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Creepy, amazing, or both. Discuss.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 7:38 pm
BREAKTHROUGH: Israelis take giant leap toward creating human embryos: May 2, 2019

An Israeli team recently discovered how to turn skin cells into stem cells, “paving the way to create whole embryos.”

By World Israel News Staff

While it sounds like the stuff of science fiction, researchers in Israel recently made major discoveries related to stem cell growth that are leading to the creation of entire human embryos outside the body, without the need for sperm and eggs.

The team responsible for these discoveries, which is led by Dr. Yossi Buganim at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU), published its breakthrough in one of the top peer-reviewed journals in the field, Cell Stem Cell.

At the heart of this breakthrough is a method “to transform skin cells into the three major stem cell types that comprise early-stage embryos,” according to a statement released by HU summarizing the Cell Stem Cell article.

The team explained that this method could “solv[e] certain infertility problems” and “pav[es] the way to create whole embryos from skin cells” in “a petri dish,” separate from the human body.

In addition to opening up new horizons for embryonic growth, the HU team’s discoveries also may significantly improve our current understanding of diseases and dysfunctions that occur during pregnancy, leading to new treatments and eliminating major fertility challenges.

While the Israeli researchers’ breakthrough is related to previous discoveries made in Japan that permit scientists to reprogram cells into embryonic cells, the HU team succeeded in reprogramming cells to develop into extra-embryonic tissues, such as the placenta and umbilical cord, which their Japanese counterparts failed to do.

Unlike a recent attempt to develop a mouse embryo without sperm and egg, which relied on cells from an actual developing embryo, the HU team is the first to create all three main stem cell lines required to create an embryo using only skin cells.

By using only skin cells, the team has eliminated the need to use cells from a live embryo to create a separate “test tube” embryo.

In addition to Dr. Buganim, the team was led by Dr. Oren Ram and Professor Tommy Kaplan, with doctoral students Mohammad Jaber and Hani Benchetrit playing a key role in the research.
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amother
Lemon


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 7:42 pm
Fascinating. Creepy too...

I thought these kind of things were not ethical in some countries?

Question: If creating embryonic cells only from skin cells, do they only need one set of genetic material? Only one parent?? That would make it even creepier... Because then they are basically creating young clones of the parent. Or am I missing something?
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 7:44 pm
This would be a great way to avoid genetic diseases if the parents are both carriers. A man who doesn't want to get married could create children just with a few off his own skin cells. There's tons of potential here for all kinds of application.

The ethical questions are going to be another matter all together. Will they be considered human? Can they be used as guinea pigs? Up until what stage of development? Can they be patented and owned? Will they even have a soul?

What about gay couples who want to have biological children without the "sperm and egg" problem? Will they be given access to this technology? Should they? Who gets to decide?

We may not have to worry about this right now, but it's not crazy to think that in 20 years time this will be a standard option given to infertile people.
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amother
Blonde


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 7:50 pm
Hashem created a world where there are three partners in creating human life: father, mother, and Him. I believe that there are reasons for that, spiritual reasons that we may not fully understand. So I would not want to tamper with anything in that sense. Mainstream fertility treatments today include the three partners and my feeling is that those parameters should be respected.

Anyway, that was just my initial thought. I'm sure that if this does lead anywhere there will be much halachic analysis from those qualified to make those assessments.
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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 7:57 pm
FF, you’ve been reading too much Kazuo Ishiguro.

Yes, of course they’ll have souls and be considered human! We aren’t actually living in a dystopia.

Identical twins are considered human, no?
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youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:06 pm
Brave new world indeed.

Immediate reaction: cool!! Science fiction coming true.

Second reaction: Wait... what will be the Halachic and ethical implications?

I wouldn't call it creepy, exactly.
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amother
Azure


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:10 pm
FranticFrummie wrote:
BREAKTHROUGH: Israelis take giant leap toward creating human embryos: May 2, 2019

An Israeli team recently discovered how to turn skin cells into stem cells, “paving the way to create whole embryos.”

By World Israel News Staff

While it sounds like the stuff of science fiction, researchers in Israel recently made major discoveries related to stem cell growth that are leading to the creation of entire human embryos outside the body, without the need for sperm and eggs.

The team responsible for these discoveries, which is led by Dr. Yossi Buganim at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU), published its breakthrough in one of the top peer-reviewed journals in the field, Cell Stem Cell.

At the heart of this breakthrough is a method “to transform skin cells into the three major stem cell types that comprise early-stage embryos,” according to a statement released by HU summarizing the Cell Stem Cell article.

The team explained that this method could “solv[e] certain infertility problems” and “pav[es] the way to create whole embryos from skin cells” in “a petri dish,” separate from the human body.

In addition to opening up new horizons for embryonic growth, the HU team’s discoveries also may significantly improve our current understanding of diseases and dysfunctions that occur during pregnancy, leading to new treatments and eliminating major fertility challenges.

While the Israeli researchers’ breakthrough is related to previous discoveries made in Japan that permit scientists to reprogram cells into embryonic cells, the HU team succeeded in reprogramming cells to develop into extra-embryonic tissues, such as the placenta and umbilical cord, which their Japanese counterparts failed to do.

Unlike a recent attempt to develop a mouse embryo without sperm and egg, which relied on cells from an actual developing embryo, the HU team is the first to create all three main stem cell lines required to create an embryo using only skin cells.

By using only skin cells, the team has eliminated the need to use cells from a live embryo to create a separate “test tube” embryo.

In addition to Dr. Buganim, the team was led by Dr. Oren Ram and Professor Tommy Kaplan, with doctoral students Mohammad Jaber and Hani Benchetrit playing a key role in the research.


Hey, cool! I can actually clone myself!

Such a pity I have to wait 20 years. A few clones of myself would really come in handy right about now. Especially at bedtime.
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:19 pm
A- there are no devices to mimic the womb yet so I don’t see those turning into actual people anytime soon. More likely and practically these can be used to grow vital human organs saving the lives of those with organ failure.
B- say they do turn into people they’ll likely be sterile like dolly the sheep.
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amother
Azure


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:22 pm
Zehava wrote:
A- there are no devices to mimic the womb yet so I don’t see those turning into actual people anytime soon. More likely and practically these can be used to grow vital human organs saving the lives of those with organ failure.
B- say they do turn into people they’ll likely be sterile like dolly the sheep.


They're working on the wombs too. They've already got a prototype running for sheep. In 20 years from now, that may be perfected too.
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:39 pm
amother [ Azure ] wrote:
They're working on the wombs too. They've already got a prototype running for sheep. In 20 years from now, that may be perfected too.

Yeah like I said
Let’s get back to this in 20 years
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amother
Azure


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:43 pm
Zehava wrote:
Yeah like I said
Let’s get back to this in 20 years


But a woman can dream, can't she? I'm picturing one clone doing bedtime, another one in the kitchen cleaning up and preparing lunches for tomorrow. And another keeping me company while I relax on the couch and watch a good movie.
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:51 pm
amother [ Azure ] wrote:
But a woman can dream, can't she? I'm picturing one clone doing bedtime, another one in the kitchen cleaning up and preparing lunches for tomorrow. And another keeping me company while I relax on the couch and watch a good movie.

Like others have said identical twins are basically clones of each other. As long as someone is capable of conscious thought they cannot be your slave. At least not in the this day and age in the modern world.
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:52 pm
Also I think one me in my house is over enough
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amother
Azure


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 8:54 pm
Zehava wrote:
Like others have said identical twins are basically clones of each other. As long as someone is capable of conscious thought they cannot be your slave. At least not in the this day and age in the modern world.


Ugh,.. .why did you have to ruin my dream Mad Mad

Back to the kitchen I go.
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leah233




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 9:02 pm
Claims of doing things like this have already been made over ten years ago

https://www.npr.org/templates/.....56136


I'll believe it when I see it


One of the reasons I no longer trust claims of... scientists are working on... will soon complete... had a major breakthrough... is because over twenty years ago (summer of 98) every mainstream newspaper in the US was running articles about a cancer cure pill soon to be developed.

I met my uncle who is a small time oncologist and asked him about it. He told me that it's pure baloney, the idea of making cancer cure pills that way has already been tried and discredited in the 1970s .

As he predicted within a few weeks the whole thing disappeared from the newspapers and was forgotten.

After that story I started noticing too many other promises of ...scientists are working on... will soon complete... had a major breakthrough... that ended up going nowhere.

Therefore I'll only believe it when I see it.
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amother
Mint


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 9:16 pm
A more immediate possibility for being able to activate cells to act like stem cells, is organ transplants; to avoid the need to harvest organs from a donor.
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amother
Slateblue


 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 9:24 pm
I don’t understand. Will they need a skin cell from the mother and father?
This might be the answer to my prayers. My child is sterile.
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DrMom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 10:11 pm
amother [ Mint ] wrote:
A more immediate possibility for being able to activate cells to act like stem cells, is organ transplants; to avoid the need to harvest organs from a donor.

This.

The rest is very interesting, but still hypothetical at this point.

HU certainly has a good PR folks, though.
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Ravenclaw




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 10:15 pm
This is so cool.
In reality I would probably find it weird but now it’s just theoretical so...
At least now I know how Daleks procreate.
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youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 02 2019, 10:36 pm
Ravenclaw wrote:
This is so cool.
In reality I would probably find it weird but now it’s just theoretical so...
At least now I know how Daleks procreate.


LOL LOL
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