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BioEDGEのニュースレターによれば，今度は羊水由来の幹細胞（AFS）が有望……という話になってきたらしい。そのほうが，倫理的にも問題が少ないというのだ。以下，冒頭のみ紹介。

（ウェブはwww.australasianbioethics.org，Weekly Newsletter -- Tuesday, 9 January 2007 -- Number 234）

MORE COMPETITION FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS

Yet another plastic, proliferating, pluripotent stem cell has been
discovered, raising questions about the need for embryonic stem
cells as cures for dread diseases. In the latest issue of Nature
Biotechnology, scientists at Wake Forest University School of
Medicine in North Carolina say that stem cells in the amniotic fluid
surrounding babies in the womb can turn into all the major tissue
types -- without any danger of forming tumours. They also grow just
as fast as embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

Since amniotic fluid-derived stem (AFS) cells are not derived from
dissected embryos, they carry little ethical baggage. It would also
be easy to create thousands of cell lines which could be used to
create tissues for regenerative medicine. "If you banked 100,000
specimens, you'd be able to provide cells for 99% of the US
population with a perfect match for genetic transplantation," says
the lead researcher, Dr Anthony Atala.
（後略）

確かに倫理的に「問題は少ない」かもしれないけれど，この羊水が「どこにあるもの」かを考えると，女性の身体がどう扱われるか……という倫理問題はまだクリアしていないようにも思われる。