Stem cell breakthrough uses no embryos

[submarinepainter]

NEW YORK - Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071120/ap_on_sc/stem_cells

[Madcowhunter]

I thought they were already able to do this.

[rightwingxtremist]

See? And the libbies were all in a hurry to kill kill kill! A few years later it's not needed.

- N

[Aurelius]

See? And the libbies were all in a hurry to kill kill kill! A few years later it's not needed.

This is incorrect.

Scientists would not fertilize eggs just to harvest stem cells. The stem cells would come from sources that are discarded anyways. No "kill kill kill" would occur.

Invitrofertilization procedures harvest many eggs, fertilize them, and only implant a few. The remaining embryos are then discarded or indefinitely frozen. This number is at least a quarter of the size of abortions each year.

Social conservatives cry foul on one, but cheer on the other? You guys should start the banner cry and move to make invitrofertilization illegal.

[Aurelius]

We'll see how this pans out. I've read a little bit about the new methodology and things are not as immediately cheery as one would hope.

You also have to consider that those people alive now might not live due to years lost when science potentially could have saved them.

[KSigMason]

As long as no babe is hurt, I don't mind the research. Diseases have riddled my family and pose a future threat to myself, but I don't want to live while an innocent life is taken - I find that unacceptable.

[Sir Archangel]

The whole stem cell research is extremely bogus and I personally do not think it works or that it will ever work. Yes, it would be nice to be able to cure ourselves anytime we felt a little ill, but that is not the point of life. God has set a time limit for us here on earth and it is up to us to respect God's decision. Now, going back to what I said about stem cells being overrated, I seriously don't think stem cells work due to the fact that every individual has a certain unique genetic material far to complicated to understand and if we implanted these new organs they would be rejected by our bodies and cause far worse damage. Then these new stem cells which cannot be totipotent (maker themselves into any type of cell) due to the fact that they are already skin cells and it should be impossible to go back against cell differentiation, it would be like making a person out of a monkey. Just simply accepting this process as reality would be saying that there isn't anysort of higher power.

[Sir Archangel]

Stem cells are neutral until told what kind of cell to become. As adults we're still producing stem cells.


That is such a lie that's the whole point of stem cell research that stem cells are not produced past the gastrulation period were the majority of cells differentiate and become specialized cells that make up the organism. What the stem cell project is trying to do is find these cells are early stages(ex:embryos) to get their cells and influence them to become something else (like an organ)

I believe you are confusing stem cells with bone marrow, yes bone marrow is believed to be a type of stem cell the only difference is that bone marrow is pluripotent instead of totipotent a difference that limits this cell's utility.

[Sir Archangel]

thank you

as a matter of fact I have class tomorrow
and we are currently going over the subject I could upload the notes for you

[Sir Archangel]

I have a question for you Wadi do you like regulation???

If no..... why do you like snooping around??? is it funny to pick on other people's mistakes??? or foolish actions??? Because if it is it only sinks you down to the level of the actual Hillary.

[Sir Archangel]

thank you sorry this is the internet so I couldn't tell if you were being malicious or just simply having fun. But yeah when i redid the account I thought it was hilarious that a new thread started over it. In my opinion Hillary is just plain crazy and a socialist and is at the bottom of my candidate list.

[rightwingxtremist]

This is incorrect.

Scientists would not fertilize eggs just to harvest stem cells. The stem cells would come from sources that are discarded anyways. No "kill kill kill" would occur.

...

Social conservatives cry foul on one, but cheer on the other? You guys should start the banner cry and move to make invitrofertilization illegal.

Who says I cheer invitrofertilization? I believe that only one single absolute respect for life serves justice. "Discarded anyways" doesn't change anything about "kill kill kill". Just ask Dr. Kervorkian about the guy who was "dying anyways".

- N

[KSigMason]

The whole stem cell research is extremely bogus and I personally do not think it works or that it will ever work.Where is the evidence of this?


Just simply accepting this process as reality would be saying that there isn't anysort of higher power.How did you come up with that assumption?


Then these new stem cells which cannot be totipotent (maker themselves into any type of cell) due to the fact that they are already skin cells and it should be impossible to go back against cell differentiationNot all cells are non-regenerative, the skin is constantly dying and regrowing, but before the cells become skin cells scientists should be able to reprogram them.