Wish and WSCH--the difference is a human being

When the World Stem Cell Hub (WSCH) in Seoul, Korea announced that it was accepting applications from people interested in participating in stem cell research on spinal cord injuries and Parkinsons, the website was flooded with applications. I want to introduce you today to someone who is among those who applied to WSCH.

Steven Edwards describes the emotional aspects of his application in Stem-cell Hopes Hit Home, published online in Wired Magazine, at http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,69470,00.html. "I knew my odds were slim. When the call for subjects came out, the website for the World Stem Cell Hub crashed under the traffic load. If I volunteered, I would be one among thousands" he tells us.

He views the implications of a embryo made with his DNA and wonders, "What would the embryo that was used to cure me be like, if it were instead allowed to develop?" This is a question much more personal than asking whether an embryo in a test tube is human. Would he be committing a form of suicide or just using part of his own tissue to create cells that might repair his paralyzed body?

What would you think, if WSCH could fulfill wishes? Please check out Steven's article.

Marie Godfrey, PhD