No need to destroy embryos, says US bioethics committee
There may be ethical ways to obtain pluripotent, genetically stable, and long-lived stem cells, says the President’s Council on Bioethics in . It has identified four such possible approaches: stem cells from dead embryos; from living embryos, by non-destructive biopsy; from bioengineered embryo-like artefacts; and from reprogrammed adult somatic cells.
The chairman of the council, Dr Leon Kass, says that the proposals deserve the nation’s — and especially its scientists’ — “careful and serious consideration”. But since they are all unusual alternatives to the use of a readily available resource, they are unlikely to be welcomed by most stem cell scientists.
Latest posts by Mumbai (see all)
- Prescribe morning-after pills to young teenagers, say US pediatric group - November 30, 2012
- Bahrain sentences protest docs to prison - November 28, 2012
- Terry Pratchett assisted suicide documentary wins International Emmy - November 27, 2012
More Stories
BioEdge has closed its doors
After 23 years, BioEdge ceased published in May 2024. Not that there isn't lots to report on and talk about,...
How liberal are American bioethicists?
There is growing acknowledgement of the fact that the backgrounds, ideas, and politics of American academics are out of step...
Doctors can be socialized to cooperate in morally despicable evil, says bioethicist
Bioethicist Carl Elliott seems to relish stirring up fellow bioethicists and the medical profession. In his latest book, The Occasional Human...
3 sperm donors from same family in Quebec have sired 600 children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children by offering free sperm on the...
American IVF clinics are happily offering sex selection
The United States is one of the few countries where IVF sex selection is legal – and it is a...
Owner of castration website in UK found guilty of grievous bodily harm
“Enhancement” normally connotes adding powers beyond normal human functioning. However, there are dark kinds of enhancement which remove them. A...