Latest Thomson Study
Reported as Major Breakthrough to Embryonic Stem Cell Research is Not
Pro-Life!
March 30, 2009
There's
a lot of hype out there once more on the latest research involving
reprogramming adult stem cells to become "embryonic". (See our previous
reports linked below.)
The most recent announcement last week
was that of James
Thomson
of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
in which
he reprogrammed neonatal foreskin cells, which are classified as "adult"
or "mature" stem cells, using a plasmid, technique to deliver the genes
into the foreskin cells, rather than a lentivirus. The result was
a transformation of the adult cells to an "embryonic" state. While
Thomson hailed the process as much safer than past experiments (which is
still highly debatable) in which he used lentiviruses to deliver the
genes, what was not reported was his use of embryonic stem cells and
aborted fetal cell lines as sources for the genes.
As in
every other study conducted thus far, the immorally obtainedl cell lines
have been an integral part of the research. And just as he did in 2008,
Thomson admits he
used
the exact same reprogramming genes from his and Yamanaka's previous
studies - and those sources were later discovered to originate from both
embryonic and aborted fetal cell lines.
The latest study is
published in Science on-line magazine.
http://www.the-scientist.com/templates/trackable/display/blog.jsp?type=blog&o_url=blog/display/55548&id=55548
Let the public beware: what all studies
fail to acknowledge is that if adult stem cells truly become embryonic,
they will carry the same fatal tumors found in all embryonic stem cell
applications which have plagued any success of using them in human
applications. So what is the "major breakthrough" in that?
Previous reports:
1-25-09
Reprogramming
Stem Cells - Or Pro-Lifers' Minds?
2-20-08
Second
Stem Cell Reprogramming Reports - Not Pro-Life;
Again, aborted fetal and HESC were used
1-8-08
Adult
Stem Cells Reprogrammed Using Aborted Fetal and embryonic stem cells -
Moral
Methods could have been used
1-8-08
Dr
Theresa Deisher: Adult Stem Cell Reprogramming No Moral Victory |
