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STEM CELL research HOT or NOT?

youngEINSTEINyoungEINSTEIN 2,443 Posts
edited October 2006 in Strut Central
i dont know. . .school me.peace, stein. . .

  Comments

  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    Science[/b] HOT or NOT?
  • PrimeCutsLtdPrimeCutsLtd jersey fresh 2,632 Posts
    Having another version of me laying around the house for used parts is hot!
  • Imperial_MaoImperial_Mao 1,119 Posts
    Not so much "Hot or Not" but more an essential field of medical research in my view.
  • mrpekmrpek 627 Posts
    Man I knew a girl who's doctors believed they could have helped her walk again if Stem Cells would have gotten the thumbs up a few years back. She was very cool and all she wanted was to walk again. Why not?
  • spelunkspelunk 3,395 Posts
    Hot. Stem Cell research is the future, and is the only way that we have a chance at finding treatments and cures to many diseases. The only reason people hate on Stem Cell research is because some of it is "embryonic" stem cell research which uses embryos (what we all were soon after being concieved but before we developed fully in the womb) to harvest stem cells for research. Pro-life people believe that killing an embryo is killing a person, and all that bidness, and so that's why the President has been such a dick about not properly funding Stem Cell research. Go on wikipedia for more.
  • GnatGnat 1,183 Posts
    Not so much "Hot or Not" but more an essential field of medical research in my view.

    Dude, seriously, this realm of scientific research has sooooo much potential and is being governed by non-scientist religous zelots. Stem cells, young e, are essentially undifferentiated cells than can become ANY type of specialized cell in the body. The problem with human cells once they have specialized and matured, is that many cannot replicate anymore. This is especially true for highly complex cells that make up nervous tissue. Thus, mr pek's friend, who had undergone nerve damage by one mechanism or another, might have had the effects reversed if nerve stem cells could be essentially grafted onto the non-working tissues. Of course, only intense well-funded research could make this happen. Although research is occurring right now in the field and in this country, it is being done without governement funding. Perhaps our Eurpean strutters can chime in on this one, but I'm pretty sure that it IS being allowed in many other countries. The only problem is that our country is being run by a never-elected retard.

    STEM CELLS are inherently hot and have endless applications including reversing the effeccts of Alzheimer's, augmenting the effects of paralysis, helping people with kidney failure and are on dialysis, re-growing skin cells for people who have gone through horrible burns...etc, etc., etc...

    oh, yeah. Bush is an ass hole because even Nancy Regan wants stem cell research after witnessing the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's.
  • GnatGnat 1,183 Posts
    Man. I've been thinking about this for the last half hour. It's like this for me. You know how if you were given three wishes, one of them would be for world peace or end human suffering? Bush has the opportunity to approach that wish. He has the opportunity to help end physiological human suffering but he's saying, "Nope, can't do that on the basis of my moral highground." Hate is a stong word. I seldom even think about using it seriously. I think about using it seriously when I think of Bush's stance on this issue.

    Economic policies aside, this IS the reason to not vote republican. ever.
  • youngEINSTEINyoungEINSTEIN 2,443 Posts
    thanks for the schoolin' peoples. i know alot of people that are suffering.
    i vote HOT!
    peace, stein. . .
  • jleejlee 1,539 Posts
    playing a little devil's advocate here (btw i highly support stem cell research)

    but so long as we have some willing nation adequately funding stem cell research, aren't we (as humankind) covered?

    i guess my question is, are the technologies/scientists here in america that much better than in other countries? i assume probably to some degree, but i would hope that a nation like france/japan/england aren't that worse off.

    because technology & science, unlike natural resources, has the ability to travel more freely, i would think that so long as some nation is properly funding the program then eventually we will reap the benefits of stem cell research.

    an analogy i guess would be, if japan comes up with a car that runs on water alone, then eventually other nations/the world will reap that benefit too, without necessarily having to figure how to create that technology by themselves.

    and so with stem cell research, if france figures out how to use it to solve major health issues next year, americans would still recieve the benefit.

    again, not really trying to ruffle feathers here, as i do wish US supported stem cell research. just playing devil's advocate.
  • dCastillodCastillo 1,963 Posts
    HOT
  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    genetic engineering and stem cell research =

    there is no fountain of youth to end human suffering, but there definetely is a pharmaceutical industry, who wants to make more money. Although stem cell research is not simply "bad" in general, there is simply too much bullshit going on.
  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts

    i guess my question is, are the technologies/scientists here in america that much better than in other countries? i assume probably to some degree, but i would hope that a nation like france/japan/england aren't that worse off.

    Its more a case of funding. Of course American scientists aren't better than any other nationality. But the best scientists from all over the world go where the money is. America is the richest country.

    There is some dude in Russia who's injecting seriously ill patients, with stem cells. But its not really cutting edge science, more blackmarket profiteering.
  • hammertimehammertime 2,389 Posts
    genetic engineering and stem cell research =

    there is no fountain of youth to end human suffering, but there definetely is a pharmaceutical industry, who wants to make more money. Although stem cell research is not simply "bad" in general, there is simply too much bullshit going on.


    did you seriously just compare the ability to better treat cancer patients to a "fountain of youth"?

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts

    i guess my question is, are the technologies/scientists here in america that much better than in other countries? i assume probably to some degree, but i would hope that a nation like france/japan/england aren't that worse off.


    Why not have scientists in all countries working on this, if possible?

    It's not always the best scientists who make the discoveries/advances in science. They might be more intuitive in working with such data but sometimes it's about being there at the right time, observing.

    Btw, I vote HOT.
  • jleejlee 1,539 Posts

    i guess my question is, are the technologies/scientists here in america that much better than in other countries? i assume probably to some degree, but i would hope that a nation like france/japan/england aren't that worse off.


    Why not have scientists in all countries working on this, if possible?

    It's not always the best scientists who make the discoveries/advances in science. They might be more intuitive in working with such data but sometimes it's about being there at the right time, observing.

    Btw, I vote HOT.

    yes, but the same could be said about a myriad of the world's ills. so while i agree in principle to that logic, in practice that really has never been the case.

    and the fact is that stem cell research does touch a nerve with respect to some peoples ethics (not mine so much, but some peoples).

    so there in lies another question to ponder:

    should the government really decide ethical issues (such as whether or not to use stem cells for research) or should they be totally hands off. Or should there be a median, where the gov't will allow stem cell research, but perhaps not fund it.

    and would those who favor stem cell research be totally comfortable if a private company took the iniative assuming they were allowed to under the law?
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    genetic engineering and stem cell research =

    there is no fountain of youth to end human suffering, but there definetely is a pharmaceutical industry, who wants to make more money. Although stem cell research is not simply "bad" in general, there is simply too much bullshit going on.


    With all due respect, sir, that's retarded.
  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    genetic engineering and stem cell research =

    there is no fountain of youth to end human suffering, but there definetely is a pharmaceutical industry, who wants to make more money. Although stem cell research is not simply "bad" in general, there is simply too much bullshit going on.


    did you seriously just compare the ability to better treat cancer patients to a "fountain of youth"?


    obviously not.
    stem cell research and better ways to cure cancer (other diseases) are two different things. Stem cell research is promoted as a kind of "fountain of youth"(possibility to cure lots of diseases aso) and I am rather sceptical in this matter. The industry promoting stem cell research has the main interest to earn money, not no end human suffering. It??s at least helpful to ask for a critical exposure to topics like that.
  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    With all due respect, sir, that's retarded.

    if you think so.
    IMO, believe in the endless progress of science without boundaries, that??s retarded.
  • GnatGnat 1,183 Posts
    genetic engineering and stem cell research =

    there is no fountain of youth to end human suffering, but there definetely is a pharmaceutical[/b] industry, who wants to make more money. Although stem cell research is not simply "bad" in general, there is simply too much bullshit going on.
    Dude, stem cell research has very little to do with pharmaceuticals and the pharmaceutical insdustry--it's genetics and genetic engineering. I suppose you could argue for an incredibly small cross--over, but it's obvious to me that since you equated stem-cell research with the pharmaceutical industry, you don't know exactly what you are talking about and yes, I wish a motherfucker would get rich off curing cancer because you know what, there'd be a cure to cancer[/b]. and no it's not two different things because through stem cell research, you could engineer cells to attack specific cancer cells, essentially superboosting the body's own immune system.

    pied. seriously. wow.

    and if there's an opportunity for research, we should contribute to the scientific community, plain and simple. I'm not one to judge people on looks, but if everyone is participating in research that could save a lot of people: our friends and families, and we choose not to, that is a serious problem with having our priorities straight as a nation. Genius is being misapplied otherwise.
  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    wow.

    actually, one of my flatmates is doing her PHD in stem cell research. I think I know what I am talking about. I simply vote for a sceptical approach and nothing else.

    Somebody pays for all the stem cell research and genetic engineering, right? Maybe "pharmaceutical industry" is a misleading term, but there are serious commercial interests. And if you want to believe that or not, they also invest money to promote it and let people know, that it??s a great thing, which may cure a lot.
    As long as there is no proof that stem cell research cures cancer, curing cancer and stem cell research are different things. I didn??t say that stem cell research is bullshit at all, far from that. If somebody manages to find a solution to cure cancer: congratulations and he/she of course deserves to be rich.
    However, I am pretty happy that the debate regarding genetic engineering and stem cell research is rather controversial and sceptical in Germany.
  • lucerolucero 425 Posts
    piedpiper, I think your use of the 'fountain of youth' term is a poor characterisation in the discussion here - cynicsm about the pharmaceutical industry aside, the objective of those working in this area really relates to improving the quality of life for those who have been adversley afflicted by disease or accident
  • GnatGnat 1,183 Posts
    wow.

    actually, one of my flatmates is doing her PHD in stem cell research. I think I know what I am talking about. I simply vote for a sceptical approach and nothing else.
    my wife is in law school, doesn't mean I know about law. my uncle is a doctor, doesn't mean you want me to be in the operating room.

    what i do know is that stem cell research does have serious application for degenerative neural diseases and we should allow that. what, exactly, are your fears of misapplication of this research?
  • hammertimehammertime 2,389 Posts
    yeah it sounds like you're just being sceptical for the sake of being sceptical. Of course we don't know the full power of stem cells and their medical applications, or all of their limitations/drawbacks. which is precisely why it's so vital that research in this field be allowed!
  • edulusedulus 421 Posts
    doin PhD in chem, i say why not invest in it. i think its a bit overhyped due to the fact that it has been banned, but at the same time its a section of the field that should be investigated. if the only reasons to not do it are "moral" reasons dealing with when one believes that life begins, than i say screw that. if one wants to question the role of playing "god", then that is a bit more legitimate, but at this point there isnt even enough research to show that one can play god.

    so maybe fund it for a couple years, see where it gets you, then re-evaluate....
  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    doin PhD in chem, i say why not invest in it. i think its a bit overhyped due to the fact that it has been banned, but at the same time its a section of the field that should be investigated. if the only reasons to not do it are "moral" reasons dealing with when one believes that life begins, than i say screw that. if one wants to question the role of playing "god", then that is a bit more legitimate, but at this point there isnt even enough research to show that one can play god.

    so maybe fund it for a couple years, see where it gets you, then re-evaluate....

    You can actually get stem cells from many places other than an aborted fetus, or embryo. Umbilical chords and after birth, for example.
    I pressume the controversy comes with, embryonic stem cell research, where stem cells are derived from the destruction of the embryo.

    Is all stem cell research banned in America? Or is it just the embryonic form. Or is it just a case of Federal funding, and the private sector can do what it likes?
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,028 Posts


    Is all stem cell research banned in America? Or is it just the embryonic form. Or is it just a case of Federal funding, and the private sector can do what it likes?

    The latter.

    States are allowed to fund - California does this under a massive intiative launched by Gov. Ahnauld.
  • Ex-BoyfriendEx-Boyfriend 795 Posts
    Or should there be a median, where the gov't will allow stem cell research, but perhaps not fund it.

    this is exactly what the bush administration has done with regards to embryonic stem cell research(it provides federal funding for both adult stem cell and umbilical cord blood stem cell research)
  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    wow.

    actually, one of my flatmates is doing her PHD in stem cell research. I think I know what I am talking about. I simply vote for a sceptical approach and nothing else.
    my wife is in law school, doesn't mean I know about law. my uncle is a doctor, doesn't mean you want me to be in the operating room.
    I do not claim to be an expert. We are interested in this topic and like to discuss it with my flatmates as well.

    what, exactly, are your fears of misapplication of this research?

    especially stuff like patents on specific stem cell modifications, but there are many possibilities for serious misuse. where is the limit? it may get out of hand real quick.
    there are already plenty of patents on specific genetic modifications of i.e. plants. just look at genetically modified agricultural products: predominantly it??s about making money, very little about improving something and you get various negative side effects.

    stem cell research is not necessarily "playing god", but it is playing around with life mixed up with commercial interests. This is not something good or bad in general, but this is something that needs to be discussed intensively.

    once again: people working in this field or in the pharmaceutical interests may have a main motivation to improve life and find solutions for diseases aso. Of course and I appreciate that! BUT: that does not change the fact that a lot of money is expected to be made in this business as well. mixing these things up has been a serious problem in the past and I think it will be a really serious problem regarding stem cell research.
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