Good News from Harvard Scientists

In just the past few days, we're learning of advances made in stem cell research.

On Saturday, the Washington Times reported:

A team of Texas and British researchers says it has produced large amounts of embryoniclike stem cells from umbilical cord blood, potentially ending the ethical debate affecting stem-cell research -- the need to kill human embryos.

The international researchers said the cells -- called cord-blood-derived-embyroniclike stem cells, or CBEs -- have the ability to turn into any kind of body tissue, like embryonic stem cells do, and can be mass-produced using technology derived from NASA.

Now today, there's even MORE good news to report.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Harvard scientists announced they've discovered a way to fuse adult skin cells with embryonic stem cells, a promising and dramatic breakthrough that could lead to the creation of useful stem cells without first having to create and destroy human embryos.

Members of the research team were to discuss their findings Monday. Preliminary results of the potentially groundbreaking research were disclosed Sunday on the Science magazine web site.

The scientists said they were able to show in their early research that the fused cell "was reprogrammed to its embryonic state."

"If future experiments indicate that this reprogrammed state is retained after removing the embryonic stem cell DNA _ currently a formidable technical hurdle _ the hybrid cells could theoretically be used to produce embryonic stem cells lines that are tailored to individual patients without the need to create and destroy human embryos," said a summary of the research reported on the Science site.

That could lead to creation of stem cells without having to use human eggs or make new human embryos in the process, thereby sidestepping much of the controversy over stem cell research.

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.

...The hybrid cells created by the Harvard team "had the appearance, growth rate, and several key genetic characteristics of human embryonic cells," the summary of their work said.

"They also behaved like embryonic cells, differentiating into cells from each of the three main tissue types that form in a developing embryo. The authors conclude that human embryonic cells have the ability to reprogram adult cell chromosomes following cell fusion."

Frankly, I'm surprised that Harvard researchers revealed their findings before the Senate begins its debate "over a House-passed bill to force taxpayers to fund stem cell research that would destroy human embryos, legislation President Bush has promised to veto."

As the Post writes, "Bush and many fellow conservatives believe it is immoral to create embryos only to destroy them, even in the name of scientific progress that could cure or treat diseases afflicting millions of people."

Clearly, the liberals and/or Dems want to use the stem cell issue to depict Bush and pro-life conservatives as the enemies of scientific progress, standing in the way of alleviating human suffering.

Politically, it's advantageous for them to make it appear that the President and Republicans are against efforts to find new cures and treatments through stem cell research.

Of course, that's ridiculous; but it's how the Dems have twisted the issue.

Currently, federal dollars ARE being spent on embryonic stem cell research. More importantly, the private sector is not banned from doing whatever it wants in terms of research.

(The bill the Senate is soon to debate concerns INCREASED federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.)

The latest findings from the Harvard scientists is good news to those of us desperately wanting to discover cures and treatments for dreadful diseases while maintaining respect for human life at all its stages.

It's bad news for politically opportunistic Dems that hoped to capitalize on the embryonic stem cell issue.

Lines like this one from John Edwards, "If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up out of that wheelchair and walk again," have been rendered obsolete.

The debate on whether or not it's ethical to destroy human embryos during scientific experimentation is becoming irrelevant.

There's increasing evidence that life does not have to be destroyed to save other lives.

VERY GOOD NEWS!