Nature reports a new technique for developing cultures of hES cells, which has several implications each of which would help scientists deal with what is sure to be a very difficult four years for stem cell research. The big news is not the primary finding, that morula-stage embryos can produce stem cells. The folks who brought us “W: The Sequel” could care less what kind of embryo is destroyed; whatever it is, they’re against it. The big news is what morula-stage embryo-derived stem cells could mean for harvesting of hES cells without destroying embryos:

Researchers might also use the new method to grow stem cells from
morula-stage embryos that have stalled in their development and are
incapable of growing into babies, suggests stem-cell researcher Jose Cibelli
of Michigan State University in East Lansing. “You could remove a big
obstacle from the ethical standpoint,” he says.

Labels: embryonic sanctity, hESC, human nature, stem cell research