10/10/11: Questions Raised about New Stem Cell Process

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The journal Nature last week reported that scientists for the first time have succeeded in using human eggs to turn specialized cells into stem cells — a step those doing the work claim will help pave the way for patient-specific cell-replacement therapies. The reality is this kind of research is clinically useless.

Researchers paid women for their eggs, which they then used to produce and clone abnormal human embryos. Then they destroyed the embryos to collect their stem cells. So far, the research has only produced genetically abnormal cells.

CitizenLink Bioethics Analyst Dawn McBane said “Scientists are lauding this quasi-human cloning experiment as progress when the reality is that it fails to meet any of the criteria for usable treatments in patients.”