Word: celle
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...Much of the indignation on online message boards points to the efficacy of adult stem cells as an alternative to embryonic stem cells, with some even supporting the outlandish argument that stem cell advocates must be somehow connected to the abortion industry. Much of this reflects confusion over how adult stem cells work. Stem cell therapies focus on regrowing parts of the body, but adult stem cells are less versatile than embryonic stem cells since they can typically only grow into cell types found in the tissue where they originated. Many scientists hope that adult stem cells may be coaxed...
...It’s also important to note that the majority of Americans support expanding stem cell research. A recent Gallup poll found that only four in 10 Americans support further restrictions. Claims that Obama is pursuing the pet causes of liberal scientists against the wishes of most Americans are simply incorrect...
...However, the pro-stem cell contingent is also guilty of overblown rhetoric, not only for labeling the decision as a godsend but also for being too cavalier about procedures with legitimate ethical concerns. Stem cell advocates often make their case on the research’s life-saving potential, stressing the merit of destroying a five-day-old embryo to save a five-year-old girl. But this is an unfair comparison. Yes, the number of available stem cell lines will hopefully reach somewhere in the hundreds, but it will be 120 days before the NIH will even come...
...Furthermore, the pro-research camp often goes too far in disregarding the significance of embryos as the origins of human life. A recent Crimson editorial (“Cell-ebration,” March 10) used highly misleading language in calling embryos “merely a collection of cells.” Embryos are a far cry from a toddler, but we should exercise caution about starting down the path toward sacrificing human life simply to harvest components for experiments...
...However, far more important than the stem cell decision was Obama’s memorandum to ensure openness about science and protect scientists, released at the same time. This marks a far greater departure from the Bush administration and cuts to the heart of the debate on many issues, such as conservation and global warming, in discounting the “false choice between science and moral values.” As I pointed out in an earlier column, the Bush administration was often directly antagonistic to concerns of scientists, allegedly editing releases about global warming, silencing a top climatologist...