stem cells

**HuckFinn** · 07-30-2004, 03:57 PM

Ron Reagan's emotionally manipulative speech at the DNC was riddled with half-truths and obfuscation. Without ever explicitly saying so, he advocated not merely the use of "disposable" human embryos from fertility industry labs, but the creation of human embryo cloning factories. Of course, he never once mentioned the very promising medical results that have already been obtained from adult, bone marrow, and umbilical cord stem cell research:

http://www.stemcellresearch.org

**brothersun** · 07-30-2004, 08:25 PM

stem sell research scares the crap out of me. Playing God with actual life. Abortion is horrible now this! But that just my believes. And i'm sure the majority in this immoral world will disagree with me.

**interval_illusion** · 07-30-2004, 09:22 PM

people are sooo afraid of human's being cloned but if you take a few simple human biology classes... you would understand that stem cell research has a GREAT possibility to saving people's lives with bad diseases like cancer and aids and for cures for diseases.

the scientific community wishes you use stem cell research to better life, not to clone humans.

**cynical_otter** · 07-30-2004, 09:47 PM

Stem Cell research is what's gonna save this planet.

we could possibly cure AIDS with this science.

But all the conservatives dont want that. All that possible white DNA being used to save non-whites. Donated embryos that could be born and grow up to be white conservatives being wasted on saving Africans and Asians and women.Oh the horror of it all!!!!

Cure cancer???? NO NOT THAT!!! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!

if trying to save people's lives in immoral....then I'd rather be a blood-drinking satanist then part of any group that claims to be moral.

Huck Binn as usual, you can take your high-horsed dribble and kiss my otter ass.

**HuckFinn** · 07-30-2004, 09:53 PM

I'm glad to see such well-informed, reasoned responses. It's obvious that people here have thoughtfully engaged the material provided on the web site I listed above . . .

**shaggie** · 07-30-2004, 10:11 PM

Here's another site that briefly summarizes stem cells:

http://www.facsnet.org/tools/sci_tech/biotek/lanza.php3

A technique may become available where the embryo is tricked into thinking it has been fertilized. Stem cells then grow and are harvested.

Any thoughts on this? Ethical? Unethical? Taking of human life?

**HuckFinn** · 07-30-2004, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaggie

A technique may become available where the embryo is tricked into thinking it has been fertilized. Stem cells then grow and are harvested.

Any thoughts on this? Ethical? Unethical? Taking of human life?

You mean the ovum is tricked. Embryos can't be fertilized; they are the result of fertilization/cloning. If ova could truly be "tricked" into producing stem cells, then I wouldn't see any reason to object. However, as noted in several articles on the stemcellresearch.org site, extracting ova from women is neither easy nor painless, so I don't see this hypothetical technology taking off anytime soon.

**interval_illusion** · 07-30-2004, 10:50 PM

i totally agree with you otter.... like you said, curing diseases is such a BAD thing. it's horrifying.

**sweatininthesouth** · 07-30-2004, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cynical_otter

Cure cancer???? NO NOT THAT!!! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!

Just think, if we cure cancer, diabetes and other assorted diseases, the drug companies would lose billions in profits, because the public would no longer need to buy their expensive super drugs.

Is it possible the drug companies are lobbying Bush to stand firm on his no-stem-cell-research policy???

**shaggie** · 07-31-2004, 12:16 AM

Every technology was hypothetical at one point. There are also difficulties with extracting a sufficient number of stem cells from umbilical blood as there would be from tricked ova. Therapeudic cloning is one attempt to tackle the problem of insufficient numbers of stem cells.

The production of stem cells from ova tricked into thinking they were fertilized is not an ethical problem for some. Anyone care to clearly define what exactly they think is unethical? I would say that one definition would be that it is unethical to harvest stem cells from anything that could have the potential to become a human being, no matter what technique was used to fertilize it, natural, technically tricked, etc. Any thoughts?

What about harvesting stem cells from naturally defective embryos that would not lead to a viable human being? Ethical or not?