New stem cell isolation protocol

[iansmith]

Stem Cell News Could Intensify Political Debate

Biologists have developed a technique for establishing colonies of human embryonic stem cells from an early human embryo without destroying it. This method, if confirmed in other laboratories, would seem to remove the principal objection to the research.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/24/s...rss&adxnnlx=1156554793-b82hPYSiVvSMmyaDSW1cDA

Good news but I am afraid it will not help the political debate

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

That is indeed good news. The objection seemed to stem from the principle that since you could not know when life began, that killing an embryo could be equated to "murder" has been neatly sidestepped by this. Are you suggesting though that this is not enough to ease the concerns of the religious conservatives?

“There is no rational reason left to oppose this research,” Dr. Robert Lanza, vice president of Advanced Cell Technology and leader of the research team.

In my opinion there was no rational reason to oppose this research in the first place whether the Embryo died or not. But then I'm not a Christian, although I respect their right to object if not their reasoning.

As a matter of interest just how many embryos are there in a healthy woman?

 

[NoTime]

As a matter of interest just how many embryos are there in a healthy woman?

None. Unless she is also pregnant.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

My bad, I mean how many ova are there in a woman. Thanks for the clarification, I was on serious mind altering drugs when I wrote that

 

[NoTime]

My bad, I mean how many ova are there in a woman. Thanks for the clarification, I was on serious mind altering drugs when I wrote that

Oh, that's different
AFAIK somewhere around 1 or 2 million folicles at birth. Perhaps 400 or so mature to be ova.