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Naturally dead embryos yield stem cells

'Stalled' embryos could be new source of cell lines.

Researchers have succeeded in developing a human embryonic stem-cell line from an embryo that had died naturally.

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Posted by Mike Hopkin on September 22, 2006 02:38 PM |

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It's an 'no brainer' that this development will be opposed on the basis that it constitutes 'disrespect for the dead'. Religious extremists will always regard any such scientific 'meddling with life' as anathema to their cause (and they're right! - all real-world knowledge is the natural enemy of religious delusion!).

Posted by: Bob Faulkner | September 22, 2006 06:48 PM

I agree that the strongly religious will always oppose stem cell research. But surely with these new developments their protests against stem cell use are getting even weaker, and we can hopefully start seeing some sense dawn in our governments. Hopefully, that is.

Posted by: Kate | September 25, 2006 11:55 PM

The relationship between the individual cell death rate and the level of whole embryo loss is blurred and is complicated by the lack of undestanding about crucial factors how cells displaying features of apoptosis persist before clearance, spanof cell cycle and exact apoptosis beginning time .

Posted by: Gunjan Arora | September 26, 2006 03:22 PM

I have to disagree with the above comments on the religious point of view to this matter. The objection most of us "stongly religious"-types have to stem cell research is that it involves killing a human being.

However, if it is possible to harvest stem cells from a deceased foetus, then that objection goes away. Afterall, if we can use the organs of the deceased without religious objection, we can use inidividual cells too.

It is a question about respect for the sanctity of life, not of what is done with the dead bodies.

Posted by: Colin | September 26, 2006 04:57 PM

nice work !!

Posted by: azeet narayan | September 27, 2006 08:54 AM

funny how a lot of these religious fundamentalists (eg george bush) oppose stem cell research because it involves "killing a human being" yet they happily execute prisoners.

this clearly exposes as balderdash their claim that human life is given by God, is sacred etc and so we have no right to take it. i suspect they would retort that the ball of cells they call a human being is "innocent" (so are half the prisoners they kill but thats another story), whereas the prisoner is supposedly guilty of a crime, but does that make his God-given life any less sacred?

Posted by: Jesus Christ | September 29, 2006 04:37 PM

WHAT MORE YOU CAN EXPECT WHEN THIS IS SATISFYING BOTH RELIGOUS ETHICS ANN EXPERIMENTAL NEED! BUT CAN DEAD SOURCES BE PROVED AS LESS FRUITFUL THAN ALIVE ONES IN THE LONG RUN?

Posted by: DEBDULAL CHAKRABORTY | October 4, 2006 10:00 AM

kill those person ,who are involve behind it?

Posted by: raju dey | October 27, 2006 07:11 PM

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