[gondramB]

This makes it sounds like they are taking cells directly from fetuses instead of limited lines grown in the lab - quite a change if that is really what they are doing.

[swmobuffalo]

“instead of limited lines grown in the lab”

In this case most likely contaminated lines. They have been for years. One of the many reasons that this type of research FAILS.

[ga medic]

Embryonic stem cells have to be harvested at a particular point in development. I believe that the embryo must be around 4-5 days old, for truly embryonic stem cells to be harvested. Any later and the cells are no longer pluripotent, and would be considered adult stem cells. The article didn’t make that very clear, but scientifically that is the only way it can work.

[dbz77]

This makes it sounds like they are taking cells directly from fetuses instead of limited lines grown in the lab - quite a change if that is really what they are doing.

Does this kill feti?

Doctors do not kill grown people just to take cell samples from them.

[Gondring]

I am thoroughly disgusted with the knee-jerking that goes on here these days (just some folks...I'm certainly not meaning everyone I pinged!). I am including a Moderator ping since some folks like to hit the abuse button when they can't support their position, and I just want to be proactive in making it understood why I am posting my viewpoints and why they are the way they are. Let's look at a few items...

• Ask yourself...are you blasting what is being reported? Anyone blasting this is blasting President Bush. This research is right in line with President Bush's policy of August 9, 2001.
• This research would have qualified for federal funding under Pres. Bush's policy.
• In fact, it was moving ahead under Pres. Bush, and the "3 days after Pres. Bush left" is a disingenuous subtitle, implying this has something to do with him leaving office.
• Injecting these stem cells into these people with spinal cord injuries is not resulting in the destruction of any embryos.
• This might have better results than other embryonic stem cell research, since it was discovered that many of the existing "fed-funding-legal" lines are contaminated. This trial is being conducted with H1-line cells from a bank that has been demonstrated to be uncontaminated with foreign human or animal cells.
• Previous research leading up to this was published in Journal of Neuroscience (May 2005). I'm not going to provide bootleg copies...sorry. :-)
• It saddens me to see so few with compassion to want success in this endeavor. Embryonic stem cell research is booming overseas, and many fetuses are being destroyed here. If a person dies, we allow his organs to be donated to help others. If an embryo is being discarded regardless of other factors, why is it wrong to try to use that tragedy to help others? It's not like banning this research is leading to any fewer embryos being destroyed. If embryos were being created to be destroyed, that's a different question, but in this case, it's like burning the granary stores of a murder victim rather than distributing them to the poor.
• I am not a physician. Everything in here is the opinion of the author, who is a layman and not an expert in this field. Another thing I am not...is a troll.

I'm saddened that FR has become proudly anti-science and proudly knee-jerk, it seems. It truly hurts our cause to display such irrationality. I hope that some people will stop and think and get informed instead of just screaming.

(Of course, some folks get it...e.g., Intolerant in NJ at #15 :-)

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

“This makes it sounds like they are taking cells directly from fetuses instead of limited lines grown in the lab”

The lines grown in a lab come from fetuses.