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.
