[weegee]

And in 2001, President Bush declared federal funding would only be available for research using the 61 human embryonic stem cells lines already in existence, where a "life or death decision had already been made".

This meant that no new lines could be created, whether from existing embryos or cloned embryos.

AND receive federal funding.

The media loves to obscure that part.

[mvpel]

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, head of developmental genetics at the UK's MRC National Institute for Medical Research, added: "I am also unconvinced by the ethical arguments - spare IVF embryos used to derive ES cell lines would have been destroyed anyway."

[tallhappy]

A US team created stem cell lines by removing single cells from embryos, a process that left them intact, they report in the journal Nature.

If one removes a cell from an embryo they are no longer "intact".

The consequence of such cell removal on the the further development of the organism is the question. It might have profound consequences.

Even amniocentesis which is done in utero and removes only cells from amniotic fluid has a certain rate of inducing birth defects.

At a much earlier stage of development with many less cells, taking one might make the leftover completely non-viable.

Perhaps these questions are addressed in the article, but that would mean mouse experiments.

[eraser2005]

ping for later reading

[Question_Assumptions]

So long as that single cell could, in theory, mature into a baby (as such cells do during twinning), arguably it's still detroying a baby.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, head of developmental genetics at the UK's MRC National Institute for Medical Research, added: "I am also unconvinced by the ethical arguments - spare IVF embryos used to derive ES cell lines would have been destroyed anyway."

Hmmm. By this reasoning, medical experimentation on convicts facing the death penalty would also be ethical, as those lives are facing destruction.

[VOA]

This possible development was mentioned in (IIRC) the Dec. 2005 "Smithsonian" magazine.
It was a pretty fair and balanced article; and honest about the haggling between
even scientists that have varying ethical viewpoints.

I just happened to be viewing the mag yesterday.
And couldn't help having a small smile when reading the part about how that
South Korean cloning-miracle-worker was leaving the stodgy old USA in the dust.

[Incorrigible]

Bump