Scientists hail stem cell breakthrough

[Yitzchak]

No babies are involved!

The cells in queston come from embryoes that are going to be discarded anyway! They are not people, any way you look at it.

If that is correct, then the charge that the researchers are killing someone is false. How is this any different than organ donors??

 

[Quantos]

If that is correct, then the charge that the researchers are killing someone is false. How is this any different than organ donors??

Who Donated the stem cells ?

 

[wowbagger]

Who Donated the stem cells ?

Previous IVF patients at fertility clinics who are through with treatment but still have frozen embryo's can now be given a choice to keep paying to keep them frozen, discard them, or donate them to research. I believe Harvard has the largest privately funded research program which relies on donations.

There are an estimated 400,000 such embryos in the US today.

 

[Smidlee]

Scientists hail stem cell breakthrough
It looks like South Korea will make huge strides forward as they pioneer this technology. The economic center is certainly moving towards Asia.

Well this is a lot better than North Korea nuke program.( Well, maybe this depends where this is heading.) Of course it's now old news that Asia is getting strong in industry which equals more money in research. I still believe Bush is doing the right thing by not spending tax dollars to this research especially since we got very wealthy corporations who can afford this research to their heart's desire.

 

[Ninja Turtles]

Well this is a lot better than North Korea nuke program. Of course it's now old news that Asia is getting strong in industrially which equals more money in research. I still believe Bush is doing the right thing by not spending tax dollars to this research especially since we got very wealthy corporations who can afford this research to their heart's desire.

Yet if you followed trends in research, everything has been in the public sector for quite some time. The trend is towards the public sector in terms of research.

 

[Quijote]

No babies are involved!

The cells in queston come from embryoes that are going to be discarded anyway! They are not people, any way you look at it.

Some would argue that those embryoes, with their own DNA, are human lives. To them, it is the killing of "babies".

cheers

 

[Ninja Turtles]

Some would argue that those embryoes, with their own DNA, are human lives. To them, it is the killing of "babies".

cheers

We should then put them back where they were originally intended to go, the trash...

 

[wowbagger]

Some would argue that those embryoes, with their own DNA, are human lives. To them, it is the killing of "babies".

cheers

So what do you suggest they DO with them if they don't want/can't have more? Freeze them for eternity at their own expense? Have an embryo frozen orphanage?

Hint: Most people would not give them away to another couple.

 

[neverforsaken]

i have my own feelings on abortion. i was almost aborted over 21 years ago. to think someone would deny my humanity without my permission makes me sick to my stomach. if adult stem cells work as good as embryonic, then the use of embryonic stem cells is nothing more than an attempt to put a humanitarian face on abortion. to give the killings meaning and just cause.

 

[Ninja Turtles]

i have my own feelings on abortion. i was almost aborted over 21 years ago. to think someone would deny my humanity without my permission makes me sick to my stomach. if adult stem cells work as good as embryonic, then the use of embryonic stem cells is nothing more than an attempt to put a humanitarian face on abortion. to give the killings meaning and just cause.

Embryonic stem cell research and abortion are two different things completely. In addition, adult stem cells aren't just as good.

 

[the_malevolent_milk_man]

What people fail to understand is that even if you consider these things to be alive they're as good as dead anyways. Unless you want to have one of them stuck in you then they're going to remain frozen until the power fails or somebody does some housekeeping. Face it, you're saving them from the cooking pan just to toss them in the fire.

 

[neverforsaken]

Embryonic stem cell research and abortion are two different things completely. In addition, adult stem cells aren't just as good.

oh, i thought the stem cells come from aborted fetuses.

 

[Sir Jack Napes]

oh, i thought the stem cells come from aborted fetuses.

Not surprising, considering the lies some people are spreading.

 

[neverforsaken]

so where do embryonic stem cells come from?

 

[Ninja Turtles]

so where do embryonic stem cells come from?

They're usually donated by people who have no need for them at a fertility clinic. The standard procedure is to dump the embryos, that's why people felt that they could be used to help further science instead of just throwing them away.

The idea that they could could come from aborted fetuses also makes no sense since the cells would have differentiated.

 

[neverforsaken]

so the embryos are still alive then? instead of being implanted into another person they are used for stem cells? just making sure im getting this right.

 

[Douglaangu v2.0]

so the embryos are still alive then? instead of being implanted into another person they are used for stem cells? just making sure im getting this right.

They're frozen, and *could* be alive, but only if they were successfully implanted.
Why would anyone else want someone else's 'child' implanted?


Reminds me of a tele-debate between the late Christopher Reeve and an anti-stemstell preacher.

The preacher suggested that the leftover embryos should be thawed out and 'left to survive naturally if they can'.

 

[ForeRunner]

But there are already studies in using adult stem cells which have provided real results (unlike embryonic stem cell research).

Wrong! Try again:

Stem cells reverse Parkinson's in monkeys

 

[neverforsaken]

Why would anyone else want someone else's 'child' implanted?

isnt that where they do artificial incemination(sp?) what stage are these embryos in developement?

 

[ForeRunner]

isnt that where they do artificial incemination(sp?) what stage are these embryos in developement?

No, for IVF the sperm and eggs used usually come from the couple. Sometimes (such as lesbian couples for instance) a donor is used for half the genetic material. I am sure other situations happen, but they are rather rare.

The embryos used are usually about 3 days old (1-5 days). They are never implanted inside a uterous, they spend all of their short existance in a petri dish.