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The study and culture of fetal cells dates back to the 1930's. Since early in its history, fetal tissue has been used in developing cell lines. A cell line is a sample of cells originating from the same parent cell, that has undergone the process of adaptation to artificial laboratory cultivation and is capable of sustaining continuous long-term growth in culture. Fetal cells also provide special advantages as cell lines because of their rapid growth and adaptability, and because they are less likely to be rejected by a recipient than tissue obtained from adult donors. My graduate work at MIT's Cell Culture Center was focused on developing connective tissue cell lines for the production of interferon for clinical applications. The recent questions on PARKINSN re: safety and contamination of fetal tissue should be put in perspective. In vitro cells that are "harvested" in a controlled, laboratory environment are rigorously and continually screened for contaminants and foreign antigens. It should also be noted -- for those of us with PD -- that these fetal cells have tremendous therapeutic potential for the treatment of our disease. We're VERY CLOSE to a cure. Let's put aside all of the political and religious rhetoric and let the scientists continue their research. Respectfully, Martin Bayne