In today's Wall Street Journal there was an excellent article about Stem Cell Research. The United States used to be number 1 in science research. We are now number 2 and continually on the decline even more. The article goes on to say that Europe and Asia, particularly Korea are far ahead of the US on stem cell research.
The last paragraph brought up a very good point.
"An interesting battle will come when a lab in Singapore or Seoul or Britain uses embryonic stem cells to develop a therapy for diabetes or Parkinson's or heart disease. Its use in the U.S. would require approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Will opponents of stem-cell research demand that the FDA reject it and deprive patients of their only hope?"
Even if the FDA does approve a therapy, how many individuals who oppose stem cell research would refuse it down?
Stem Cell Research article
by DevonMcBride 112 Replies latest jw friends
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DevonMcBride
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DevonMcBride
Jeff,The web link you provided brings to mind a very good question. If you were diagnosed with a debilitating disease and the treatment used to cure or control it came from human embryo research, would you refuse it?
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Mary
The United States used to be number 1 in science research. We are now number 2 and continually on the decline even more.
That's because George Dubya, the #1 Asshole in America, has decided that Stem Cell Research is not ethical........ya, the moron decided that he should personally save Terri Schaivo from death, even though her brain was fried and she was blind.....he also thinks that it's okay to justify thousands of lives lost in his insane War in Iraq all so he and his Oil Buddies can make a killing in oil.
But stem cell research is baaaaad......ya, god forbid that he make a wise decision on something.....
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DevonMcBride
Hi Mary,
I am pro Stem Cell Research but my intentions were not to start this thread for debate. I'm curious to know how many opposers would turn down life-saving medical treatments if stem cells/human embryos were used to create them. Don't you think it would be hypocritical for a stem cell opposer to accept a treatment created from this type of research?
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the_classicist
You can certainly get stem cells from other places than embryoes, though that is the easiest source. I don't see why scientists can't remove the genetic material from a given cell, put stem cell genetic material in it, then grow that batch. Stuff like that has been done before so it ain't impossible.
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the_classicist
I would also like to point out that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Scientists tend to exaggerate their claims in order to get more funding, especially in medical research.
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DevonMcBride
You can certainly get stem cells from other places than embryoes, though that is the easiest source. I don't see why scientists can't remove the genetic material from a given cell, put stem cell genetic material in it, then grow that batch.
Maybe, but If a life-saving treatment is created using Human embryos and not other genetic materials, would you turn it down?
I would also like to point out that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Scientists tend to exaggerate their claims in order to get more funding, especially in medical research.
Cloning sounded far-fetched too and science has been able to do this. The same thing was said about putting a man on the moon and guess what? It happened.
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the_classicist
Maybe, but If a life-saving treatment is created using Human embryos and not other genetic materials, would you turn it down?
Are we talking embryoes as in a single cell zygote or a fetus?Cloning sounded far-fetched too and science has been able to do this. The same thing was said about putting a man on the moon and guess what? It happened.
All cloning is is taking someone's DNA and putting it into another cell. But you will NEVER get the Hollywood type clones with everything the same (b/c of different environmental expression) and the fact that you can't clone someone's knowledge (unless you think the movie, the Sixth Day, was onto something). I believe they also still have the problem w/telomeres meaning the clones don't live as long as a regular person would due to the disintegrating telomeres (which is why you would want to clone a younger person, I suppose).
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DevonMcBride
Are we talking embryoes as in a single cell zygote or a fetus?
A zygote