The alternatives under study share the common characteristic of seeking to produce human pluripotent stem cells without first creating and then damaging or destroying human embryos. One approach that is generating extraordinary interest is called cell reprogramming. In reprogramming, scientists would take any cell in the human body—a skin cell, for example—and “reprogram” that cell’s nucleus such that the cell would take on all the characteristics of a pluripotent (embryonic) stem cell. The beauty of reprogramming is that it holds out the same promise as therapeutic cloning—tailor-made stem cells to match the patient—without killing embryos.
This kind of story is becoming more common --and I think shows the prudence of Bush's stem-cell policy. Many pro-lifers were afraid when he threaded the needle (by permitting research on established cell lines, but forbidding federal funding for fresh kills) that embryonic stem cell research would prove successful and Bush would be unable to bar the doors in the face of public demand. In fact, he seems to have bought enough time for embryonic stem cells to be proven unnecessary (not that the fight is over, but now there's ample evidence for our side). Bush's stem cell decision is like a case study in political prudence.
