Monday, January 08, 2007

Stem Wars Over?

I've devoted many an electron towards blogging about embryonic stem cell research; reasons why I opposed it, developments in alternative extraction, and so forth. It's a rough issue because many of its proponents frame it in a, "We're doing moral good with this research, so you have to support it!" It's half-way convincing, of course, but isn't that the problem with any good lie? You only have to spend a moment to voice it but a lifetime to refute it.

Anyhow, it seems that a compromise everyone can live with may have arrived. A group, publishing in Nature Biotech., has reported taking stem cells from amniotic fluid and creating both viable cell lines as well as differentiated tissue.

Are the cells the same as embryonic stem cells? Well, the researchers are uncertain at this point. However, because these cells seem to offer the same flexibility as those coveted embryonic cells, it seems that they may be a suitable alternative.

Like I always say, the science needs to progress further before any definitive pronouncements can be made on the subject. But I can only hope that people will let the politics slide out of this issue and support a morally neutral source of cells compared to methods that are morally disputed.

Hat tip: Big Lizards, who is, incidentally, guest blogging for Michelle Malkin while she's away in Iraq.

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