Stem cells

The nuclear option

A new way to create pluripotent human stem cells

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Readers' comments



Any discussion of the natural must contend with the smartphone, a cold gadget that lets you talk to people a thousand miles away, as well as put enough information at your fingertips to keep it on the pulse of society. That is unnatural. To live longer and healthier? That action takes place in the familiar, fleshy substrate. To use it to accelerate regeneration is perfectly innocuous!

Cloning is a more relevant issue, yet it is still overrated. A child is a composite genetic template of his parents. Is he his parents? No. A person is defined by more than genetics, but by their accumulated experience and mistakes. The longer a clone hasn't lived in your area, fallen in love with the same people and played the same sports, the more both people diverge until they are merely twins.

Are twins evil? No.

I welcome stem cell research. If anyone wants to create "controversy," then focus on the availability of longevity cures. Ensure that it is democratized so that adding 5-10 years of life only costs as much as something else that lasts about 5-10 years: your car.


The big ethical issue in the whole stem cell debate is at what point in cell replication is life created. Only funds from private companies in the United States provide income to fund stem cell research and I think that the laws need to change in order for the United States to advance in the expanding biotechnology industry. If research was government funded, I believe that a lot of individuals would benefit tremendously. Pluripotent stem cells could be used to help cancer patients, people with degenerant diseases, and those in need of human tissue (a skin graft for example).


It's really exciting that we are making such big breakthroughs in stem cell research. I just hope that when scientists do figure out the most efficient way of creating these new cells that they use this knowledge to better man kind instead of abusing it by making useless clones. Making this breakthrough is also good news on an international level. Other countries doing the same research can now use these new techniques and make advances of their own, maybe faster than we can. Again though, I really hope that smart decisions are made about this new research and that the scientists do the right (safe and responsible) things.


The idea of using stem-cells to save someone's life is reasonable to me, however the idea of using stem-cells to clone humans scares me. Science could be used in so many other ways than to focus on cloning humans, what good would that do? I feel like it'd only make the justice system and mankind more conflicted. But I agree with a comment below me saying we should form our opinion on stem-cell research now, rather than in the future. The faster the US comes to an opinion on this topic, the sooner science will be able to further develop ways to save lives from stem-cells or the sooner science will be able to stop research and focus elsewhere for the better of mankind.


Good luck finding a way to specifically reduce chromosome number without generating aneuploidy.

Ethics aside, embryonic stem cells through nuclear transfer gets way more attention than it deserves, probably because it's a nice topic for non-science discussion. But think about it. As it is, where human eggs are used only for one treatment (fertility) you have to entice women with $8000 - $20,000 to donate. It's not a pleasant experience to go through. What do you imagine it would be like to find enough eggs to cure a larger basket of diseases?

Most of the stem cell researchers are moving away from nuclear transfer, and into the much more reasonable iPSC system. Go ahead, rest of the world, invest in yesterday's tech.


This stem cell research could be a major breakthrough in curing all sorts of deadly diseases. The ethics are an issue, but if it could save lives, how unethical could it truly be? This research will become useful is other ways as well. Plastic surgery may not be needed in order to stay looking younger. If wealthy people want to spend their money on that type of treatment, let them.


People in today's world look for ways to look younger and stay healthier longer. This research could be key in later decades and could be worth a large amount of money. If the United States wants to get on board with these advancements than they need to get started now. If not they will become dependent on another country because they failed to take action. There is things in the world that someone will frown upon, no matter what or where, so why should the US limit itself due some people not agree with the research. If people are willing to donate eggs, let them, if people are willing to do the research, let them, this way we can progress in science. If people did not take steps against what society thought was wrong then we would very well still be back in the medieval age, where any time of science was looked down on. The US needs to get with the program and do the research that will make the future better for the later Americans generations.


There is a huge need to understand and figure out the ethical reason for and against stem cell research. Who objects to what types of stem cell research and how can we understand if the process is unethical or not needs to be at the forefront of the debate. It's obvious that the money for research, the researchers, and the objects of research are available. What we lack is a system of getting this research off the ground and into the public's eye as good, if it is in fact so. Researchers need to justify their work by alleviating the fears of those who see stem cell research as crossing a line from man into god.


The US needs to get over this stupidity. The faster the better. Say twenty years from now, ten years from now-- when your loved one needs stem cell science, who are you going to turn to if it's not there? Would you really say no, in the face of their death? Then let your answer then shape your answer now. Then maybe- just maybe- the science will be ready when you need it.


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