good . . . and quite significant," said John Gearhart, a stem cell researcher at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. But the extra DNA "is problematic."
``This technique isn't ready for prime time,'' said Harvard researcher Kevin Eggan, an assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard, who labeled the new procedure ``the first steps down an uncertain road.''
Yes, the research is "interesting" but given the problems with existing ESC lines one has to wonder how it will ever lead to a "replacement" for embryonic stem cells without relying on the destruction of human life.
There are true alternatives. Here is one: embryonic-like stem cells have been found in the placenta.
Update:
The Family Research Council newsletter includes the following remarks about this story:
The news is encouraging, an indication that at least some scientists "get it"--human embryo research and egg harvesting are morally troubling to a majority of Americans. However, the new technique still requires use of existing human embryonic stem cell lines, derived from human embryos that were already destroyed, so ethical questions do remain.In addition, what are produced are still embryonic stem cells, which continue to show tumors and incorrect cell types, and haven't treated a single patient. The real solution, which continues to get little notice, is adult stem cells. At least a dozen studies now show adult stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and placentas have the flexibility of embryonic stem cells, but without the scientific or ethical problems. And adult stem cells have already shown success in treating at least 65 different human diseases. Let's put our resources toward building a culture of life and real hope for patients--adult stem cells.
So if a stem cell is fused with a skin cell we get an entity like an embryo only it has extra DNA from the embryonic stem cell which must be gotten rid of
It seems to me you are still left after this process with the original embryo whose fate is either the garbage dump or an attempt at implantation through IVF. Where is the outrage against IVF?
I have Parkinson's disease and am looking abroad for help, not the US which is controlled by the religious right.
I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction? My sister in law was in a car accident and was paralyzed from the waist down. My cousin in law is now pregnant and her doctor asked her if she wanted to donate her stem cells, she told him the only way that she would do that is if she could donate them to her cousin. There is always hope that my sister in law will be able to walk again but how would she go about being able to have this procedure when there is no one in the US that will conduct it?
any kind of information that you can send me would be a great deal.
Thank you ]
Melanie