Embryonic Stem Cells--A Panacea?
By ErrollLeVant
@ErrollLeVant (4353)
United States
February 2, 2009 9:40am CST
President Obama is about to sign an order to lift the restrictions on research wuing embryonic stem cells. The move will apparently only apply to embryos already created in fertility clinics, and not to the creating of life just to harvest the cells five days later, killing the embryo (child). Researchers have been touting the research as a panacea for almost any ailment known to man. I wonder what lurks ahead as we proceed down this road.
2 people like this
4 responses
@Fortunata (1135)
• United States
2 Feb 09
How do we know that's what's going to happen? I don't trust the government on the signing of this bill. It's well known that adult stem cells are better than embroyonic ones. I just think this is a way for abortion clinics to make some extra money on the side.
2 people like this
@ErrollLeVant (4353)
• United States
2 Feb 09
I do not know about extra money for abortion clinics in this instance, unless they have labs that create the embryos, it is the fertility clinics that stand to make the great gains immediately. But I am afraid that soon schools and pharmecuetical companies will create their own "farms" for generating the needed embryos.
1 person likes this
@the_vicar (1477)
• United States
2 Feb 09
They don't have to use embryonic cells to grow new tissue and repair damaged cells. What do they do with the embryos already in fertility clinics? Throw them away? I think in 200 years, the people inhabiting the Earth will look at our history and think....."how barbaric"....we certainly aren't going to leave a good impression on future generations. Out taste for war, the raising and butchering of animals for our dinner table, how we treat just about every life form on the planet is disgusting. And if we are that bad.....imagine what they will think of the Middle East with their lust for blood.
Hopefully, one of these days, the human race will grow up and work as a team to make this place more livable and less hostile.
2 people like this
@ErrollLeVant (4353)
• United States
2 Feb 09
You are right, vicar. In the past year, in large part because the scientists were banned from using embryonic stem cells, a breakthrough in developing stem cells feom adult skin cells was made. I do not oppose treatments that do not destroy human life in order to develop the treatment.
1 person likes this
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
4 Feb 09
If I remember correctly when President Bush signed an order to stop government funding EMBRONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH FROM NEW LINES there were 72 know strands of embryonic stem cells available and the government would continue to fund research using these. At the time only about 6 of the lines were being used because the research was more promising using adult stem cells. The Foundation that Michale J. Fox founded was funding Adult Stem Cell Research, when he was out fighting for embryonic stem cell funding.
Private money can still fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research. The problem is that private money goes where there is a promise of success and more has been done with Adult Stem Cells than Embryonic. I have not read of any Embryonic Stem Cell Research that has been a success.
1 person likes this
@ErrollLeVant (4353)
• United States
4 Feb 09
It seems as though are well read on the subject. Many of those "useable" lines were corrupted and not fit for optimum results anyway.
@ErrollLeVant (4353)
• United States
2 Feb 09
apparently there have been some studies in mice and other lab animals that give cause to think the treatments could help. And recently, I think, California allowed some stem cell generated treatment to be injected into the spinal cords of a few paralytics.
1 person likes this
@ErrollLeVant (4353)
• United States
3 Feb 09
I am not sure where the ones used in California came from, but there were 12 lines already developed that were allowed to be studied under Bush's ban, and privately funded research was allowed on other strains or lines.
