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The Full Story Behind ACT's Human Embryo Study.
"After all, what really stands out about the ACT [Advanced Cell Technology] study is its fundamental aim. Stem-cell researchers are recognizing the need to find ways of doing their work that do not involve the destruction of human embryos. This is truly a welcome development." -- From "The Real Good News on Stem Cells Beyond the hype, some real hope," by Robert P. George, which appeared August 28 at www.nationalreview.com
"In an effort to correct a misunderstanding about a study that described a way of creating embryonic stem cells while sparing human embryos, officials at the journal Nature said Thursday they plan on changing the paper to make it clearer that all of the embryos used were destroyed." -- From "Journal will clarify human embryo study," Chicago Tribune, September 1.
On the one hand the study produced by Advanced Cell Technology and published August 23 in the online edition of the prestigious publication Nature represented a classic illustration of a press release outpacing what a study actually accomplished. On the other hand, for all its considerable faults, the study implicitly recognizes that it would be good for all parties to the debate if embryonic stem cells could be created without destroying human embryos in the process.
Put another way, it's important that the particular false assertion that made its way into the media stream not override (to quote Prof. Robert George) "the story of emerging techniques to derive embryonic-like stem cells without harming embryos."
For those who haven't had a chance to keep up with the ever-changing picture, Nature produced a news release August 23 to accompany the ACT study that inaccurately stated that human embryonic stem cells had been obtained from human embryos without destroying the embryos in the process. The Washington Post headline was typical: "Stem cells created with no harm to human embryos." In fact, this was blatantly untrue, and Nature corrected the error two days later.
As Prof. George explained, "First, the study did not involve the removal of one cell from an embryo that then continued to develop. Instead, researchers disaggregated 16 living embryos, killing them all, and took an average of six cells from each. The 91 resulting embryonic cells were then placed near one another in dishes and allowed to divide.
"Some divided, while others died, and from the cells ...
- No human embryos created or destroyed: Embryonic Stem Cells Created from Skin...
- Magazine article from: National Right to Life News September 1, 2005 700+ words
...existing line of embryonic stem cells. If proven to work, the...circumvent lethally harvesting stem cells from human embryos. However, while the research...offered by proponents is that stem cells from human embryos are like all-purpose repair...
- Conditions for the Utilization of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived From...
- Newspaper article from: Transplant News September 24, 2000 700+ words
...pluripotent stem cells derived from human embryos may be conducted...only frozen human embryos should have...pluripotent stem cells. In addition...donation of human embryos to derive pluripotent stem cells only at the...
- Scientists cause controversy by creating stem cells from human embryos donated...
- Newspaper article from: Transplant News July 13, 2001 700+ words
...first time, created stem cells from human embryos using eggs and sperm...work on embryonic stem cells, which hold the promise...ghoulish-creating human embryos for the specific purpose...growing cultures of stem cells and spare embryos...
- After vigorous debate Great Britain becomes first nation to legalize cloning...
- Newspaper article from: Transplant News January 31, 2001 700+ words
...regulations allowing the cloning of stem cells from human embryos. By a vote of 212 to 92...researchers maintain that stem cells from embryos less than 1...scope of research to include stem cells from human embryos, human cloning remains illegal...
- First stem cells made without human embryos.
- Newspaper article from: The Evening Standard (London, England) August 22, 2005 700+ words
...MAJOR breakthrough in creating controversial stem cells has been revealed. Experts at Harvard Medical School have created stem cells without human embryos. Stem cells are unique in that they can turn into any cell...
- Obtaining pluripotent stem cells without destroying human embryos focus of...
- Newspaper article from: Transplant News June 30, 2005 700+ words
...take in order to pluripotent stem cells without destroying human embryos. "Much of the ethical controversy over stem cells derives from the fact that...to derive them from living human embryos by a process that necessarily...
- Stem cells created without destroying human embryos.
- News wire article from: PTI - The Press Trust of India Ltd. August 24, 2006 700+ words
Stem cells created without destroying human embryos New York, Aug 24 (PTI) In a significant development...developed a technique for establishing colonies of stem cells without destroying human embryos. This method, if confirmed in other laboratories...
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute to Extract Stem Cells from Cloned Human Embryos.
- Magazine article from: National Right to Life News June 1, 2006 700+ words
...attempt to extract stem cells from cloned human embryos. A story that...Why do these human embryos exist in the...destroy for their stem cells. As one observer...involve sources of stem cells other than from human embryos. Indeed, the...