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“Stem-Cell Method May Cheat Death” reports on the potential derivation of stem cells
from a single cell removed from a morula, which we mentioned a week
or two ago on this list. Note, though, that they think it will solve
the problem of killing embryos, because the embryo it was removed
from would persist.

The philosophical conundrum is that, if you believe any totipotent
cell is human life, when you remove that blastomere from the morula
all you have really done is twinned the morula. To someone believing
in the sanctity of embryonic life, it might not be enough that the
parent morula is not destroyed. The blastomere itself can be
considered life worthy of protection.

There is a point at which the cells cease to be totipotent as the
morula transforms into a blastocyst. If someone could culture stem
cells from a blastomere taken from a morula/blastocyst that has
ceased to be totipotent — then we will have really solved the stem
cell problem to everyone’s satisfaction, I believe.

I think the ultimate point is that the stem cell problem may go away
soon, leaving us only with enhancement, abortion, and PVS to distract
us from health care reform.

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