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Stem-cell “breakthrough”: much heat, little light
Editorial
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Stem-cell “breakthrough”: much heat, little light A letter published online last week by Nature was widely publicised as a breakthrough in stem-cell research. Scientists from the biotechnology firm Advanced Cell Technology reported deriving human embryonic stem cells We do not have the rights to reproduce with a technique similar to one used in preimplantation this image on the genetic diagnosis, which extracts only a single cell and does not result in the destruction of the embryo. In this web. series of experiments, 16 embryos left over from clinical in-vitro fertilisation were thawed and grown to the 8–10 cell stage. A total of 91 cells were removed, resulting in the derivation of two stable human stem-cell lines. They showed continued undifferentiated proliferation, normal karotype, and evidence of pluripotency for more than 8 months. Eventually they were shown to differentiate into cells containing all three germ layers. The possibility of creating stem cells while leaving the embryo able to develop normally was immediately hailed as a potentially ethically acceptable alternative to the For the letter to Nature see DOI:10.1038/nature05142 restrictions on federally funded stem-cell research that
have been in place in the USA since August, 2001. The White House responded that serious concerns still exist with “any use of human embryos for research purposes”, but that President Bush wanted to see further review of the study’s findings. But other critics, most vocally Richard Doerflinger of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, shot back that the research was deceptively presented, since all of the embryos in the study were destroyed. It turns out that none of the 16 embryos used in these experiments survived intact and that multiple cells were taken from each embryo, not just one or two as would occur during preimplantation genetic diagnosis. About the only thing that is certain here is Advanced Cell Technology’s Aug 25 report of its post-publication financing commitments, which total US$13·5 million. This research has clearly raised the hopes of some. But in the wake of recent controversy surrounding stem-cell hopes, it would be sensible to await replication of the experiments by an independent laboratory. ■ The Lancet
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UN peacekeepers in Haiti 6 months after democratic elections, Port-au-Prince has seen another upsurge in violence. Staff at Médicins Sans Frontières report treating more than 200 gunshot wounds in July, double the previous month’s number of injuries. The fighting raises questions about the We do not have the rights to reproduce effectiveness of the UN peacekeeping mission, whose this image on the intermittent 15-year presence was extended for a further 6 months on Aug 15. web. In today’s Lancet, Athena Kolbe and Royce Hutson report human rights violations in Port-au-Prince. Central to their findings is the fact that civilian welfare fails to attract the attention it deserves from authorities in times See Articles page 864 of conflict, with neither the Haitian government, nor the UN peacekeepers being able to estimate the effect of the conflict on civilians. Yet in just 22 months—from the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the end of 2005—an estimated 8000 people were murdered and 35 000 women sexually assaulted, half of whom were under the age of 18 years. Most perpetrators were identified as criminals, but For information on the UN peacekeeping strategy see police, armed forces, paramilitaries, and foreign soldiers http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/ dpko/ctte/SEA.htm were also implicated. Although UN peacekeepers have 816
been investigated for accusations of sexual misconduct in Haiti and elsewhere, Kolbe and Hutson’s survey did not find evidence for their involvement in murder or sexual assault. However 14% of the interviewees did accuse foreign soldiers, including those in UN uniform, of threatening them with sexual or physical violence, including death. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has spoken out firmly against exploitative behaviour by UN peacekeepers. In 2005, at Annan’s request, Prince Zeid of Jordan, whose soldiers serve in Haiti, proposed a number of measures to reduce sexual exploitation by UN personnel. One result has been the active investigation of allegations. Yet since 2004, only 17 peacekeepers have been dismissed and 161 repatriated out of 313 allegations worldwide. Annan’s stand needs to be followed by stronger action to restore both international and local confidence, without which local security cannot be assured. Severely traumatised populations remain vulnerable, and as Kolbe and Hutson show, suffering does not stop when peacekeepers arrive. UN peacekeepers must no longer add to that suffering. ■ The Lancet www.thelancet.com Vol 368 September 2, 2006
Science Photo Library
Stem-cell “breakthrough”: much heat, little light A letter published online last week by Nature was widely publicised as a breakthrough in stem-cell research. Scientists from the biotechnology firm Advanced Cell Technology reported deriving human embryonic stem cells We do not have the rights to reproduce with a technique similar to one used in preimplantation this image on the genetic diagnosis, which extracts only a single cell and does not result in the destruction of the embryo. In this web. series of experiments, 16 embryos left over from clinical in-vitro fertilisation were thawed and grown to the 8–10 cell stage. A total of 91 cells were removed, resulting in the derivation of two stable human stem-cell lines. They showed continued undifferentiated proliferation, normal karotype, and evidence of pluripotency for more than 8 months. Eventually they were shown to differentiate into cells containing all three germ layers. The possibility of creating stem cells while leaving the embryo able to develop normally was immediately hailed as a potentially ethically acceptable alternative to the For the letter to Nature see DOI:10.1038/nature05142 restrictions on federally funded stem-cell research that
have been in place in the USA since August, 2001. The White House responded that serious concerns still exist with “any use of human embryos for research purposes”, but that President Bush wanted to see further review of the study’s findings. But other critics, most vocally Richard Doerflinger of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, shot back that the research was deceptively presented, since all of the embryos in the study were destroyed. It turns out that none of the 16 embryos used in these experiments survived intact and that multiple cells were taken from each embryo, not just one or two as would occur during preimplantation genetic diagnosis. About the only thing that is certain here is Advanced Cell Technology’s Aug 25 report of its post-publication financing commitments, which total US$13·5 million. This research has clearly raised the hopes of some. But in the wake of recent controversy surrounding stem-cell hopes, it would be sensible to await replication of the experiments by an independent laboratory. ■ The Lancet
Getty Images
UN peacekeepers in Haiti 6 months after democratic elections, Port-au-Prince has seen another upsurge in violence. Staff at Médicins Sans Frontières report treating more than 200 gunshot wounds in July, double the previous month’s number of injuries. The fighting raises questions about the We do not have the rights to reproduce effectiveness of the UN peacekeeping mission, whose this image on the intermittent 15-year presence was extended for a further 6 months on Aug 15. web. In today’s Lancet, Athena Kolbe and Royce Hutson report human rights violations in Port-au-Prince. Central to their findings is the fact that civilian welfare fails to attract the attention it deserves from authorities in times See Articles page 864 of conflict, with neither the Haitian government, nor the UN peacekeepers being able to estimate the effect of the conflict on civilians. Yet in just 22 months—from the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the end of 2005—an estimated 8000 people were murdered and 35 000 women sexually assaulted, half of whom were under the age of 18 years. Most perpetrators were identified as criminals, but For information on the UN peacekeeping strategy see police, armed forces, paramilitaries, and foreign soldiers http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/ dpko/ctte/SEA.htm were also implicated. Although UN peacekeepers have 816
been investigated for accusations of sexual misconduct in Haiti and elsewhere, Kolbe and Hutson’s survey did not find evidence for their involvement in murder or sexual assault. However 14% of the interviewees did accuse foreign soldiers, including those in UN uniform, of threatening them with sexual or physical violence, including death. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has spoken out firmly against exploitative behaviour by UN peacekeepers. In 2005, at Annan’s request, Prince Zeid of Jordan, whose soldiers serve in Haiti, proposed a number of measures to reduce sexual exploitation by UN personnel. One result has been the active investigation of allegations. Yet since 2004, only 17 peacekeepers have been dismissed and 161 repatriated out of 313 allegations worldwide. Annan’s stand needs to be followed by stronger action to restore both international and local confidence, without which local security cannot be assured. Severely traumatised populations remain vulnerable, and as Kolbe and Hutson show, suffering does not stop when peacekeepers arrive. UN peacekeepers must no longer add to that suffering. ■ The Lancet www.thelancet.com Vol 368 September 2, 2006