But Seven News does not give the complete story, which you can find elsewhere, this one from biotechnews.com.au:
| The research team from UNSW’s School of Medical Sciences harvested stem cells from patients’ own eyes to rehabilitate the damaged cornea. |
Perhaps Prof. Alan Trounson knows why, and so he pursues that. But Prof. Colin McGuckin is as puzzled as I am, and so he has given up on U.K. universities where money is poured into ESCR -- and no one is paying attention to adult stem cell research, despite thousands of successful human treatments. I guess actually treating patients is not the goal for these folks?
It did not involve the creation of a human life. "We are not creating an embryo for reproductive purposes," Dr Stojanov said.
-- The Age (online), 17 September 2008
So... creating an embryo does not involve the creation of human life? And these guys are IVF professionals? What's their batting average then??
You see this normal human skin cell? Flick this genetic switch and -- voila! -- an embryonic stem cell!
Please pray for Victoria. Its upper house had approved the cloning bill. Pray for women whose lives will be imperiled. Pray for the soul of this nation. Health Minister Bronwyn pike is allegedly pleased as punch because "this places Victoria at the forefront of medical research."
In Victorian Parliament there will be a vote on cloning today (or at the latest tomorrow) in the Lower House. This is an urgent action alert. Please email some or all of the following Memembers of Parliament, writing your name and your reasons for opposing cloning.
This Bill, if passed by both houses, will: Legalise cloning of human beings Allow the creation of animal-human hybrids Allow the use of aborted baby girl's premature ova cells to create clones
Please email some of the following members, who represent undecided voted, and tell them that they must oppose this cloning Bill.
Please write out the emails individually and address them to the politican concerned (if you send to all at once they won't think you bothered to contact them individually).
Marcel White
Christine Fyffe MP
Mr Neale Burgess MP
Mr Luke Donnellan MP
Mr Benedict Hardman MP
The Honourable Dr Denis Vincent Napthine
Mr Daniel Andrews MP
Also if you know what your local member's name is, give them a call at parliament house and tell them TO VOTE AGAINST THE CLONING BILL. I cannot stress how urgent this is. Call the parliament switchboard on 9651 8911, and ask for that member's office.
This email was sent by Marcel White, Right to Life Australia, 9387 7098, 0415765742 to jefferson.tan@gmail.com
Medical researchers have urged Sydney University to reconsider making a deal with Australia's oldest Catholic college that will prevent foetal stem cell research at a new medical facility.
I don't know if they're referring to embryonic stem cells, which require harvesting of the cell linings of embryos by the 14th day, or if they truly mean fetal (as in fetus) stem cell research. Either way, it's still wrong, and the fact that embryonic stem cell research has so far netted zero successful treatments while adult stem cells have been used for 72 successful human treatments just makes the matter that much more unbelievable. God bless St. John's residential college on this deal, and God bless Sydney U.
This is good news (from Associated Press, 2007-01-07):
Scientists reported Sunday they had found a plentiful source of stem cells in the fluid that cushions babies in the womb and produced a variety of tissue types from these cells -- sidestepping the controversy over destroying embryos for research.
[Link found via Catholic World News.]
Update: So this research has been heavily opposed in some quarters:
Jan. 9, 2007 (CWNews.com) - One of the scientists responsible for a breakthrough in stem-cell research has reported that he encountered heavy resistance to the publication of his work because it used stem cells obtained from amniotic fluids rather than from embryonic tissues.
Paolo De Coppi told the Italian ANSA news agency that a groundbreaking paper published this week in Nature Biotechnology had previously been rejected by four different journals. “It took seven years to get our paper published,” he said.
Whatever happened to objective science?
