P.C. Shannon

This stem cell silliness has produced the most unlikely victors. First Korea, and now New Jersey. Looks like California may not be far behind either. There may be some hope for this country after all.

This is big. Researchers at Seoul National University have successfully harvested stem cells from a cloned human embryo. South Korea has trumped the U.S! This is like, well, not like anything before. It’s similar to the way Sputnik gave us a swift kick in the rear, but the Koreans are not threatening military conquest. Instead a lot of Americans are probably dismissing this as the work of godless heathens intent on sending us all to hell.

But really it proves my point that the United States is quickly losing our lead in biomedical research. This type of research is underway in this country, but without federal funding, it is severely hampered. American scientists quoted in the article state the need for a more even-headed approach to cloning and stem cell issues. That’s not going to happen with the current administration. In fact, all human cloning would be banned in this country if not for the foresight (or neglect) of the Senate. (When was the last time anyone credited legislators as having foresight?!)

I’ll say it again: This is big. Stem cells from a cloned human embryo, and the paper published in a leading peer-reviewed journal. This could be the beginning of the end.

See the Wired News article.