Stem Cells, Over Easy

As the world reacts to the South Korean stem-cell debacle, the history of in vitro fertilization offers a real-world example of responsibility in the handling and use of human eggs spanning nearly three decades.

The spectacle of the world's top stem-cell scientist resigning from a major research center in disgrace over an ethical lapse offers an object lesson for those who worry this fledgling science is running out of control. But it's not the lesson that opponents of stem-cell research believe.

The incident is a black eye for a field that raises deep questions about the moral limits of science and the sanctity of human life, however it is defined. But it should not be taken as proof that scientists can't be trusted to responsibly handle the raw material -- human eggs -- that's the crux of the controversy and the essential ingredient in their research. ...

Source: Wired News