Opinion: Editorial

An epic milestone

The debate surrounding embryonic stem cell research began in the late 1990s when University of Wisconsin researcher James Thomson first isolated the human stem cell. In the initial process, stem cells — some of which have potential to become any kind of cell in the human body and thus hold great potential for curing diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's — were extracted from a human embryo, destroying it in the process.

This method met great opposition from social conservatives, the anti-abortion lobby and many others concerned by the practice of destroying an embryo for scientific research. The concern was most notably manifested in 2001 when President Bush declared no federal funding would go toward new stem cell lines until a method was developed that did not discard a human embryo during the process. A similar debate, weighing scientific and ethical concerns, ensued in a multitude of state legislatures across the country.

Last week, that debate may well have been rendered moot.

Two scientists — Mr. Thomson of UW and Shinya Yamanaka of Tokyo, Japan — published findings that reveal a newly discovered method of isolating stem cells without destroying an embryo. The process involves using human skin cells that are genetically re-engineered to become stem cells without using an embryo at all.

In effect, this discovery should put an end to the ethical dilemma encountered by many who were wary of destroying an embryo for scientific progress, and we hope it will act as a catalyst for state and federal funding to be allocated for such a promising scientific endeavor.

Without question, this has the potential to be one of the great scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century and an encouraging illustration of the power of human ingenuity to remove moral inhibitions where it once seemed impossible. We are, to put it mildly, overjoyed by the recent discovery and its wide-ranging implications.

Furthermore, we are proud that our university continues its reputation as a world leader in scientific research and has provided a breakthrough of such monumental implications.