Stem Cell Research

Bush just annoinced that he will allow government fundedresearch on sixteen existing stem cells that were made in the private sector, but not on embryos. I believe he made the correct decision: it is important that research be done, but we should not devalue human life in the process. I should add this is the first move he's made that I've agreed with since he became president.

That's curious, it's on of the first I've disagreed with.

[jediguy]

I'm very, very glad that Bush did not stop this research. I agree with the move.

But I still don't like him...

[gdl96]

I was considering starting a thread about this a couple weeks ago...

Anyway, I think that this research can lead to many significant breakthroughs in medicine, and that it would have been a big mistake to not allow research.

[Erewe]

You sure it's 16? I thought he said 60?

Anyway, I'm not entirely happy with it, but it's better than nothing.

--Erewë

[Gilthalion]

I reckon he did the best that could be done with the circumstances. Research on the 60 embryonic stem cell lines will procede with federal funding and therefore oversight. The material will be made available to more laboratories than otherwise.

And this is not to say that other private stem cell lines won't be established in the world.

This means that the US will not be locked out of the new discoveries and can maintains the precedent that human life must be carefully protected in the course of such research.

Otherwise, we will have to trust to the good graces of various governments around the world and to transnational companies in international waters...

[easterlinge]

I just found on www.newscientist.com:

"
An unexpected source of flexible adult stem cells has been
found by Canadian researchers - the skin. The finding raises
hopes that skin could one day provide an easily accessible
source of stem cells compatible with a patient's own immune
system."

No need for embryos.... we can use our skins for stem cell research.


What a relief....

[Renju48]

I reckon Bush dhould go on with this. Actually I'm not sure

[samwise of the shire]

The only thing I know about Stem Cell reasearch is that they think that embryos are the only way to obtain the cells,when thy're NOT. They made a discovery that male MICE carry enough stem cells for one human being and with all the mice in the world and the perscentage of people with these dieases it's not like the mice are going to go extinct.Sam

[jediguy]

Actually, now that it has been revealed that most stem cells come from Mice, there might be a chance that Bush will allow funding on new lines of stem cells. The reason is that people don't want to risk disease from this 'xeno-transplanting' or whatever it's called...

[Finmandos12]

I heard that at some university, they grew heart cells out of animal stem cells.

[easterlinge]

Let's not throw stem cell research out the window yet.... the new sources from skin and mice makes it more acceptable.

For now, most insulin comes from pigs, which presents Muslim (and Jewish) diabetics with an appalling dilemma. Organs grown from stem cells should be a welcome thing.

[Darth Tater]

Wait, so it's ok to use human parts in research, but god forbit we use parts from pigs!?

[easterlinge]

I would object to organs grown from embryonic stem cells...... but I think I wouldn't mind too much if it's grown from stem cells from my own skin scrapings.

I doubt something so drastic as that is needed though. Recent research suggests that injecting new liver cells (cultured from your own liver) grown in the lab into your damaged liver helps some.

I think it's possible to culture insulin-producing cells from your own body and place them in your kidneys to treat diabetes. And honestly, it's just a piece of you !!

When all else fails, we can splice some bacteria to provide insulin.

And how do you think heart transplants came into being if it wasn't for research on human organs?