A U.S. company said on Wednesday (August 23) it had developed a way to make human embryonic stem cells without harming the original embryo, a finding it said could dispel ethical objections to promising medical research using such cells. "Prior to this research the generation of an embryonic stem cell line has required the destruction of an embryo. So this is the first time ever that we now have a technology that will allow us to create these stem cells without harming the embryo," said Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientist at Advanced Cell Technology in Massachusetts. Stem cells are the body's master cells, available from many sources, but many experts believe the most powerful and versatile cells may be those taken from days-old embryos, consisting usually of about 8 cells. Scientists hope to study these cells, discover what compounds enable them to produce any kind of body tissue, and replicate that to make tailored treatments for diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's....