Aggregated News
Harvard scientists announced today they are beginning an ambitious attempt to create the world_s first cloned human embryonic stem cells, bringing the university into one of science_s most ethically charged fields.
The goal of the research, they said, is to create a powerful new tool to explore the biology of, and hopefully find treatments for, a number of devastating diseases: juvenile diabetes, genetic blood disorders, and ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig_s disease.
The research is controversial because scientists destroy days-old embryos, which critics say means taking human lives, and because the research uses human eggs, and this can place women donors at a slight risk of suffering side effects.
But at a press conference today, Harvard Provost Dr. Steven E. Hyman said the university had concluded that the research was ethically justified, following an extensive set of reviews. The scientists will be required to follow a strict set of guidelines, he said, but the work is too important to not do.
_We are convinced that work with embryonic stem cells holds enormous promise for developing treatments for a host...
The goal of the research, they said, is to create a powerful new tool to explore the biology of, and hopefully find treatments for, a number of devastating diseases: juvenile diabetes, genetic blood disorders, and ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig_s disease.
The research is controversial because scientists destroy days-old embryos, which critics say means taking human lives, and because the research uses human eggs, and this can place women donors at a slight risk of suffering side effects.
But at a press conference today, Harvard Provost Dr. Steven E. Hyman said the university had concluded that the research was ethically justified, following an extensive set of reviews. The scientists will be required to follow a strict set of guidelines, he said, but the work is too important to not do.
_We are convinced that work with embryonic stem cells holds enormous promise for developing treatments for a host...