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Scientists Take Step Toward Creating Artificial Embryos (reuters.com)
An international team of scientists has moved closer to creating artificial embryos after using mouse stem cells to make structures capable of taking a crucial step in the development of life. From a report: Experts said the results suggested human embryos could be created in a similar way in future -- a step that would allow scientists to use artificial embryos rather than real ones to research the very earliest stages of human development. The team, led by Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, a professor at Britain's Cambridge University, had previously created a simpler structure resembling a mouse embryo in a lab dish. That work involved two types of stem cells and a three-dimensional scaffold on which they could grow. But in new work published on Monday in the journal Nature Cell Biology, the scientists developed the structures further -- using three types of stem cells -- enabling a process called gastrulation, an essential step in which embryonic cells begin self-organizing into a correct structure for an embryo to form.
Well, if scientists cannot experiment with real embryos due to ethical concerns, the logical thing is to experiment with simulated ones.
Progress needs to be made and the "shouldn't be playing God" mentality cannot have it both ways by ever expanding what's considered a real embryo.
It isn't a big deal to play a fictional character from time to time.
See, those embryos are needed for research - to ease human suffering and help our economy - medical treatment for many genetic diseases are extremely expensive and limit peoples' ability to work. Many diseases that may one day may be cured from these artificial embryos will be eliminated. And as someone who lost the genetic lottery and is struggling physically, emotionally and financially because of our obscenely expensive medical system, I am hoping for success - even if it doesn't do me any good. I'm thinking of the future.
And let's remember this is necessary because some very misguided people think fertilized eggs, blastocysts and embryos are "human lives" and are morally against use of embryos in any scientific research - but have no problem with living people suffering because of the politicization of science. (And condemn those that have to be on disability as some sort of lazy freeloader.) And it's funny that many of the unused frozen embryos used in fertility clinics are trashed after a while. And of course many don't even become fetuses after implantation - but we'll ignore all those inconvenient facts.
It is my understanding that the book says you should 'turn the other cheek, why do you disobey your book?