Posted on 08/26/2006 7:25:10 AM PDT by Former Fetus
Supposed New Embryonic Stem Cell Research Technique Killed All Embryos
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A supposedly new method of obtaining embryonic stem cells for research without destroying any human embryos appeared to be untrue. Upon further examination of the research paper making the claims, it appears all of the 16 human embryos Advanced Cell Technology used to come up with the process died during the procedure.
The biotech firm made amazing claims that produced a media sensation around the world when it said it had developed a morally ethical method of obtaining the cells.
Pro-life advocates have long opposed embryonic stem cell research because human life id destroyed in the process. Not so with the single-cell biopsy technique called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), ACT claimed. ACT said it was able to develop two viable embryonic stem cell lines from a total of 16 human embryos. But, they all died, leading bioethics watchdog Wesley J. Smith explains.
"I have checked this out. The actual paper published in Nature states that all 16 embryos were destroyed and 4-7 cells taken from each 8-10 cell embryo," he said. That differs from an ACT press release which maintained just one cell was taken from each human embryo in the process. In fact, the researchers did not take one cell from an early embryo, allowing the embryo to survive, while obtaining embryonic stem cell lines," he explained. "They destroyed all the embryos." Smith said the Nature article proves that it might be possible to obtain the embryonic stem cells without destroying the days-old unborn child, but ACT did not successfully do that.
Smith said ACT successfully duped the media into thinking it had achieved success.
"The press release from ACT told a different story and the media stampeded. In other words, they wrote off the press release, not the actual published science," Smith said, calling it "shameful."
The ACT media blitz apparently had the desired effect. Shares of Advanced Cell doubled within a matter of minutes on the announcement yesterday, going on to close the regular trading session up $1.43 to $1.83, an upswing of nearly 358%.
The uptick comes after a year of declining stock value in which the price per share dropped from nearly $3.00 to a low of 40 cents just before the announcement. However, early criticism Friday morning of its announcement by pro-life advocates and these revelations that the press statements don't match the results in the Nature article are already hitting the stock. At press time, ACT shares are down 46 cents, or nearly 29 percent.
It should be obvious to all who have followed the embryonic stem cell controversy that the name Advanced Cell Technology should have raised red flags all over the place! Look at the stock market before and after the announcement.
Before anybody tries to flame me, I would trust Wesley Smith with my life.
Funny, the same cell removal technique is used to test the DNA before implantation into the uterine wall.
That is a quantum worse than what Martha Stewart was accused of doing. I hope the SEC takes a long, hard look at what went down. Seems not much different from the zillions of "pump and dump" email schemes we're bombarded with. And if the "press" is no different than services like PR Newswire (a legitimate information source that does not masquerade as anything else), are they still the "press" that is mentioned in the First Amendment?
I stand by the comment I made yesterday. In all this news hoopla, people forget the fact that embryonic stem cells have yet to cure anybody, while adult stem cells are doing great.
Sounds like embryonic stem cell research is more a case of pork than anything else. It's the liberal's kind of corporate welfare.
this will not make the news world wide leaving the plated story in the memory in so many people. Now the dems will use the first story and spread that filth as fact...
Sad but true. You just gave me an idea... I'm going to send a link to Drudge, maybe O"Reilly. If you, or any Freeper, can think on anybody else who should hear about it, please help!
any other former embryos here?
we need to get together.
...
this is garbage, it must be a slow news days
The destruction of the embryos was reported in a paper in Nature.
While the embryonicness of embryonic stem cells has been the major focus, it is not the major ethical issue. Hidden in the arguments somewhere is mention of the possibility of modifying human genetic structure. This is what ought not be done.
So it was all just another lie from the death industry.
Proving once again these people aren't about finding cures, but about lining their pockets with cash.
That's not the case here. It was the removal of 4-7 cells that caused the death of the embryos. Kind of like removing someone's heart, wouldn't you say that was probably the cause of death?
Thanks. Got all of them covered.
Do you really think that the intentional killing of human beings is not a major ethical issue?
To the contrary it is specific in stating that the process is not "interfering with the embryo’s potential for life". That clearly rules out their destruction.
It says they didn't harm their potential for life in the process of removing the cells, not that they didn't go ahead and destroy them after the fact. Do you see the difference?
The most major issue is genetic modification. Add human cloning for the next most major ethical issue.
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