Stem cell research

[cytochromeP]

AIIMS (Delhi) which is India's premier medical research centre just became the FIRST institute to successfully apply stem cell therapy to treat patients.

[jenna]

Hey Biostudent 89

I would really like to know what your paper is on . . . .

I agree with you and others about the stem cell reseach. Also I think the public just needs to be "INFORMED"

[jenna]

Plus in response to when they take the stem cell usually it is with a 4-8 day period after pregnancy! (bad at spelling)

[Planoscience]

I'm not much of a scientist, but can't an umbilical cord from a newborn supply stem cells for study? Are these stem cells not as useful, and if not why are they charging families out the wazoo to store them in case of future illness. If they are, then why throw umbilical cords away? And why would one need to use aborted humans. I think the whole business of using aborted babies is being used to help promote abortions. To ease the conscience of those who have them, but that's besides the point.
And the argument that it is not for scientists to decide the moral value is just ridiculous. It is true that not all people feel the same about certain issues, but for some one who has objections to abortions to benefit from one could be morally wrong for them. It could be considered equal to buying a stollen car, or accepting money that was aquired by violence. One did not necessarily commit the act, but by exploiting the situation, condones the act by which it came about. Some would not have a problem with it, while others would, including scientists doing the research.
I am not trying to be argumentative. I am just trying to point out something you may not have considered. As I said I am not much of a scientist so if one could answer the questions I posed it would be appreciated.

[xChaoticxStarx]

Hey...
Okay, stem cell research... Yeah. I'm do a speech on it on the 7th/8th. I'm all for the stem cell junk because, I mean... imagine being paralised from the waist down. Wouldn't YOU want to walk again? They may use aborted fetuses.. But sometimes they also use embryos or eggs that people donate to fertility clinics! I figured, the fetuses are being thrown out anywho, so why not let it be up to the parent of that fetus to decide weather they want to save a 10 year old parallised chid, a 75 year old man from Alzheimers, or a kid with diabetes... You know?

[rads11]

i got a question ..iam not too well-versed abt the stem cell thingy n iws jus goin thru some of the discussion ...so..are adult stem cells as effective as embryonic stem cells ?(i saw someone state that they r)i am jus not too convinced..if they r then y not use adult stem cells itself ..y bother usin embryonic stem cells n allow ethics to creep into research

[Winter]

That comment that Planoscience made about harvesting stem cells from umbilical cords is quite interesting. Does anyone have an answer to that? I'm new to this site and this is the first discussion I've viewed. I read through the whole thing and have found it to be extremely refreshing to see all the different viewpoints people had to offer on this issue.

[shanec14]

The child may no longer have embryonic stem cells but they still have adult stem cells which means that if they further that research than they can figure out the point at which the fetus no longer has useable embryonic stem cells which may be as close to birth as a few days.

[shanec14]

The cathlic church says that the fetus has a soul from the moment of conception. But what they aren't considering is that if the soul inhabits the body from the time of conception then twins would only have a half of a soul. because there aren't enough cell for them to divide into two embryos until about twnety five days into the pregnancy. even before it shows up on a test they could seperate into twins. then the cathlic church would be proven wrong. Or does god take another soul and give half to each unbornchild when they split.

[Terry K.]

I am a christian and I don't want to get into the whole dispute about religion, but I believe that God can create a soul for a new being at any time he wants to. Now, on the matter of the stem cells, I believe that, if and only if, if the parents are going to abort the child, pay them some money to carry the fetus until the stem cells are at the greatest capacity, and then reask them if they want to abort the baby to make sure, and if they yes, then abort it and take the stem cells. This also applies to miscarriages if it is possible to harvest stem cells from a miscarriage. The one thing I don't think is true is the fact that adult stem cells are as good as fetus stem cells, just because of the fact that everything in the body, not just enzymes, denatures, thus the reason why our cells divide. I believe that this denaturing causes the stem cells to give way to time and not be nearly as useful for stem cell research, but I am GUNG-HO about the study because I sure as heck don't want to be paralyzed or die young because of a bad vital organ. But that's just what I think.

[meeeeeeee]

wouldnt you say stem cell research is merely a way of cheating deahth

[senkhisis]

The one thing I don't think is true is the fact that adult stem cells are as good as fetus stem cells, just because of the fact that everything in the body, not just enzymes, denatures, thus the reason why our cells divide. I believe that this denaturing causes the stem cells to give way to time and not be nearly as useful for stem cell research,

Actually, the issue isn't about denaturation as much as it is a question of potency. A paper discussing the difference between totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent

wouldnt you say stem cell research is merely a way of cheating deahth

No more than a vaccine or any other modern medical procedure.