August 18, 2005
SENATOR FRIST, SATAN ON LINE ONE...:
Alternative to embryo research found (LOUISE GRAY, 8/19/05, The Scotsman)
SCIENTISTS have found a way of deriving stem cells from umbilical cords which may end the need to clone human embryos in an attempt to cure diseases.The discovery of stem cells in umbilical cord blood with the potential to transform into a wide range of other cell types - in the same way as those in an embryo - could allow scientists to sidestep the ethical issues that surround the creation and destruction of embryos. [...]
Pro-life and religious groups have argued that human life should not be created and then destroyed to provide new ways of treating patients, but this method avoids this ethical dilemma completely.
...he says he won't be needing your soul after all. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 18, 2005 12:00 AM
Isn't the lesson here the oldest of lessons: No matter how good a deal you think you've struck with Satan, you never receive full value? Senator Frist is like the man who sold his sole for a better buggy whip design in September 1908.
Posted by: David Cohen at August 18, 2005 9:50 AMDoes this matter? It's been made quite explicit that if any ESC therapy is ever found, it will almost certainly require a specific genetic match for each particular patient, i.e. embryo farming. And once a therapy has been demonstrated to work, who can say no to that?
Posted by: b at August 18, 2005 12:41 PM