Reply
Thu 5 May, 2005 04:59 am
Human babies 'grown in lab'
By Oliver Stallwood, Metro
5 May 2005
Human eggs which could grow into embryos have been created in a laboratory for the first time, scientists announced yesterday.
They were created by scraping stem cells off the surface of ovaries and exposing them to a chemical which stimulated growth.
The breakthrough suggests limitless supplies of eggs could be grown, solving the problem of the acute shortage of donor eggs for infertile women wanting IVF treatment.
But the idea has horrified pro-life
groups after scientists admitted they could use the technique to 'farm' embryos for their research.
The procedure was tested by a University of Tennessee team, which took ovarian stem cells from five women aged 39 to 52.
Cells which were treated with a type of oestrogen called phenol red grew into healthy eggs.
The US researchers say their technique offers hope to cancer sufferers who become infertile through chemotherapy. They also believe
BY OLIVER STALLWOOD they could extend the fertility of a woman nearing the menopause by between ten and 12 years.
Prof Antonin Bukovsky said it offered 'new strategies' for treatment of female infertility.
Fertility watchdogs will have to approve the technique for use in Britain but welcomed its apparent medical benefits.
But pro-life campaigner Matthew O'Gorman said: 'The artificial harvesting of eggs is synonymous with the intention to manufacture human beings for research. This is unethical, unnecessary and unacceptable.'
This is for real?
It even makes ME uncomfortable, and I'm pro-choice!
this makes me a little uncomfortable as well, however if you are infertile for whatever reason, what options do you have? you have the option of adoption, but how many cases have we heard of recently where the birth parent extends their right of parenthood and takes the child back even up to 10 years later. There is also the chance of Invitro where they take a woman's egg, combine it with a man's sperm and then implant. but in the case of a woman with no eggs for whatever reason, what to do? this is definitely a tough thing. should we not explore ways to help those who dealt the card of infertility try to have children, or should we because of moral and ethical questions behind this type of embryo generation just shrug and say, sorry you weren't meant to have kids. I really don't know the answer...any thoughts?
I took this story from Google's news page. I have no qualms about it, so long as they perfect the procedure before making it generally available.
Why would it make you uncomfortable? A human egg is no more sentient than a chicken egg. It is potential genetic matter, undeveloped.
It makes me angry when these people call getting rid of genetic blueprints "murder" when using stem cell research could save/enhance real lives. Sure, the process is kinda gross but so is open heart surgery.
Plus, the justification is just a smoke screen for biblical intent. Which is fine, but not a basis for law.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace