Stem Cell...

What are your thoughts...... 

do you think it should be allowed?

should embryonic stem cell  be allowed, if not why not?

littleinfoonstemcell  

I think stem cells have to be "allowed" - otherwise we'd have a problem reproducing. I'm not sure how you'd outlaw them.

As for research using stem cells - yes, I think it should be allowed and Federally funded. These are cells that are going to sit in a freezer until they are eventually thrown out, so why not use them to help living people? 

As a compromise, I can see people having to sign a waiver that says that they are donating their spare cells to be used for research.

That way, if someone would rather their spares to sit in the freezer or get thrown out, they can be assured that their stem cells will not be used to help anyone.

Yes. If there is a possibility that these stem cells can lead to improvements in the lives of people with degenerative diseases, etc the funding should be there. 

I think that if they're going to allow the procedure that causes the creation of extra, unneeded embryonic stem cells (in vitro fertilization), then they should allow the extra, unneeded embryonic stem cells to be used in medical research to help mankind. The government should fund this research according to the same protocol that they fund any other medical research.

If people want to outlaw research on embryonic stem cells, then they should outlaw in vitro fertilization.

I can't see how it is morally superior to throw out thousands of blastocysts every year instead of using them in research that might alleviate the suffering of millions of people.

I would not want to see blastocysts created solely for the purpose of doing research on them, but once they have been created because of some other purpose that was achieved, then I don't want to see them thrown out either.

i 100% agree with what nomo said.

It's always been allowed, it's just had limits on the federal funding allowed to go toward the research.

I'm glad that the limit on federal funding has been lifted, but my pessimistic side asks 'what's the difference?'...why will there be so much more progress when there hasn't been any in the last few years? There's always been private funding, so if there's real potential (which means money making possibilities to the industry), why hasn't there been more private funding by the medical industry?

Either way...I HOPE that this change opens up some more doors and I think there never should have been a ban in the first place...but I'm not getting my hopes up for any "miracle cures".

Original Post by rachd:

It's always been allowed, it's just had limits on the federal funding allowed to go toward the research.

I'm glad that the limit on federal funding has been lifted, but my pessimistic side asks 'what's the difference?'...why will there be so much more progress when there hasn't been any in the last few years? There's always been private funding, so if there's real potential (which means money making possibilities to the industry), why hasn't there been more private funding by the medical industry?

Either way...I HOPE that this change opens up some more doors and I think there never should have been a ban in the first place...but I'm not getting my hopes up for any "miracle cures".

The 'medical industry' makes more money treating sick people, not curing sick people.  Thus, they invest more research dollars into sick-care - pharmaceuticals and new technologies for imaging and operating.

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

Original Post by rachd:

It's always been allowed, it's just had limits on the federal funding allowed to go toward the research.

I'm glad that the limit on federal funding has been lifted, but my pessimistic side asks 'what's the difference?'...why will there be so much more progress when there hasn't been any in the last few years? There's always been private funding, so if there's real potential (which means money making possibilities to the industry), why hasn't there been more private funding by the medical industry?

Either way...I HOPE that this change opens up some more doors and I think there never should have been a ban in the first place...but I'm not getting my hopes up for any "miracle cures".

The 'medical industry' makes more money treating sick people, not curing sick people.  Thus, they invest more research dollars into sick-care - pharmaceuticals and new technologies for imaging and operating.

 The ban on federal money going to stem cell research essentially made it impossible for any lab that was getting any federal money (for any purpose) to do any embryonic stem cell research.

Original Post by floggingsully:

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

Original Post by rachd:

The 'medical industry' makes more money treating sick people, not curing sick people.  Thus, they invest more research dollars into sick-care - pharmaceuticals and new technologies for imaging and operating.

 The ban on federal money going to stem cell research essentially made it impossible for any lab that was getting any federal money (for any purpose) to do any embryonic stem cell research.

I get your point that money is made on treatments, not cures...but this only pertains if stem cell research will create a cure..will it? it may create treatments as well. I'm not sure..I don't know enough about it. 

How did a limit on federal funding make it impossible for companies receiving any federal money to do embryonic research? I was under the impression that the in the past there was a limit on the federal funding, not a total ban.

I'm just trying to understand, not argue :)

Original Post by rachd:

I get your point that money is made on treatments, not cures...but this only pertains if stem cell research will create a cure..will it? it may create treatments as well. I'm not sure..I don't know enough about it. 

How did a limit on federal funding make it impossible for companies receiving any federal money to do embryonic research? I was under the impression that the in the past there was a limit on the federal funding, not a total ban.

I'm just trying to understand, not argue :)

We hope that stem cell research will create a cure (but of which diseases? maybe only some, maybe quite a few), but we don't know enough. Federal funding allows researchers the freedom to study the possibilities, not just the things that are sure to make a profit.

I believe it was a ban on federal funding for stem cell research except on a few lines of stem cells that they could keep working on - however, there were issues with those lines, that made them less useful for researchers (I don't remember the details).

what sully is talking about is that the bush administration used the 'if you take any federal money for any purpose, you can't do 'x' approach.

they did this with stem cell research, and with other things too (like if you receive any federal money, you can't provide any information to women about abortion, even if that would be paid for with other money)

it strangled the way that private money could be used, a super control tactic.

but you're right - we don't know if there will be any cures, but now we can find out.

Original Post by rachd:

How did a limit on federal funding make it impossible for companies receiving any federal money to do embryonic research?

When someone at a lab gets a research grant, part of the money goes to overhead at the lab (electricity, administrators, phone lines, etc).  So if someone is doing research on a federal grant, part of that money is going towards all the research done at the lab.  If someone starts doing privately funded stem cell research the guy down the hall's federal grant money is partially funding that stem cell research and the guy down the hall would lose his federal grants. 

I believe there are some who are sitting there saying just that coffincritter. 

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

what sully is talking about is that the bush administration used the 'if you take any federal money for any purpose, you can't do 'x' approach.

they did this with stem cell research, and with other things too (like if you receive any federal money, you can't provide any information to women about abortion, even if that would be paid for with other money)

it strangled the way that private money could be used, a super control tactic.

but you're right - we don't know if there will be any cures, but now we can find out.

Ok...I see now...

All administrations have used that tactic...example, we'll only give you funding for your roads if you keep the speed limit at 60mph or less. It's always been a way for the federal government to keep a certain control over the states...tighten the purse strings.

The only difference is that the desire to keep people from driving under 60mph isn't based on ideology, nor is preventing people from doing so depriving others of the chance to be treated for serious, life-changing or life-threatening diseases.

and i guess they don't do that anymore because we have speed limits in NC of 70 mph and we still get federal transportation dollars

been like this for at least the past 10 years

i already know someone who's been treated with stem cells.  he has a particularly aggressive form of cancer and probably should have been dead years ago, but his own stem cells were harvested, propagated, and returned to his body (endocrine system, i think. not sure of the details). the treatment has allowed him periods of remission, during which he had competed in triathlons, trekked in alaska, etc.

if the stem cells of a man in his 50s can do that, you bet i'm in favour of research with embryonic stem cells.

Original Post by andie-joe:

I believe there are some who are sitting there saying just that coffincritter. 

They got extra funding for it here in i think 2002 (embryonic stem cell research) and have been making steady advances, so i believe.

there are those who are against it on ethical grounds because the embryo is destroyed during the process. That was when it was first announced these days you don't here so much protest.

I also understand that the UK and Canada had found a way to do it using skin but they said that although successful to some degree it still wasn't as good as using embryo's.

I think I have that right but please feel free to correct anything which isn't.

Yay stem cell research!!!!!!!