Today just after lunch a scientific wave washed across the artificial moral barriers of one of the key issues of our day. Science played a big trump card.
A small company in California dedicated to regeneration of organs (not your organ, Leeroy) and stem cell research invented a method to create stem cells which does not harm the embryo. Advanced Cell Technology (ACTC.OB) mooted the whole fundamentalist moral facade surrounding stem cell research.
Twas a hot and sunny day and a cool wave of refreshing creativity has washed over us. See more on the flip.
Here's the gist. There's no link to Business Wire, but it is product of Reuters and should be up on their site at some point. In addition, the article in the science journal Nature will be available. I copied this directly from a business scroll.
Alameda, Ca. - (Business Wire)
Advanced Cell Technology, INc. (OTCBB: ACTC) today reported that company scientists have successfully generated human embryonic stem cells (hES cells) using an approach that does not harm embryos. The technique is reported in an article appearing online (ahead of print) in the journal Nature. The article describes a method for deriving stem cells from human blastomeres with a single-cell biopsy technique called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). This technique is used in in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics to assess the genetic health of rerimplantation embryos. The cell lines produced using this technique appear to be identical to hES cell lines derived from later-stage embryos using techniques that destroy the embryo's developmental potential. ACT had previously reported the successful use of similar technique in mice in Nature in October 2005.
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"Our policy will be to work together with the scientific community to make new lines widely available for research," stated William M. Caldwell IV, CEO of ACT. "Our ability to create human embryonic cell lines and therapies without harming the embryo should assuage the ethical concerns of many Americans. We look forward to peotentially working with partners to produce significant medical benefit through the use of this technique."
There are many ways to skin the cat (however, not pooties nor pootie embryos nor embryos of any sort were harmed in the presentation of this diary). The hard truth is that science is a descriptive model of the world, one which is always expanding the boundaries of our universe, whether it be with regard to dark matter or the invisible engines which power our living process. For beings who live in an energetic environment, one which powered by and completely dependent upon energy, an energetic discription is both wise and necessary, for the unverse of energy itself is predatory for the most part.
Any moral description of life on Earth is indeed an artifice of human construction, right, wrong or indifferent. Scientific description is always expanding and yet refining past descriptions in the modern world. It is thus open ended. Certain religious descriptions of the world exist in a contracting mode that restricts and blinds many to the other operating descriptions. Witness our impositions in the political arena. As Stephen J. Gould once noted, science and religion have their magisterial areas. And obvious to anyone who has studied the history of science, one is expanding while another is contracting and in many nations, becoming archaic before our eyes.
Life is life and has enough obstructions and natural disasters as it is without creating human ones to add to the toll of oblivion. Oblivion comes fast enough to all living beings.
Those stalwarts on this site have been fighting the created constructs of human predatory nature, which includes the modern multintational corporations, for a long time. And many times it seemed as if we were the prey soon to be consumed. But not this day, not at this time.
One little obstruction has been dissolved and that gives hope that many others will. This doesn't solve the problem; we'll have to keep kicking ass for that, not only until Nov. 7, but for long after if we want to complete the whole vision of human justice as we conceive it. Perhaps you've noticed our vision is much wider than our choice of actions; that is as it should be. We have much to do. Today that became just a little easier.
My disclaimer: I own stock in the company; that's how I noticed this. What little I have to invest is aimed at those whose are intent upon improving the human condidition. And that green approach can make you weary, for the road is long and dusty. But today it doesn't matter. And, finally, this is my first diary after all this time, so be sweet and gentle in your corrections, and wise and discrete in your celebrations of life. It is, afterall, the only thing we really have.
I've lost the code to put the quote in a text box or even to put items in italics. So if someone can lend editing help, I would be much obliged. Next time will be much better. Thanks.
Update I: Here's the release.. The online journal Nature also has an article which is behind a subscription wall.