Politics Stem Cell Research

[Itz tha Dreila]

my big problem with it is that women will get pregnant just so they can get money for the fetus.  and i don't think that it's right.

[post="1357369"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

it is right. theres no life to take.

 

[mystery_chick]

i don't believe in stem cell research.  it's no different then thousands of years ago when people would sacrifice they're babies to their gods so that they (the parents) would live longer and not get sick.  now we're using unborn babies to benefit ourselves.

[post="1356411"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

More than likely, the woman who had invetro has succesfully gotten pregnant and had her child before anything is done with the extra embryos. The reason why they make extra is because she might miscarry. You can't just tell the woman who got invetro to do it again so that she wont' be wasting the embryos! These stem cells won't ever become babies and that's why they are being destroyed. But why destroy them when you can use them to advance medicine?

my big problem with it is that women will get pregnant just so they can get money for the fetus.  and i don't think that it's right.

[post="1357369"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Uhhh... you do know that invetro costs a LOT of money right? :blink:
--Mandy

 

[AishiteruAmiboshi]

wow hehe im doing a research project on this for my english final and i am soo pro stem cell research i mean..in the furute it could help saves lives. I dun know why bush is vetoing it in the first place..i read a quote that says that he is not fir any research that with destroy lives to help save lives..destroy what!! the cells will be thrown out anyway and die anyway so whats the point! Also im made at the fact since we have all of these laws preventing us from doing certain things that other countries are farther ahead of us..i mean look at Korea..if i recall correctly there was a thing in the newspaper last week i believe that said that they had created 17 identical cells that match a sick patients..thats a major leap in the research and the only reason they are making all these dicoverys is becasue the government doesnot have all these restrictions on it....in my opinion im just pro the research....i must stop now or else i can just continue ranting on and on...

 

[Jamison]

I really don't understand why people have a problem with stem cell research

Thousands of embyros are destroyed every year because they expire or are no longer necessary. Yet that's not killing...but manipulating them to save someone's life is... :blink:

I'm sorry, but that makes no sense. You'd rather have them destroyed, when they could potentially cure cancer, alzheimers, parkinson's...and the list goes on and on.

They create multiple embyros for invetro, in case the women needs several tries before she gets pregnant (in some cases they create in excess of 25). Let's say she get's pregnant on the first try, and has 24 left. Are those ones just supposed to be destroyed, when they can benefit mankind?

And also, that woman has paid thousands of dollars for those embyros to be created...shouldn't it be her say as to what happens to them? If she doesn't want them implanted in her, then shouldn't she be the one to decide if they go to medical research or it they're to be destroyed? They are hers and she's paid for them...so I'd think that it should be her decision.


And you know what, fine. If you don't like the idea of people using stem cells to benefit the medical community, then you don't have to take any part in the technology that comes forth because of it. If you're diagnosed with cancer, and a cure is discovered because of embyronic stem cells...then you don't have to get the cure. But please don't infringe on someone else's rights. My 5 year old cousin died last year from multiple genetic complications. I'd like to think a family in the future wouldn't have to watch a 5 year old suffer and wither away the way she did, because of the technology that we now have available to us.

We should embrace this technology. So, instead of destroying several thousand embyros each year, we use them for medical research, and in doing so are able to save and prolong the lives of millions, who otherwise, wouldn't stand a chance.

 

[Osiris]

you can get stem cells from the umbelacul(?) cord. you don't have to use embryos. it makes more sense to use the umbelical cord, because more babies are born then aborted.

 

[Jamison]

you can get stem cells from the umbelacul(?) cord.  you don't have to use embryos.  it makes more sense to use the umbelical cord, because more babies are born then aborted.

[post="1359742"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Embryonic ones are the best ones to be able to manipulate. And most of the embryos (if not the vast majority) don't come from abortions...instead come from families wishing to use the embyros for invetro.

 

[mystery_chick]

you can get stem cells from the umbelacul(?) cord.  you don't have to use embryos.  it makes more sense to use the umbelical cord, because more babies are born then aborted.

[post="1359742"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Well first of all, stem cells do not come from aborted babies. Umbilical cord stem cells are harder to harvest and there are very few facilities right now that does the procedure. Umbilical cord blood is also needed right now to treat lukemia patients espcially since the blood from the umbilical cord has very few immunizing cells. Stem cells have already created for invetro fertilization, once the woman is pregnant and no longer wish for another child, the embryos are destroyed. So what's the difference if they're put in good use for science? :blink:
-mandy

 

[slpmom]

Here are my 2 cents on this, without going into all the moral issues....I am in the medical community working with patients who are injured to a devastating degree; I work with people who have suffered strokes, who have chronic degenerative neaurological diseases; I have many patients who have Alzheimer's dementia; I myself have type I juvenile diabetes....Do I support mdeical research that includes use of stem cells, to advance our potential for better treatment and cures.....Yes.

LKC

 

[Itz tha Dreila]

Yes, so lets find cures for these diseases instead of arguing over moral issues.

 

[Jamison]

Yes, so lets find cures for these diseases instead of arguing over moral issues.

[post="1362140"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Exactly.

Like I said, if you have a real problem with it, then don't use the technology that comes from stem cells. If you're diagnosed with a disease and the cure is found from stem cell research, then don't get the cure. But don't infringe on someone else's rights.

 

[Itz tha Dreila]

Exactly. Only problem is if people disagree with it they expect everyone else to have the same opinion, instead of accepting that others need cures and many people support it.

 

[Jaimie]

I agree with stem-cell research. My father has really bad rheumatoid arthritis amongst other health problems and stem-cell research has been used to help people that suffer from the same problems my father has. I wish that stem-cell research could be resumed because maybe they can help my father or find a cure for some of his problems.

 

[the_alliance]

Today Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced he will support using federal funds to encourage the destruction of living human embryos for their stem cells. Despite the Senator’s disclaimers to the contrary, this position is not "pro-life."

Especially disturbing is the Senator’s insistence that human embryos unwanted by their own parents are owed "the same dignity and respect" as children and adults, but may nevertheless be killed for research material. Such destruction of innocent human life, even out of a desire to help others, rests on a utilitarian view that undermines human dignity and human respect, as Senator Sam Brownback ably pointed out today in his response. Senator Frist’s effort to make an analogy with organ transplants also fails, because it would be gravely immoral as well as illegal to harvest any patient’s vital organs when he or she is still alive.

Despite his warning against offering "false hope" to patients, Senator Frist also repeated claims that are untrue or misleading about the unique "promise" of embryonic stem cells. No one has identified any disease that can be treated only with these cells; no one even knows whether they will ever provide a safe and reliable treatment for the conditions already being successfully treated using adult stem cells. These factual issues will no doubt be explored by others. My own central concern is that neither sound ethics nor good government can rest on the principle that "the end justifies the means." I commend President Bush for his laudable pledge to veto such legislation.

well said

 

[facade47]

I think that ADULT stem cell research is more promising (I take Rush's word for it that adult stem cells have cured mice infected with diseases, unlike stem cells which haven't), and taking adult or placenta stem cells does not harm human life.

 

[xdancer]

I think that ADULT stem cell research is more promising (I take Rush's word for it that adult stem cells have cured mice infected with diseases, unlike stem cells which haven't), and taking adult or placenta stem cells does not harm human life.

[post="1440252"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

taking embryonic stem cells does not harm human life either. these stem cells come from fetuses that have already been aborted. fetuses are not aborted for the specific purpose of providing embryonic stem cells. unlike adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells can become any type of cells, if i'm not mistaken, which opens up a world of possibilities in curing diseases. and word to the wise, rush limbaugh's job is to put a spin on things and stretch the truth. he's a professional at providing propaganda. i wouldn't take his word on anything.

 

[facade47]

I'm pretty sure adult stem cells can do the same, but I'll double check.

I know this is an anti-ESC site, but still, very interesting:

http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/diabetesupdate.pdf

 

[xdancer]

but there are so many other diseases that might be treated with the use of stem cells, not just diabetes.

i found this site. i've found it to usually be unbiased and give both sides of the issue. from what i can tell, most scientists thought that adult stem cells won't grow into certain types of tissues, but there is still some speculation due to new evidence. either way, i'll leave the science to the scientists and simply say that as long as embryonic stem cells are being taken from fetuses that have already been aborted, i have no problem with it. i say give doctors the funding to explore many different options in stem cell research instead of just the ones that fit into certain congressmen's and the president's self-righteous moral code.

 

[Jamison]

but there are so many other diseases that might be treated with the use of stem cells, not just diabetes.

i found this site.  i've found it to usually be unbiased and give both sides of the issue.  from what i can tell, most scientists thought that adult stem cells won't grow into certain types of tissues, but there is still some speculation due to new evidence.  either way, i'll leave the science to the scientists and simply say that as long as embryonic stem cells are being taken from fetuses that have already been aborted, i have no problem with it.  i say give doctors the funding to explore many different options in stem cell research instead of just the ones that fit into certain congressmen's and the president's self-righteous moral code.

[post="1440571"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Exactly. As of now scientists are not certain if adult stem cells can be manipulated the same way embryonic ones can. Someday through research they may determine that they can be, or it may be a dead end.

Either way, it is important to pursue both sides of the aisle. Right now scientists feel that embyronic stem cells are the way to go, and I trust them on that. If using embryonic stem cells from fetuses that were never going to be children anyway is what has to be done to save lives, then I don't see what the problem is. The fetuses used were going to be destroyed anyway...why not give them a chance at saving lives?

 

[Solange]

As long as they use umbilical cord blood just after a birth.

I don't condone their past method of creating life just to harvest cells.

 

[Jamison]

Researchers report potential stem cell breakthrough

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Harvard scientists announced they've discovered a way to fuse adult skin cells with embryonic stem cells, a promising breakthrough that could lead to the creation of useful stem cells without first having to create and destroy human embryos.

The scientists said they were able to show in their early research that the fused cell "was reprogrammed to its embryonic state." Such a breakthrough could have the effect of taming a biting national debate about the ethics of stem-cell research, but not any time soon.

"If future experiments indicate that this reprogrammed state is retained after removing the embryonic stem cell DNA -- currently a formidable technical hurdle -- the hybrid cells could theoretically be used to produce embryonic stem cells lines that are tailored to individual patients without the need to create and destroy human embryos," said a summary of the research reported on the Science journal site.

Researcher Kevin Eggan stressed, however, that the technology is preliminary.

"I can't stress enough that this technology is not ready for prime time right now," Eggan said at a briefing Monday. "It is not a replacement for those techniques that we already have for derivation of embryonic stem cells."

"This is the first step down a long and uncertain road," said Eggan, noting that it comes with its own set of limitations.

It could easily be 10 years before the process is usable in people, he said. Eggan said, "There are still fundamental biological hurdles that have to be overcome."

The goal is to make stem cells that carry a patient's genes, and only the patients genes, he said. The cells created in this process carry too much DNA, both that of the stem cell and that from the embryonic stem cell used in the process.

The new process still involves use of an embryonic stem cell, but the researchers hope it will tell them how an adult cell can be reprogrammed into an embryonic stem cell without use of embryonic cells to begin with.

"There are groups of people in the U.S. and elsewhere who feel it's fundamentally wrong to destroy early state (stem cells)," he said. Learning how the adult cell is changed might lead to a way around that concern, Eggan said.

The researchers used laboratory grown human embryonic stem cells -- such as the ones that President Bush has already approved for use by federally funded researchers -- to essentially convert a skin cell into an embryonic stem cell itself.

If a number of hurdles can be overcome in subsequent research, the new technique "may circumvent some of the logistical and societal concerns" that have hampered much of the research in this country, Chad A. Cowan, Eggan and colleagues from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute reported in the Science article.

Those social concerns are reflected in the Senate's looming debate over a House-passed bill to force taxpayers to fund stem cell research that would destroy human embryos, legislation that Bush has promised to veto. Bush and many fellow conservatives believe it is immoral to create embryos only to destroy them, even in the name of scientific progress that could cure or treat diseases afflicting millions of people.

Debate and a vote on the bill will proceed next month as planned, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's spokeswoman, Amy Call, said Monday. Frist earlier this month said he will vote for the bill, widely expected to pass even in the face of Bush's veto threat.

The hybrid cells created by the Harvard team "had the appearance, growth rate, and several key genetic characteristics of human embryonic cells," the summary of their work said.

"They also behaved like embryonic cells, differentiating into cells from each of the three main tissue types that form in a developing embryo," it said. The authors conclude that human embryonic cells have the ability to reprogram adult cell chromosomes following cell fusion."