Cardinal Pell hails stem cell discovery

[Grolsch]

Good news!

     Pell hails stem cell discovery
              Wayne Smith
    March 22, 2005          CATHOLIC Archbishop George Pell will refer to Rome an Australian scientific breakthrough that could make obsolete the moral and ethical debate surrounding embryonic stem cell research.

      Griffith University's Alan Mackay-Sim yesterday published the results of a four-year project that succeeded in growing adult stem cells harvested from the nose. The cells appear to be able to deliver everything that embryonic stem cell research promises, but without the medical and ethical side-effects.

Professor Mackay-Sim said the easily harvested and grown olfactory stem cells are capable of being turned into heart cells, brain cells, nerve cells, indeed almost any kind of cell in the body, without the problems of rejection or tumours forming, which can happen in one in five cases when embryonic stem cells are injected into the body.

The university research team, partially funded by a $50,000 grant from the Catholic Church directly approved by Cardinal Pell, appears to have found a direct and non-controversial alternative to the use of stem cells derived from leftover embryos created during IVF fertility treatment.

Cardinal Pell, who has lobbied for a national ban on embryonic stem cell research, said there was a real possibility the findings had made “an enormous contribution”.

“I would be happy to communicate it to the Pontifical Academy of Science to expedite the scientific examination and also to spread the word about the success,” he said.

He also indicated he was prepared to put more Catholic funding into the project.

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott, who officially launched the publication of the team’s paper in the peer-reviewed journal Developmental Dynamics, steered away from describing the apparent breakthrough as a godsend.

“It’s a science-send not a godsend,” he said. “But if adult stem cell research is a prospect, as this particular project seems to suggest, well then, all those moral dilemmas we were wrestling with a few years ago, and will have to wrestle with again when the legislation comes up for review, we may be delivered from.”

State governments recently turned down a proposal from John Howard to extend by another year restrictions imposed in 2002 on stem cell research using surplus IVF embryos. The restrictions expire early next month, when the Government will review IVF embryo use and the related issue of therapeutic cloning.

Mr Abbott, who was mildly rebuked by Professor Mackay-Sim at the launch for not providing any federal funding for the Griffith University project, said the team’s findings were unlikely to sway the states to consider extending the present restrictions on stem cell research. “This is really a different topic.”

However, senator Ron Boswell, leader of the Nationals in the Senate, said the giant leap forward made by the research proved that adult stem cell research, not embryonic research, was the way of the future.

“This new adult cell technology now puts them way ahead of embryo stem cell research,” Senator Boswell said.

“Science has spoken loud and clear and come out on the side of adult stem cells.”

theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12621029%5E2702,00.html

 

[theTaxCollector]

Cool!

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Long live Cardinal Pell.

Grolsch:

Good news!

theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12621029%5E2702,00.html

 

[Maccabees]

Oh but you never hear about in the US liberal media but hey if anything postive comes out of embronic stem cells it will be on the front page loud and in center. California is spending billions and so is Europe of embryonic steem cells yet nothing positive.
With less money spent adult stem cells are producing many cures.
We are wasting our money on something that doesn’t work becasue we have been misinformed on what is the most promissing stem cell source. Satan at work again.

 

[Magster]

Maccabees:

Oh but you never hear about in the US liberal media but hey if anything postive comes out of embronic stem cells it will be on the front page loud and in center. California is spending billions and so is Europe of embryonic steem cells yet nothing positive.
With less money spent adult stem cells are producing many cures.
We are wasting our money on something that doesn’t work becasue we have been misinformed on what is the most promissing stem cell source. Satan at work again.

And Satan must love California!! Just look at Hollywood!
(No offense to all the good people of California - it just seems there is a disproportionate number of those who applaud things like embryonic stem cell research).

 

[Maccabees]

Magster:

And Satan must love California!! Just look at Hollywood!
(No offense to all the good people of California - it just seems there is a disproportionate number of those who applaud things like embryonic stem cell research).

California is sadly not alone count all the blue states like NY, Oregan, Massaachusetts etc they all have similar values.
NY and Massachusetts are really a sad case as the catholic denom is by far the largest in those states.

Oregan has an assisted suicide law that they passed.
Massachusetts has legal gay marriage.
California is only part of the problem this country is divided into the Blue and Red states and the Secualrist and the Relgious. There are devout religious people in the Blue states but we are in the minority.

 

[stbruno]

Maybe we should send this link to the major news agencies. For some reason they have missed this very important announcement. Oh I forgot, they are promoting the culture of death…my mistake!
Good thing, the Lord is in charge and not them! Thank you Cardinal Pell! May God grant you a long life!

 

[legeorge]

stbruno:

Maybe we should send this link to the major news agencies. For some reason they have missed this very important announcement. Oh I forgot, they are promoting the culture of death…my mistake!
Good thing, the Lord is in charge and not them! Thank you Cardinal Pell! May God grant you a long life!

If we did send it to the major news agencies, they would skew it to be about embryonic stem cells. I saw a report a couple of weeks ago that was touted as “embryonic stem cells may be used to help diabetics”. When the story actually came on, it was about a man who had been treated with ADULT stem cells from cadavers. There were NO EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS USED IN HIS TREATMENT!!! Can anyone say AGENDA!!!

 

[Grolsch]

Should I be surprised I’ve heard NOTHING from the major news networks about this discovery?

For the life of me I can’t understand why the leaders of our society keep promoting the culture of death. It doesn’t make any sense.

I like the line from the movie The Usual Suspects: “The greatest trick Satan ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist.”