Eggs 'fertilised' without sperm

[Dover]

Eggs 'fertilised' without sperm

Scientists have devised a way to make human eggs behave as if they have been fertilised - without using sperm.
The team from Wales College of Medicine at Cardiff University say this could provide a more ethically acceptable way of creating 'embryonic' stem cells.

The 'embryos' do not contain any paternal chromosomes, so could not develop into a baby.

The process, described in New Scientist, uses an enzyme found in sperm to prompt the egg to divide.


The researchers say the enzyme could also be used to help couples unable to have children because the man's sperm has too little of this key protein - called PLC-zeta.

PLC-zeta, phospholipase C-zeta, is produced by sperm, and plays a key role in activating the egg, allowing it to be fertilised...cont'd

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4061477.stm

[ogradda]

1. hey that is right on.

i wonder how long it would keep dividing.

[indigobusiness]

2. That's it then.

Men are officially obselete.

[eleny]

3. Or at least the opposition to stem cell research is obsolete

[indigobusiness]

5. Opposition to stem cell research

has a dinosaur's chance of survival.

At some point reality has to intervene into the foggery.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Serious question: what do embryonic stem cell opponents want done with IVF

embryos that are excess to requirements? No value judgements, please, I just want an answer (eg that they all oppose IVF, or think every embryo must be implanted, or want them frozen, etc.)

[slutticus]

6. They're all fools.

They (at least most of them) believe that embryonic stem cells come from aborted fetuses. This is what they are told, and they believe it without question. They have no clue that these cells are extracted from unused embryos in IVF clinics.

You'll notice that the opposition NEVER brings up the issue of IVF...because if they did...and they tried to oppose it (which you do by default if you are opposed to embryonic stem cell research anyway), their political axe grinding would loose support.

This is nothing more than a wedge issue to win the votes of the ignorant.