Ethical Stem Cells Advancing!

[The_Reginator]

From First Things we have a great piece on the value of adult stem cells:
Ethical Stem Cells Advancing!

Perhaps the worst things President Obama did when he rescinded President Bush’s ESCR funding policy, was that he also revoked a non controversial Bush order that required the NIH to give funding priority to finding sources of pluripotent stem cells that do not destroy embryos.

Wesley J. Smith links to an article in San Francisco Chronicle:
Biotech companies counting on stem cells

From that story:

The stem cells being employed by drugmakers don’t come from embryos. Instead, the stem cells were created using a method invented four years ago that allows scientists to transform ordinary skin cells into a multipurpose state, much like those of embryonic stem cells, that can grow into any tissue in the body.

 

[PrayHarder]

The recinding of funding for adult stem cell research goes to show how disinguous Obama is in exploring all realms of scientific research. Why would he pull federal funding of something that has shown good results in favor of something that hasn’t shown any results yet? It’s like a coach taking his star athlete out of the game and putting in the bench warmer.

 

[Linda_Marie]

and more advances here:

New technology stretches stem cell potential

Australian scientists say they have found a way to successfully grow human stem cells outside the body.

Scientists from the Centenary Institute say the breakthrough has the potential to help cancer patients and people with genetic disorders.

 

[edwest2]

Thank you for the information. First, embryonic stem cells are material the body of a patient will reject and, at present, they can cause cancer. Some scientists are working to find a way around the cancer causing aspect. In Michigan, embryonic stem cell research is being touted. And while other types of stem cells are recognized as being valuable for research, an article quotes one researcher as saying embryonic stem cells are what’s driving knowledge about stem cells in general. That’s like saying: this is the way, the primary way, and we know this without really knowing what will happen next.

This is ideology and it’s also about money. If, and I emphasize if an embryonic stem cell treatment appears, it will be patented and it will be expensive so investors in company XYZ get big bucks in return for risking their money. There is a belief by some that, “Hey. You were going to throw that embryo away anyway, so why not use it?” A human embryo is not a pizza slice.

A group that opposes using human embryos for research by destroying them stated a human embryo is not considered a human being but it’s human enough to be used in research clearly shows the problem. It is a human being - that’s the whole point.

I thank God for His wisdom and for those who continue to work to find ethical answers in biology. Answers that Catholics can fully support because it is ethical and the right thing to do.

God bless,
Ed

 

[Linda_Marie]

Thank you for the information. First, embryonic stem cells are material the body of a patient will reject and, at present, they can cause cancer. Some scientists are working to find a way around the cancer causing aspect. In Michigan, embryonic stem cell research is being touted. And while other types of stem cells are recognized as being valuable for research, an article quotes one researcher as saying embryonic stem cells are what’s driving knowledge about stem cells in general. That’s like saying: this is the way, the primary way, and we know this without really knowing what will happen next.

This is ideology and it’s also about money. If, and I emphasize if an embryonic stem cell treatment appears, it will be patented and it will be expensive so investors in company XYZ get big bucks in return for risking their money. There is a belief by some that, “Hey. You were going to throw that embryo away anyway, so why not use it?” A human embryo is not a pizza slice.

A group that opposes using human embryos for research by destroying them stated a human embryo is not considered a human being but it’s human enough to be used in research clearly shows the problem. It is a human being - that’s the whole point.

I thank God for His wisdom and for those who continue to work to find ethical answers in biology. Answers that Catholics can fully support because it is ethical and the right thing to do.

God bless,
Ed

I second this but wanted to make one correction.

Embryonic stems cells ALWAYS cause cancer, not ‘can’ cause cancer. There have been NO, ZILCH. NADA, ZERO successes in embryonic stem cell research, despite millions and millions of dollars being directed that way.