Why President Bush said “very pleased” when Japan successed to make their stem cells (Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells )?
Is this that innovative? The US wanted this technology? or What is the difference from previous discovery?
2007-11-21 17:12:18 · 3 answers · asked by Joriental 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Thanks guys. All answers are great.
2007-11-23 14:23:01 · update #1
Those stem cells were created from a process that uses the patient's own skin cells. Bush's previous objection was that stem cells had been created from human embryos. But these don't, so he's OK with it.
2007-11-21 17:17:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The problem with getting stem cells up till recently, was that the yield from non-embryonic cells was either not high enough, the cells were not early enough (for pluripotency) or they were not viable. The new techniques allow for the obvious ethical and moral dilemma, of whether to kill embryos, to be circumvented. This removes a huge barrier to research grants, eliminates religious objections to stem cell research, and will, if successful, allow for new tissue (eg kidney, pancreas) to be grown from the patient's own cells, eliminating the need for anti-rejection drugs.
2007-11-22 02:39:52 · answer #2 · answered by Labsci 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is different because while the other stem cells were derived from embryos and were ethically questionable, these cells are simply altered skin cells, which can be obtained by the patient themselves, significantly lowering the risk of rejection.
2007-11-22 03:52:53 · answer #3 · answered by Bookstalker 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋