Stem Cell Research

[nitecrawlur]

What is the main issue with this field? I don't understand how research that will further our medical understanding can be a bad thing.

 

[The Nihilist]

this is because you are not a crazy person

 

[cantata]

this is because you are not a crazy person

*snicker*

The main reason people have a problem with it is that it involves the use of human embryos, which some people regard as possessing the same rights (whatever they are) as born humans.

 

[nitecrawlur]

it's nice to see there are actually some people on here with a sense for logic and reason on this forum.

 

[lawtonfogle]

What is the main issue with this field? I don't understand how research that will further our medical understanding can be a bad thing.

So, you support violation of human rights as long as it will further our understanding? What about opening up and playing with human brains while the human in question is still alive. Experiments around doing such that have been properly designed should greatly increase our knowledge of how the mind works.

But then again, you probably don't. You are probably of the opinion, for better or worse, that science should be bounded by the ethics/morales of the society in which it is contained. Stem cells just happen to be one of the few areas which have been publicized (animal research is another) where some notable portion of society things that it part of what should be bound and another things that it should be freely allowed.

So, you may want to modify your question.

 

[Vene]

So, you support violation of human rights as long as it will further our understanding? What about opening up and playing with human brains while the human in question is still alive. Experiments around doing such that have been properly designed should greatly increase our knowledge of how the mind works.

But then again, you probably don't. You are probably of the opinion, for better or worse, that science should be bounded by the ethics/morales of the society in which it is contained. Stem cells just happen to be one of the few areas which have been publicized (animal research is another) where some notable portion of society things that it part of what should be bound and another things that it should be freely allowed.

So, you may want to modify your question.

You mean the embryos that are going to be tossed as medical waste?

 

[ebia]

What is the main issue with this field? I don't understand how research that will further our medical understanding can be a bad thing.

If it devalues any form of human life in the process then that is a bad thing.

Part of the problem is that the issue has become so polarised both sides spin the facts so much, and use so much emotional argument, that nobody has the faintest idea what the unbiased facts are without doing a lot of private research. It's no longer a reasonable ethical debate but a shouting match.

 

[lawtonfogle]

You mean the embryos that are going to be tossed as medical waste?

Where did I mention any thing concerning the grouping of matter which is referred to here by "embryos"? I only mentioned Stem Cells, and that was referring not to the cells themselves, but to the idea of using them as research.

 

[Vene]

Where did I mention any thing concerning the grouping of matter which is referred to here by "embryos"? I only mentioned Stem Cells, and that was referring not to the cells themselves, but to the idea of using them as research.

Sorry, I misinterpreted your post.

 

[lawtonfogle]

Sorry, I misinterpreted your post.

No problem.

On a side note, the forums are messing up again.

 

[Skaloop]

So, you support violation of human rights as long as it will further our understanding? What about opening up and playing with human brains while the human in question is still alive. Experiments around doing such that have been properly designed should greatly increase our knowledge of how the mind works.

And such experiments have been done, and have resulted in great insight into the workings of the brain. Not only is the person alive, but they are conscious as well! Granted, the skull isn't opened up solely for that purpose, but usually for treatment of seizures.

Look into the work of Wilder Penfield, who developed the basic procedure that would allow him to map the brain. Cool stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilder_Penfield

 

[nitecrawlur]

So, you support violation of human rights as long as it will further our understanding? What about opening up and playing with human brains while the human in question is still alive. Experiments around doing such that have been properly designed should greatly increase our knowledge of how the mind works.

But then again, you probably don't. You are probably of the opinion, for better or worse, that science should be bounded by the ethics/morales of the society in which it is contained. Stem cells just happen to be one of the few areas which have been publicized (animal research is another) where some notable portion of society things that it part of what should be bound and another things that it should be freely allowed.

So, you may want to modify your question.

Why would you not be willing to sacrifice a small number of lives (who by the way are unaware of their existance and without a nervouse system so there is no physical or mental suffering) to save an indefinate number of lives in the future.

Answer this: A train was out of control and about, without a doubt, hit five people. You have the opportunity to switch the track and redirect the train to hit just one person instead. Would you do it? Or would you let the larger population die?

Or if there is a fat man on an overpass in a position that if you were to push him off, he could stop the train with his size.

Based on what you are indicating you are willing to stand there and let the larger crowd die.

 

[NeTrips]

Stem cells retrieved thru the destruction of embryos can be retrieved in many other ways. There have been many break throughs in the last year or so in this regard. Destruction of embryos is no longer required and has made the discussion of such destruction a pointless exercise.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

I support stem cell research myself.

 

[NeTrips]

Better you than the taxpayers.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

Umm but I do pay taxes.

 

[Vene]

Better you than the taxpayers.

Hey look, I'm another tax-paying, voting, supporter of stem cell research. Why? Because adult stem cells are largely useless, the embryos are discarded as medical waste if they aren't used for research, and the embryos are just a bundle of cells. They don't have any organs, organ systems, just a bunch of undifferentiated cells. And that's why they are valuable. Actually, once I get my degree, I would be thrilled to do stem cell research.

It's especially telling to me that similar arguments against stem cell research were used against organ transplants.

 

[NeTrips]

What treatments are currently in use today from embrionic stem cells? There are plenty from adult stem cells. Here's a list of some:


Cancers:

1. Brain Cancer
2. Retinoblastoma
3. Ovarian Cancer
4. Skin Cancer: Merkel Cell Carcinoma
5. Testicular Cancer
6. Tumors abdominal organs Lymphoma
7. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
8. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
9. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
10. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
11. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
12. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
13. Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
14. Cancer of the lymph nodes: Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy
15. Multiple Myeloma
16. Myelodysplasia
17. Breast Cancer
18. Neuroblastoma
19. Renal Cell Carcinoma
20. Various Solid Tumors
21. Soft Tissue Sarcoma
22. Ewing’s Sarcoma
23. Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia
24. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
25. POEMS syndrome
26. Myelofibrosis
27. Auto-Immune Diseases
28. Diabetes Type I (Juvenile)
29. Systemic Lupus
30. Sjogren’s Syndrome
31. Myasthenia
32. Autoimmune Cytopenia
33. Scleromyxedema
34. Scleroderma
35. Crohn’s Disease
36. Behcet’s Disease
37. Rheumatoid Arthritis
38. Juvenile Arthritis
39. Multiple Sclerosis
40. Polychondritis
41. Systemic Vasculitis
42. Alopecia Universalis
43. Buerger’s Disease
44. Cardiovascular
45. Acute Heart Damage
46. Chronic Coronary Artery Disease
47. Ocular
48. Corneal regeneration
49. Immunodeficiencies
50. Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome
51. X-linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome
52. X-linked Hyper immunoglobulin M Syndrome
53. Neural Degenerative Diseases and Injuries
54. Parkinson’s Disease
55. Spinal Cord Injury
56. Stroke Damage
57. Anemias and Other Blood Conditions
58. Sickle Cell Anemia
59. Sideroblastic Anemia
60. Aplastic Anemia
61. Red Cell Aplasia
62. Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
63. Thalassemia
64. Primary Amyloidosis
65. Diamond Blackfan Anemia
66. Fanconi’s Anemia
67. Chronic Epstein-Barr Infection
68. Wounds and Injuries
69. Limb Gangrene
70. Surface Wound Healing
71. Jawbone Replacement
72. Skull Bone Repair
73. Other Metabolic Disorders
74. Hurler’s Syndrome
75. Osteogenesis Imperfecta
76. Krabbe Leukodystrophy
77. Osteopetrosis
78. Cerebral X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy
79. Liver Disease
80. Chronic Liver Failure
81. Liver Cirrhosis
82. Bladder Disease
83. End-Stage Bladder Disease

http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm

here's some peer reviewed references.
http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/asc-refs.pdf

Where have embryonic stem cells been used to successfully treat anything?

 

[Vene]

What treatments are currently in use today from embrionic stem cells? There are plenty from adult stem cells. Here's a list of some:


Cancers:

1. Brain Cancer
2. Retinoblastoma
3. Ovarian Cancer
4. Skin Cancer: Merkel Cell Carcinoma
5. Testicular Cancer
6. Tumors abdominal organs Lymphoma
7. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
8. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
9. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
10. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
11. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
12. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
13. Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
14. Cancer of the lymph nodes: Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy
15. Multiple Myeloma
16. Myelodysplasia
17. Breast Cancer
18. Neuroblastoma
19. Renal Cell Carcinoma
20. Various Solid Tumors
21. Soft Tissue Sarcoma
22. Ewing’s Sarcoma
23. Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia
24. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
25. POEMS syndrome
26. Myelofibrosis
27. Auto-Immune Diseases
28. Diabetes Type I (Juvenile)
29. Systemic Lupus
30. Sjogren’s Syndrome
31. Myasthenia
32. Autoimmune Cytopenia
33. Scleromyxedema
34. Scleroderma
35. Crohn’s Disease
36. Behcet’s Disease
37. Rheumatoid Arthritis
38. Juvenile Arthritis
39. Multiple Sclerosis
40. Polychondritis
41. Systemic Vasculitis
42. Alopecia Universalis
43. Buerger’s Disease
44. Cardiovascular
45. Acute Heart Damage
46. Chronic Coronary Artery Disease
47. Ocular
48. Corneal regeneration
49. Immunodeficiencies
50. Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome
51. X-linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome
52. X-linked Hyper immunoglobulin M Syndrome
53. Neural Degenerative Diseases and Injuries
54. Parkinson’s Disease
55. Spinal Cord Injury
56. Stroke Damage
57. Anemias and Other Blood Conditions
58. Sickle Cell Anemia
59. Sideroblastic Anemia
60. Aplastic Anemia
61. Red Cell Aplasia
62. Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
63. Thalassemia
64. Primary Amyloidosis
65. Diamond Blackfan Anemia
66. Fanconi’s Anemia
67. Chronic Epstein-Barr Infection
68. Wounds and Injuries
69. Limb Gangrene
70. Surface Wound Healing
71. Jawbone Replacement
72. Skull Bone Repair
73. Other Metabolic Disorders
74. Hurler’s Syndrome
75. Osteogenesis Imperfecta
76. Krabbe Leukodystrophy
77. Osteopetrosis
78. Cerebral X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy
79. Liver Disease
80. Chronic Liver Failure
81. Liver Cirrhosis
82. Bladder Disease
83. End-Stage Bladder Disease

http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm

here's some peer reviewed references.
http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/asc-refs.pdf

Where have embryonic stem cells been used to successfully treat anything?

I've got to look more into this. As long as this thread is still alive I'll reply.

 

[lawtonfogle]

And such experiments have been done, and have resulted in great insight into the workings of the brain. Not only is the person alive, but they are conscious as well! Granted, the skull isn't opened up solely for that purpose, but usually for treatment of seizures.

Look into the work of Wilder Penfield, who developed the basic procedure that would allow him to map the brain. Cool stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilder_Penfield

Granted there are special cases where this is done, I would be following the international guidelines that such research will benefit the patient, not induce additional risk, is done with his/her consent (or guardians if s/he is unable to give consent), ect. What if those guidelines were removed?