The newest promising research is both good and bad, I guess it depends on who is reading.


A new way to trick skin cells into acting like embryos changes both everything and nothing at all. Being able to reprogram skin cells into multipurpose stem cells without harming embryos launches an exciting new line of research. It's important to remember, though, that we're at square one, uncertain at this early stage whether souped-up skin cells hold the same promise as their embryonic cousins do.

Far from vindicating the current U.S. policy of withholding federal funds from many of those working to develop potentially lifesaving embryonic stem cells, recent papers in the journals Science and Cell described a breakthrough achieved despite political restrictions. In fact, work by both the U.S. and Japanese teams that reprogrammed skin cells depended entirely on previous embryonic stem cell research.


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Kind of ironic that our government will provide funds to kill people but not fund programs that might keep someone alive.

My daughter always sez that the conservs are pro-life only until birth.

Your daughter makes a good point CHUQ.

More good news in the research.


Using a recently developed technique for turning skin cells into stem cells, scientists have cured mice of sickle cell anemia -- the first direct proof that the easily obtained cells can reverse an inherited, potentially fatal disease.

Researchers said the work, published in yesterday's online edition of the journal Science, points to a promising future for the novel cells. Known as iPS cells, they have been touted by President Bush and some scientists as a possible substitute for embryonic stem cells, which have been mired for years in political controversy.


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for me, i support any advancement in medtech - as long as no ritual sacrifices are involved. one stepping stone at a time, and maybe we can finally find out a way to lengthen our life span by drinking big amounts of beer.