Australian researchers have knowingly violated the laws of Man and God. Their doom is sealed, their fate horrific.

Just kidding.

In a major step towards understanding prostate disease, Melbourne scientists have grown a human prostate from embryonic stem cells. ...human embryonic stem cells were developed into human prostate tissue equivalent to that found in a young man, in just 12 weeks.

Although prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, the impact of benign prostate disease (BPH) is equally significant - up to 90 percent of men will have BPH by the time they're 80. BPH is not usually life-threatening, but has a dramatic impact on quality of life.

"The tissue we've grown behaves as a normal human prostate, so it's the perfect model for testing the different hormones and environmental factors we believe play a role in the onset of prostate disease,"...

"We grew the prostate tissue by 'telling' the embryonic stem cells how to become a human prostate gland. We then implanted the cells into mice, where they developed into a human prostate, secreting hormones and PSA; the substance in the blood used to diagnose prostate disease,"...

Director of the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories, Professor Alan Trounson said stem cells and cancer were an important new area of medical research and the production of prostate tissue from embryonic stem cells provided a new tool for examining the origins of cancer and role of primitive stem cells.

Research collaborators in the study were the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories; Monash Institute of Medical Research; University of California, San Francisco; the Australian Stem Cell Centre and TissuPath Laboratories, Melbourne.

Several weeks ago, Chicago's foremost old woman in trousers had this to say...

Leaving aside the embryo question, I think the claims for so-called "therapeutic cloning" are vastly overrated. I don't think we need this research to do what the scientists want to do, and I don't think it holds out the promise of this rejection-proof tissue transplantation.

I don't believe that for a minute. I think there are alternate ways of getting exactly the same kind of genetically controlled stem cells. None of the major biotech companies in this country—none of them—are putting their money behind therapeutic cloning.

Interesting perspective, isn't it? But is it accurate? More later.