A privately owned laboratory in California claims to have made a controversial scientific breakthrough. The small biotech company, Stemagen, claims it has successfully produced three cloned human embryos. The results were confirmed by an independent laboratory, but still need to be replicated. However it would appear, that for the first time in history, scientists have succeeded in cloning a human embryo using adult cells.

You may recall that in May of 2005 a South Korean scientist named Woo-Suk Hwang and his team announced that they had become the first in the world to successfully clone a human embryo for stem cell research. However it was later discovered that Hwang intentionally fabricated his research results. The high-profile scandal rocked the scientific world and Hwang eventually resigned his post in disgrace.

Stemagen's cloned embryos were made using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, the same method used to clone Dolly the sheep more than ten years ago. Scientists took eggs from female donors, removed the genetic material, then inserted the DNA from adult male skin cells. The procedure was a success, but the eggs were destroyed when they were only five to ten days old. According to Stemagen's CEO, Dr. Samuel Wood, if the cloned embryos had been implanted into a woman's womb they could have continued to grow. However Dr. Wood says his company has no interest in human reproductive cloning, its goal is to develop methods of therapeutic cloning.

Many scientists, like Dr. Wood, believe that therapeutic cloning could be used to create human embryos from which stem cells can be extracted. The cells could then be used in medical treatments because they would be an exact genetic match to the patient. However reproductive cloning is expensive and highly inefficient - not to mention extremely controversial. It can take several hundred attempts to produce one viable clone. Furthermore, the complex nature of cloning requires a high level of technical expertise and the cost of such a procedure would be enormous – too high for most patients.

Stem Cells 101

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different kinds of cells. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. That is why stem cells are often referred to as the "master cells" of the human body. That is also why they can be used to repair damaged tissue and treat diseases.

There are two basic types of stems cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are extracted from fertilized human eggs or embryos (human life in its earliest stages). When the stem cells are removed the embryo is destroyed, raising a variety of ethical concerns. Adult stem cells, however, can be safely extracted from various places in the human body, such as fatty tissue, blood, and bone marrow.

Many scientists believe that embryonic stem cell research will result in miracle cures to some of our most debilitating diseases, but scientists have yet to learn how to control and manipulate these powerful cells. In fact, in laboratory research using rodents, embryonic stem cells either caused tumors or were rejected by the host. That is why many scientists to look to therapeutic cloning as a source for compatible stem cells.

Money Well Spent?

The truth about embryonic stem cells is very different from the media hype. Billions of dollars have been invested in controversial embryonic stem cell research, but embryonic stem cells have yet to benefit a single patient. After 20 years of research, there are no approved treatments or human trials using embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, scientists admit that it could be another 20 years before embryonic stems cells can be used to effectively treat disease - if ever.

While embryonic stem cell potential remains theoretical, adult stem cell treatments are already being used to successfully treat many diseases. The use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not as controversial as embryonic stem cells, because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an embryo. Adult stem cells also pose little or no medical danger to the patient - because the cells come from the patient's own body there is no risk of transplant rejection or tumors. Among the stunning advancements in adult stem cell therapy are treatments for various types of cancer, leukemia, arthritis, anemia, liver and cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and even age-related macular degeneration (one of the leading causes of blindness).

Adult stem cells have literally enabled the lame to walk and the blind to see, while embryonic stem cells have yet to treat a single disease. Despite this fact, advocates of cloning and embryonic stem cell research among the press, the public, and the scientific community remain resolute. It would seem that the battle over stem cell research has become more about politics and prejudice than scientific fact.

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RUSSIA SENDS A MESSAGE -

This past week Russian warships took part in military maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic, just off the coasts of France and Spain. It is said to be the largest operation of its kind since the fall of the Soviet Union. The maneuvers are meant to be a vivid demonstration of Russia's resurgent military might.

The drills include ships from Russia's Northern and Black Sea fleets. The flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva, took part in a live fire drill. It launched several nuclear-capable cruise missiles, successfully striking both air and sea targets. According to news reports, all the vessels and aircraft involved are carrying full loads of combat ammunition. Russia also sent two long-range "Blackjack" bombers to the Bay of Biscay to carry out a simulated electronic test-firing of cruise missiles. Russia's air force said British and Norwegian Tornado and F-16 jets shadowed the Russian aircraft during the drills.

Russia's renewed military presence in the Mediterranean does not bode well for Israel - nor does Russia's growing entanglements with Israel's Arab neighbors. As we reported previously, Russia has plans to establish a naval base on the Mediterranean. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, Russia will establish naval bases in the Syrian port cities of Tartus and Latakia. Reports indicate that Moscow is planning to form a new squadron led by the Moskva, the Black Sea Fleet's flagship missile cruiser. The squadron would operate in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis. Russia has already began dredging at the Syrian port of Tartus where it maintains a logistical supply point. It has also launched a modernization project at the port of Latakia, located about 60 miles to the north of Tartus.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet currently uses a range of naval facilities in the Ukrainian region of Crimea. They operate in the region under a 1997 agreement that allowed Russia to continue its presence in the former Soviet republic for rent of $93 million per year. The fleet is not scheduled to withdraw until 2017. However the Ukraine has voiced concerns that Russia is not paying enough for the facilities and has demanded that a new agreement be signed. Russia says that it will not make any concessions and negotiations between Russia and the Ukraine have stalled. Further complicating the matter is the Ukraine's pending bid to join NATO.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 as a defensive alliance in which each member was pledged to come to the aid of any of its members which were attacked militarily. During the Cold War era NATO's primary role was to counter the Russian threat, and Russia still views its old adversary with suspicion. Russia has watched uneasily as NATO has continued to expand, welcoming new members, some formerly a part of the Soviet Union. Russia considers NATO's expansion to be "antagonistic" and has warned the Ukraine in no uncertain terms that joining the organization would have adverse consequences.

In recent years Russia has implemented an ambitious plan to update and expand its military. Russian defense spending has been rising steadily, with the help of high energy prices and oil revenues. Russia is in the process of deploying new intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and possibly aircraft carriers. It's all part of a 189 billion dollar weapons modernization program.

Political friction building between Russia and the Western World, combined with increased tensions in the Middle East, indicate that the famed battle prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 could be on our near horizon. It is during this battle, that God will directly intercede to protect Israel from Magog and its allies.

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First Temple Seal Found in Jerusalem - January 29, 2008
A stone seal bearing the name of one of the families who, according to the book of Nehemiah, acted as servants in the First Temple and then returned to Jerusalem after being exiled to Babylonia has been uncovered in an archaeological excavation in Jerusalem's City of David. JPost

Indonesia Reports Over 100 Bird Flu Deaths - January 29, 2008
Indonesia, the nation worst hit by the deadly virus, has reported 101 humans killed by the bird flu. The virus is now endemic in birds across nearly all of Indonesia's 33 provinces. Humans are typically infected with bird flu by coming into direct contact with infected poultry, but experts fear the H5N1 virus may mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans, sparking a deadly global pandemic. AFP

Housing Market Hasn't Hit Bottom - January 29, 2008
As the White House and Congress work to head off a recession, fresh data out Tuesday points to further trouble ahead for the main cause of the downturn — a housing market that shows no signs of hitting bottom. Home prices plunged by a record 8.4 percent in November. Mortgage foreclosures surged in 2007, some 1.3 million homes were the subject of a foreclosure filing, up about 80 percent from 2006. MSNBC

Abbas Rules Out Talks with Hamas - January 29, 2008
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused any talks with Hamas unless it relinquishes their control of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority. Egyptian officials have been pressing Abbas to compromise with Hamas which currently has total control of the Gaza Strip on Egypt's border. Hamas militants recently blew holes in the border, allowing tens of thousands of Palestinians to cross into Rafah. USA Today