Stem Cell Research, yes or no?

[Castello]

So being the science person I am, I am quite fond of new, up and coming technologies the human race has offer. Recently I have researched Stem Cells and of course being pro science, I thought it was very interesting. For all of you who do not know, Stem cells are cells created in the embryonic stage of a developing being. The purpose of these cells are quite interesting, think of them as a small child, sort of a blank sheet. Expose them to a certain thing and they will become, or in a stem cells case, if it is exposed to blood cells that is what it will become. Or in other cases, whatever cell is needed. This is crucial because using these cells scientists have created small beating hearts and blood that actually carries oxygen, all within a lab. Of course organs like the Lungs, kidney and liver are hard cases because of their function. However using these cells we can do neurosurgery, heart surgery and other surgeries like never before, if further research is allowed. However this wouldn't be much of a debate if it was all pros and there is quite a controversy surrounding it. First off many look down upon it because it is the research of destroying Human Embryo. However on the other side of the table should embryo be considered living beings? I mean it is just a blob of undetermined cells and nothing more. Should the destruction of Human embryo be considered murder, or should we continue and fund research that may save millions of lives within the future.

Development of a human baby.

Earliest stages of a Human baby also known as the Embryonic stage.


Open to debate, I might even jump in myself!


(Sorry if some of this information is a bit off, I did this research two months ago and lets just say I have bad memory.)

 

[Sunasa]

I think the only ones against this would be the people who consider the view that these scientists are, "playing god".


I feel as if I'm along with the ride on that. It's nice to see new organic, natural, experiments opening up new possibilities for the world. I'm a bit of a nihilist so I don't really care what happens to the cell or not. I just think that opening new possibilities for the human race is pretty awesome.

 

[Castello]

I have a very similar view on this. I am very intrigued by the possibilities and I was actually just watching an interview with Michael J. Fox (sounds unrelated, I know, but back to the future is my childhood favourite movie >.>) who was sort of, I guess you would say advertising Stem cell research. And for those who don't know he has Parkinson's disease which is very life hindering, and he was chosen because they believe with Stem cells they can help people with such neurological diseases.

 

[DeletedAccount]

I always have this thinking that before we add life, we should take care/save the life already here. This originally was intended for deciding whether to adopt or have my own kids, but it relates to this, too. So, yes, though some may consider stem cells murderous, I find it more beneficial than life-stealing. If someone is able to make a baby, they could probably make another - that sounds extremely cold, but yeah - whereas someone who doesn't have a functioning part of their body, they're not a gecko or starfish which can simply grow a replicate of the body part. I ignore the fact that the stem cells could have been another person added to the world. I think more of it as stem cells that can be used toward any life, already made or about to be made, if that makes sense.

 

[Vetenskapsman]

Being as absurdly pro-science as I am (my username means "scientist" after all), I can't help myself from saying that stem cells are pretty much entirely a good idea. Honestly, I think it's perfectly okay, given the circumstances, to destroy a human embryo, for the purpose of aiding another life, because at that point, in my opinion, there's not much a difference between taking that apart and destroying a grouping of sperm cells. Sure, you're killing cells, and although this might sound inhumanly pragmatic, you're not really destroying anything with any thought capabilities, feelings, or anything of the sort. Cells die by the dozens all the time, so if we can turn some cells dying into something useful, I say have at it. On an unrelated note, I think it's interesting how we take no issue with killing fully developed animals with thoughts and feelings for food, but we are unwilling to destroy the undeveloped, unthinking embryo of a human in order to create artificial organs that could potentially save the lives of thousands of people.

 

[bettsyboy]

this is a tricky area.


I am 100% FOR stem cells from umbilical cords and bone marrow, however I am also AGAINST stem cell research using fetuses.

 

[Melix]

@bettsyboy Why?

 

[bettsyboy]

Because there's a difference between using bone marrow from a person to heal them or using stem cells from a cord that would just go in the rubbish otherwise. and using something that can only really be equated to being the larval form of a human being!


for example, I support abortion if it would kill the mother otherwise or if the mother and father had no way of giving the child in any way a decent home, however I don't think it should ever just be "pop in pop out, same time next week?" like many abortion advocates call for.


Fetuses are the most fragile thing every single person on earth has been, and even though I agree that for a good period, it is just a "clump of cells" however that clump of cells are the building blocks of another human being.


and for those ethical reasons, I cannot and will not ever support the use of fetuses for stem cells @Melix

 

[Melix]

@bettsyboy I have never heard of a pro-choice advocate call for a pop-in-pop-out same time next week deal. Ever. And I spend a lot of time with my liberal friends. If we can take stem cells from umbilical cords, though, why don't we just do that? Make some mandatory give-us-the-cord law?

 

[bettsyboy]

@Melix "mandatory give-us-the-cord law" now THAT is something we agree on! what are they gonna do with it aside from throw it out? dry it and put it in a frame? make a shrine? that thing could save someone's life!


With the abortion advocates I mentioned, I have come across several, mostly in Melbourne protesting at "pro-choice rallys" you know, the hardliners who think abortions should be free with no waiting period or anything just "yank it out" as if the procedure by itself didn't cause considerable emotional turmoil for the mother (ranging from extreme relief to extreme regret mostly)

 

[Melix]

Well, some people eat it. I don't know why, it can't possibly taste that great.

 

[The Gunrunner]

"clump of cells" however that clump of cells are the building blocks of another human being.

However, it's not a human being yet. Is it even alive? Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand, it isn't. The cells making it are but beyond that, no. It's as alive as your skin is. It saves lives and involves killing no one. No more than what you kill by cutting the lawn(Plants are made out of living cells too), or eating a salad, or if you get a sun burn, or cut yourself.


"But it can be more in the future."


Have you ever had sex while using a condom? This argument can be used to damn that just as easily. With what I've said above in mind (That you aren't actually killing anything of worth above cells), this is the same thing in that you're halting a future that involves the life of this new human being.


Anyways, yeah, I think stem cell research is a good thing.

 

[Lady Sabine]

I would just like to point out that the thing that makes stem cells so incredibly useful is the fact that it is very easy to manipulate them to transform into very different things. With that in mind, animal cells are probably the better long-term choice for sourcing stem cells- to avoid the controversy from people like @bettsyboy, if nothing else. Time and money spent fighting stem cell research both legally and ethically could be better spent actually researching stem cells.


Of course, it's now becoming apparent that about 1 out of every 3 pregnancies spontaneously terminate in the first trimester, usually for completely unknown reasons. It seems like non-abortive methods of gathering stem cells wouldn't be that much of a problem, if there's a profit incentive behind it.