IPSC Ping
I found out what it means to have my “Plasmid cart” empty!
http://www.lifeethics.org/www.lifeethics.org/2007/11/buy-yamanaka-stemcell-factors.html
Thanks for posting the stories and links.
I’ve been lost in the minutiae - I’ve been writing my “translations” - or very simple reviews - of the reports and trying to explain what I think I understand about the reports. Someone asked me about the protein markers and I got lost in Google for a day. I had no idea how intricate the regulation of early embryos is - even with the very limited knowledge that I believe we have so far.
Isn’t the goal cures and treatments for disease? Preferably, we’ll stimulate stem cells in situ, and we’ll settle for transplantable patient-specific cells. (Actually, for rapid access, we’ll want to keep some cultured and at least nearly-ready to go.)
The results reported this week appear to be more accessible for everyone - not just the rich elite who are able to pay for or barter for eggs.
Look at the Takahashi, et. al., papers. There were no human embryos or human embryonic stem cells used.
On the other hand, Thomson’s lab used both embryonic stem cells and fetal cells - doesn’t look like he was “hobbled” at all.
Aren’t we closer to the goal than we were or would be if labs were going all out to clone humans by SCNT?
Any one who doubts that the fuss and bother is about God, abortion, and hating the politicians who stand for the first and against the last, take a look at (and respond, if you feel like it) at the bloggers over at Scienceblogs.
http://scienceblogs.com/channel/24-hours/?utm_source=rightcol&utm_medium=link&utm_content=topmodule
I think there’s only one believer who owns a blog over there, and I don’t know any who are admittedly pro-life, much less someone who is halfway happy about the reprogramming of adult stem cells.
For fun, or aggravation, read Pharyngula http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/11/the_logic_that_makes_him_confi.php
or “Science Activist” whose head line was a semi-sarcastic “Thousands of Researchers Now Jobless”
http://scienceblogs.com/scientificactivist/2007/11/embryonic_stem_cell_debate.php