STEM CELL Research - Is it MURDER or SCIENCE?

Format for printing
Submitted by realitycheck on April 3, 2006 - 7:21am.

Stem Cell Research

What Stemmed The Stem Cell Debate?
Because harvesting stem cells destroys the embryo, this medical research has become entangled in the abortion debate. Research opponents say it is wrong because it destroys human life. Supporters say the embryos were going to be destroyed anyway, and that research from their cells holds the potential to cure debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. BUT Creating embryos intended only for research raises new questions about the ethics of stem cell science.

What IS a STEM CELL? What can we DO with it?
Stem cells are "blank" cells that have the potential to develop into any type of cell in the body -- nerve cells, heart cells, kidney cells. Scientists are trying to harvest the cells before they have differentiated, then coax them into becoming certain types. If they could grow cardiac cells, for instance, scientists one day might be able to replace damaged heart tissue in someone who has had a heart attack. By growing nerve cells they might be able to repair brain cells damaged by Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, or replace injured spinal cord cells in a paraplegic.

MAJOR OPPOSITION
This debate is about whether we as society want to federally fund destructive human experiments on the littlest humans," said Joann Davidson, program director of the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program in California.
Joining Davidson at a House Government Reform subcommittee hearing were John and Lucinda Borden, parents of twin boys who were adopted as embryos.
“Mark and Luke are living rebuttals to the claim that embryos are not people," Lucinda Borden told subcommittee members. Of the embryos, she said, "We plead with you not to fund their slaughter."

MY OPINION – This is another issue that I, personally, feel very divided. I don’t believe that abortion is right, except for in a few instances. I do however see that stem cells could help many people. But still, I don’t think it’s right to take one life to save another.
*
*
*
*
*
Want more Great Debates? Give Your Opinion on
SPY CAMS in YOUR childs CLASSROOM!!!
http://bloggerparty.com/do_you_want_spy_cams_in_your_childs_classroom

Sources:
CNN.com

Posted in Alzheimer's · Brian cells · Parkinson's disease · scientific research · Stem Cell Research · stem cells | Realitychecks Hot Debates · delicious · digg · reddit · 710 reads »

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

The stem cell dilemma

#54267 On April 3, 2006 8:08am o ceallaigh said,
o ceallaigh's picture

In theory, any cell of the human body contains all the information needed to make any other cell. Dolly the sheep was cloned from the nucleus of a body cell of an adult sheep, establishing that this concept is indeed correct. Unfortunately, Dolly grew old and died at about the same time that the sheep from which the DNA came grew old and died. The only time this "DNA clock" gets reset is in the gametes and resulting embryos. Much of the effort in stem cell research is directed at figuring out how this clock works and how to reset it without going through the stages of sexual reproduction. Once this is done, it should no longer be necessary to harvest human embryos for their stem cells. In the meantime, however, if we desire those "replacement parts", scientists have little choice but to work on the raw material. Whether "we desire" or not is an ethical decision, one that takes science into account as only one of the many determining factors. We should remember, though, that there were once people who said "if men were meant to fly, God would have given them wings".

When I was beginning my study of science, an animal was never "killed". It was "sacrificed" - a word that reminded the researcher that life is never to be taken lightly, the reasons for taking that life must be clear. I have, I confess, little patience for arguments over "when life begins". The gametes are alive, the one-celled zygote is alive. To claim otherwise is merely to try to confuse people. We must acknowledge that life ends, through natural or induced means. Our argument is properly over when it is to our long-term advantage to take life, to decide when such taking is "sacrifice" and when it is merely "killing".

login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.