Embryonic Research Paper Called into Question.

On the eve of the vote in Missouri that authorized the cloning and killing of human embryos, a paper published by one of the state's most vocal proponents of embryonic research "may not be reliable," according to Science magazine. [For more on the passage of "Amendment Two" in Missouri, see page 23.]

The report, published in the February 17 issue of Science by a team at the University of Missouri at Columbia led by R. Michael Roberts, used mouse embryos to purportedly show that after the first cell division in an embryo, one cell with a specific protein develops into the placenta and the other without the protein forms the fetus, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported.

The paper could have implications for embryonic stem cell research, since it involves the question of whether cells are pre-programmed to become certain types of tissue and the whole process of cell division and differentiation.

In addition to using mouse embryos, Roberts, professor of animal sciences, also uses the human embryonic cell lines authorized by President George W. Bush in his research. Although he did not publicly commented on Amendment 2, the embryonic clone-and-kill initiative that passed in Missouri November 7, Roberts has spoken out in support of broadening the use of human embryos in research and dismissing the humanity of embryos.

"To me, an eight-month-old fetus has more moral status than a four-month-old fetus and a four-month-old fetus has more moral status than a four-day-old embryo," Roberts told the Columbia Missourian. "Imagine that you have a house that is on fire. You have two children, the family dog and some embryos frozen in the cellar. Whom would you rescue first? Most people would rescue their children first. Then whom would you rescue? Would you ...