>Here's a scenario which seems much more probable: using cloning
>techniques to grow fetal-like tissue for medical applications. Already,
>fetal tissue is being experimented with as a treatment for certain
>medical conditions (e.g. for re-growing damaged brain cells). It could
>be argued, medically, that the best tissue for this would be tissue with
>identical DNA to the patient. So, take DNA from one of the patient's
>cells, treat it and insert it into an ennucleated donated human egg
>cell, induce it to start dividing, grow it in vitro for a while, and
>transplant the appropriate cells back into the patient.
What I would ask is that since this procedure does not involve traditional
egg/sperm conception, then would this be an acceptable alternative than the
fetal tissue work currently being done? If I understand correctly what
Loren is postulating, this procedure eliminates the need to use a human
embryo and is simply using the patient's own cells in a new way.
Janet Rice
512-338-3266
rice@mcc.com