Embryonic stem cells without killing babies

Advanced Cell Technologies of Worcester MA has developed mouse embryonic stem cells from developing embryos without killing the embryos. If applied to humans this would take away the objection to embryonic stem cells based on the death of the embryo that provided them. ACT has been a leader in human stem cell technology for some time. The cells were taken from the “blastomere” stage of embryonic development. At this state the embryo is a big ball of cells. After the stem cells were removed the blastomeres were put back and development allowed to proceed. The stem cells so isolated were able to maintain their “stemcellness” for 50 generations showing that they were stable in that form and would not degenerate into cancer like forms.