The Case for Stem Cell Research

[ck4829]

This year, of course Stem Cells will be a hot issue. John Kerry has vowed to make them legal. George W Bush on the other hand wants to continue the embargo on this new type of medicine.

Why is Bush against Stem Cells so much? Is it because the Christian Right said it is bad? Is it because it might cure diseases that some people may not want cured? Is it because it is 'dangerous'?

If Stem Cell Research is a risk, than this is a risk we need to take. Look, Penicillin killed the first person who used it. If they denied the world this life-saving antibiotic, that probably means there would be no antibiotics today. And that means people would still be dying of infections in the 21st Century.

I am going to vote for protecting people, and that means with medicine (and stem cells) and against terrorism, so I am going to vote for John Kerry.

[goclark]

1. I'm with you all the way

[franmarz]

2. STEM CELLS

It is a shame that medical science is being held back by politics. I certainly hope that good judgement will prevail to open up many possible cures for us all.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi franmarz!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[pansypoo53219]

3. but but but it's just false hope

so why try?

(thanks to john stewert)

[tandot]

4. They are against it because they think it leads to the killing of embryos

They apparently don't know the facts about it.

Researchers want to use cells (or embryos) that would be discarded anyway (or thrown away...or aborted...or whatever you want to call it). Some couples who have trouble conceiving use in-vitro fertilization. Out of about 24 cells (or embryos) that are created in a petri dish, an average of 2 - 4 cells (or embryos) are then implanted into the mother's womb. The remaining are either frozen, donated to other couples, or thrown away (and again: or discarded...or aborted...or whatever you want to call it).

Here is more information:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem2.htm

<snip>
Some clinics keep the embryos alive in liquid nitrogen indefinitely -- or at least until an operator error or equipment malfunction kills them. One source says that about 25% of frozen and thawed embryos do not survive between the first and second impregnation procedure. This loss rate appears to be related to the quality of the freezing and thawing processes, not to the length of time they have remained frozen. If an embryo survives the freezing process, it will probably remain viable for decades. Some have speculated a lifetime of hundreds of years if kept frozen. Experiments on mouse embryos showed no loss in their ability to produce pups after having been frozen for 25 years. Human embryos would probably behave similarly. 13

Other clinics simply discard or destroy the spare embryos. Some embryos are simply flushed down a sink drain. Some are transferred to a medical waste bin where they are later incinerated. Some simply expose the embryos to the air and let them die; this normally takes four days or less.

One source speculates that hundreds of thousands of unused embryos have been destroyed in fertility clinics. 1 This compares to the few dozen of embryos which have had their stem cells removed and used to create stem cell lines in the lab. Surprisingly, nobody seems to care or object. Even pro-life groups appear to be silent on this matter.
<snip>


Scientist would like to use those cells (or embryos) that would be flushed down the drain anyway and use them to save life instead. So, tell me what is wrong with that?

If abortion is the issue, people against stem cell research should also vehemently oppose in-vitro fertilization, since this procedure is already causing the death of embryos.

[DrWeird]

6. About seventy four percent of americans are for stem cell research.

That's around 84% of liberals are for it and 64% of conservatives. I read a survey in a scientific journal, can't remember which one. Couldn't help but think, "boy, won't see this in the mainstream media."