New Method of Getting Stem Cells

[Jesterstar]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4378941.stm

So all those Anti Abortion people are either going to have to start saying that HAIR is a living thing and has a right to life.

Or we can start using this technology.

I for one think we need to start letting more people die naturally on this planet because of the fact humans are becomming a Virus to the planet. My personal take on it.

[Nickdfresh]

Interesting. This should make DLR very happy.

[steve]

Interesting...but a different subject than EMBRYONIC stem cell research.

The debate about "stems cells" is entirely within the subject of using embryonic stem cells ONLY...however, the diction gets shortened in news reports and the semantic wires get crossed.

Not that there are not interesting things one can you with all types of differentiated adult stem cells, but it is the undifferentiated, EMBRYONIC stem cells that scientists salivate over because they can form any type of cell.

There is pretty much zero ethical debate about adult stem cells....but, because of the way the media reports it, one wouldn't know it.

[Jesterstar]

Originally posted by steve
Interesting...but a different subject than EMBRYONIC stem cell research.

The debate about "stems cells" is entirely within the subject of using embryonic stem cells ONLY...however, the diction gets shortened in news reports and the semantic wires get crossed.

Not that there are not interesting things one can you with all types of differentiated adult stem cells, but it is the undifferentiated, EMBRYONIC stem cells that scientists salivate over because they can form any type of cell.

There is pretty much zero ethical debate about adult stem cells....but, because of the way the media reports it, one wouldn't know it.

Then why aren't any Stem Cells being used. I beleive that the Use of Stem Cells in repairing anyone is pretty much banned and not allowed.

Exsplain where they are allowing regular stem cells to be used???

[steve]

There is plenty to read on the topic, don't take my word for it.
That said, no research on ANY type of stem cells (embryonic or adult) are banned in the USA.

What the Bush admin has done is banned federal FUNDING for embryonic stem cell research on all but one depleted, un-usable line of the cells that the NIH had created prior to the FUNDING ban.

So that is what scientists are mad about.
They are also mad that Bush stacked his bio-ethics panel with only religious-right folks and headed the commision witha man named Leon Kass - a very extremist religiously-driven bio-ethicist....where as Clinton let the panel have right wingers and left wingers and let it be a forum for debate instead of a rubber stamp.

[Jesterstar]

Interesting. Can you point me in the direction of some good info???

[steve]

A LINK: http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_19stemcellprocon.html

MY (Steve's) THOUGHTS: The key to understanding all of this is a point called "differentiation".

Once the stem cell differentiates, it is what it is...an ear stem cell, a bone stem cell, etc....and it can't go back.

Prior to that, the stem cell can be PROGRAMMED to become whatever you need. Or, scientists are finding out, it can be used to help "reset" certain aspects of problems in human being (like, for instance, using the fresh embryonic stem cells to stop the degeneration in a patient with Althimers) That is a layman's term, but basically it's a lot more mallable...there is just more scientific potential. Thus, scientists want to work with them and see what they can do.

With the embryonic stem cells what folks get testy about is "cloning" them for scientific purposes (which again is a semantic issue mostly, in my opinion).

ZERO ethical scientists want to clone human beings - both for just the "ick" factor, but also because the technology is so course right now that you could end up creating monsters (and I mean that in the nicest way).

With the stem cells, scientists refer to the type of cloning they want to do as "somatic cell transfer"...or THERAPUTIC cloning. Opponents argue that the phrase is just a nice way of saying "farming embryos".
Proponents (hey, I'll admit my bias, I'm for it), argue that because these particular cells have ZERO potential of becoming human beings that the label is accurate.

There is also the fact that, for the most part, scientists just want to use disgarded (literally THROWN IN THE TRASH) embryonic cells that were not used in IVF clinics....meaning, they would have gone un-used anyway.

[Angel]

Up here, women can donate their umbilical cords after delivery. The blood in the cord is loaded with stem cells, how come nobody down there ever brings that up... no need for embryo's, you can get it right from the cord, which is just going to get tossed and burned anyway.

[steve]

Embryonic stem cells are the only kind that are pre-differentiated and pluripotent (aka: can turn into anything). Umbilical cordcells are slightly better than adult cells, but there isn't as much potential with them as pure pluripotent ones.
http://www.clearlyexplained.com/nature/life/cells/stemcells.html

[Jesterstar]

Some really good info on this stuff here I just hope people are reading.

[rustoffa]

I'm pretty sure it's been boiling over in private for the better part of fifteen years.

Cuba's probably the moral equivalent of Dr. Moreau's decaying funhouse.

The deciphering of the DNA puzzle or alphabet is like finding out velcro tenny shoes work.

The amino acid wildcard chain cuntinues to cuntfound fuckers smarter than Oppenheimer.

It rotates and flips out on 'em and shit.

That's just a theory and no hair cuntditioners were hurt in the use of umbilical cords.

[Cathedral]

When they figure out how to re-grow Mylan, i'll be very very interested in the research and would sell off my gonads to support the cause.

That may seem a bit selfish, but i have a vested interest in that particular problem.

[what waz zat]

My wife is due to give birth in a couple of months and we have the option of having the umbillical cord saved/stored in case down the line there is some sort of procedure developed that could use stem cells to grow a kidney

[Hollywood Jesus]

Can't find it now, but I read an article that mentions risks to using embryonic stem cells.

According to artilce (Time?): Turns out that because embryonic stem cells can grow into anything, that if they're used in a kidney, that kidney could then grow hair or teeth.

Adult stem cells were said to be more stable.