Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

[Dusk Raven]

Short Story,

Most of this article is other stuff.

Discuss.

[DarkwingChuck]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

Yay, now we can stop using those dead embryos to save lives and just toss them in the garbage as God intended.

[Perversion]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

Second link is bad.

[facts]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

wow, looks like I really didn't need the Stem Cell transplant that I got.

[Seraph]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

I like mine with a little ketchup and hashbrowns.

[ChaosKnightXD]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

I heard about that on the news this morning. It's a wonderful breakthrough I think so. Now maybe they can find a way to create some cures.

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

What was the whole controversy about using stem cells, again?

Second link is bad.

Really? Works fine for me. They lump several articles on the same page, by the way.

[Caciss]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

They were taken from aborted fetuses.

[Perversion]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

I did a speech on stem cell research a few years ago for a college class, and they DO NOT take them from aborted fetuses. For the most part, they use embryos (well, zygotes, actually) that had been frozen in case an infertile couple needs one to get implanted. Apparently, when trying to "conceive," through a fertility clinic, many, many cells are united in petri dishes and whatnot in case the first one that they try to implant does not work, they have backup. These others that are "waiting" to be used get frozen. Inevitably, the couple manages to carry an implanted zygote to term and gives birth. The rest of the frozen zygotes (a few cells, without even having any characteristic human functions or features...basically, as I said, a few cells) either continue frozen indefinitely, or, more likely, they are "killed" by either exposing them to the air, washing them down the sink, burning them, or simply throwing them in the trash.

MY way of thinking is that it is MUCH more beneficial to use these groups of cells (I hesitate to call them "human beings"....they are moreso cells with the capability to develop into a human being) to harvest stem cells from, where it might benefit society, instead of letting them "die" as they probably would anyway.

When Clinton was in the White House, he was in the process of trying to pass a law to allow stem cell research to continue. However, then all the controversy with his presidency happened, and that kind of got pushed to the back burner. When Bush came to the White House, he immediately quashed the legislation to appease the Christian Right, who strongly believe that harvesting stem cells was "taking a human life," which, as I've mentioned, I do not agree with (the definition of "life" that is). And apparently, they either did not do enough research or just completely ignored the fact that those "lives" were destined to be extinguished anyway, by the methods mentioned above.

The major problem that faces research in the field is that when the research began, they grew the stem cells on rat cells (as is standard practice in genetics, apparently) in order to increase their "shelf life," not thinking they were going to eventually be cut off from harvesting any more. So now they can do all the experiments they want on what they currently have, but are unable to gain new specimens. This is a problem, as in order to see the full benefits of their research, it would necessitate implanting the stem cells into a human body. However, as all the current samples are "contaminated" with rat cells, this is not feasible. So the field is pretty much stuck at an impasse. The ONLY other option is to conduct research in other countries that do not have laws in place against the harvesting of the stem cells, and from what I remember in my research, more and more countries are passing laws to prevent this from happening (but I'm not 100% sure on this point).

So, yeah, let's all vote Democrat this go 'round.

[JPS]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

What was the whole controversy about using stem cells, again?



Really? Works fine for me. They lump several articles on the same page, by the way.

The second link requires you to log in with a username and password

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Skin Cells --> Stem Cells? Yay.

This work?