I have been reading Decision Points written by President George W. Bush. His presentation of his decision on government involvement in embryonic stem cell research is moving and his reasoning impressive. Four months after that famous speech, scientists announced successful reprogramming. Bush quotes Charles Krauthammer, "The verdict is clear: Rarely has a president - so vilified for a moral stance - been so thoroughly vindicated."
Scientists had moved toward making embryonic stem cell research obsolete when they used direct reprogramming to convert adult stem cells to an embryonic-like state. Now direct conversion appears to be even better.
The process of direct conversion involves changing one kind of specialized stem cell into another kind, in this case skin cells into blood cells. This eliminates the perceived need for embryonic stem cells.
"I think everyone believes this is really the future of so-called stem-cell biology," John Gearhart of the University of Pennsylvania, who is researching direct conversion, told the Associated Press.
"This is something that's really caught fire because it's an easy strategy to use," he said.
Gearhart also says direct conversion is helpful because embryonic stem cells produce immature cells while direct conversion produces mature cells that provide better prospects for patients and cures.
The direct conversion approach also avoids the need to create embryonic-like stem cells from adult stem cells because it gets to the end result of creating new cells without going through additional steps from beginning to end.
Bioethics attorney Wesley J. Smith says, "If scientists can make more progress with direct conversion, the cures angle would become obsolete-and with it, the politics of hype-as the scientific focus, and the research dollars shifted-and just perhaps, the resulting ethical regenerative medicine would stall the drive toward Brave New World."
Once again, the ethical position - our position - is shown to be the most effective scientifically.
Anne
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