Scientists May Be Able To Do Stem Cell Research Without Destroying Embryos
CAFFERTY: A possible breakthrough in stem cell research, the focus of our "Brainstorm" segment this week. A group of scientists now says that they may have found a way to conduct stem cell research without destroying human embryos. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with some details on this breakthrough and what it may mean to this debate. Hi Elizabeth.</s>ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. It could mean something significant to this debate, but it might not. And I'll explain why that's true. Embryonic stem cell research researchers say it can be very promising; it can lead to all sorts of medical researchers. But the problem is that it involves destroying embryos in the process. So now two groups, one out of MIT and one out of a private company, say hey we can make embryonic stem cells without destroying an embryo, so you would think, wow it is time to celebrate. But some people say there are still ethical problems with these two methods as well and others are saying that technically these two methods won't really lead to as many medical treatments as the original methods that do involve destroying embryos. Really, in many ways, it's anyone's guess whether this is really going to revolutionize the field of embryonic stem cell research.</s>SERWER: Hey Elizabeth, Andy Serwer here. Do you think that the anti-stem cell crowd, for lack of a better phrase, will find this acceptable? Is this moving in the right direction for them politically?</s>COHEN: Some of them do, but some of them don't. Many of them came out very quickly and said, you know what? These two methods still have problems. You're still tinkering with embryos. You're still messing around with something that is sacred. They're not satisfied. Some others of these critics say that one of the methods maybe is acceptable. They're sort of moving in that general direction, but these are not -- they haven't said, oh, good. Thank goodness. Finally, you came up with these two acceptable methods. That did not happen.</s>ROMANS: Elizabeth, this collision of science and politics that we're seeing over the stem cell debate in this country -- is that being mimicked everywhere else in the world? I've been hearing from some of the technology market type people is that they think that Singapore, South Korea, China, are already ahead of us on this and that because of our hand wringing over it, we're giving up very important research.</s>COHEN: Right. What is interesting is that you have those countries that you just named, which don't have all of the ethical problems with this that people do in this country. So they're moving way ahead. South Korea, in particular, has really moved way ahead in embryonic stem cell research. However, you have other countries, particularly in Europe, that in some ways have more ethical concerns than have been expressed in this county or certainly have been acted upon in this country. You have it on both sides. The United States maybe is somewhere in the middle. Yes, there is definitely that concern that other countries that don't have the same ethical debate are moving way ahead.</s>CAFFERTY: Thank you, Elizabeth. Nice to have you with us. Elizabeth Cohen joining us from Atlanta. Coming up next on IN THE MONEY fat city, a new bill in Congress will let fast food chains off the hook for obesity lawsuits. We'll get the skinny on that from Allen Wastler. Also it is time to hear from you as we read some of your e-mails from the past week. You can send us an e-mail right now if you are so inclined we are at INTHEMONEY@CNN.com. Back in a flash.