Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Korean stem cell rout...

[Stephen Montgomery-Smith <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Christian M. Cepel wrote:
> > Jonathan King wrote:
> >
> > > I now Mike is really annoyed by Bush's order, and I am, too.  But what
> > > annoys me most was the fact that Bush was told that we did not, in
> > > fact, have really enough existing stem cell lines to support near- to
> > > mid-term research as a matter of fact, but Bush claimed that we did. 
> > > In retrospect, it was one of the first well-known cases where the
> > > administration twisted or invented facts so that they appeared to
> > > support a policy position that was developed independently of the
> > > facts.
>
>
> I've never understood this argument at all, and I've suspected duplicity 
> on the part of those who make it.  Probably just my ignorance... Feel 
> free to educate me.
>
> Why is more than one stem cell 'line' even necessary except perhaps as a 
> way to increase the speed of production of stem cells for research.
>
> Is a stem cell differentiated from the stem cell of another embryo in 
> such a way that different 'varieties' must be available for different 
> research.  I had thought the very definition of stem cell was that there 
> was no differentiation.... that it was a blank slate.
>
> I've really been under the impression that if you started out with one 
> stem cell and managed to duplicate it and then duplicate those and so on 
> and so forth that you would have all the stem cells you need, but that 
> mortality and time were reasons people wanted to do 'multiple lines' 
> simultaneously to produce more cells for research exponentially more 
> quickly.
>
> Please explain to me the concept of a 'line' and why X number of 'lines' 
> is not sufficient, but Y number of 'lines' would be.
>
> Also, please reacquaint me with the numbers.  I seem to recall there 
> being 32 available and that it was something like 50 that were wanted 
> when Bush said, "Read my lips, no more 'lines', go with whatcha got."... 
> I'm probably nowhere in the ballpark here.   It's been quite a while.

And I would like to know what a "line" is - how they get stem cells, and 
what they actually deliver to the doctor/researcher.



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