Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Minnesotan with quadriplegia

[deaddude]

I want to know why if embryonic research is SO much more promising than adult or cord-blood

It is not that they are SO much more promising. It is that embrionic stem cells have one capability that adult stemcells don't.

Adult stemcells are described as being pluripotent. They can be turned into many different types of cells and are thus extremely useful.

Embrionic stemcells are described as being totipotent. They can be turned into ANY type of cell, including nerve cells and brain cells.

 

[jillian]

Remember, the Republican controlled Congress authorized Federal funding of ESC R&D. One guy vetoed it.

I would add only that the only veto exercised during his entire presidency was against doing life-saving research. The bridge to nowhere... no problem.

 

[Mr. P]

Not really... it can be done quite easily outside of the womb

Just fertilize an egg "in vitro", allow it to grow in a controlled environment (either in a woman's womb, or otherwise) and voila... made to order embryos... isn't that what they do when treating infertility?

My understanding is, the lab ES research is with fertilized egg in vitro, not two, three week old embryos taken from the womb. No need for a womb. But honestly, I don't know the entire process.

 

[jillian]

My understanding is, the lab ES research is with fertilized egg in vitro, not two, three week old embryos taken from the womb. No need for a womb. But honestly, I don't know the entire process.

They don't ever use a womb. There's no reason to. The donor eggs are harvested, then fertilized with donor sperm. After a couple of days, you get something that is about 6 to 10 cells in size called a pre-embryo. That's what they get the stem cells from.

Visions of the horror of babies being pulled from the womb is more of that stuff that flies around the radical right sites that has no basis in reality.

 

[Mr. P]

They don't ever use a womb. There's no reason to. The donor eggs are harvested, then fertilized with donor sperm. After a couple of days, you get something that is about 6 to 10 cells in size called a pre-embryo. That's what they get the stem cells from.

Visions of the horror of babies being pulled from the womb is more of that stuff that flies around the radical right sites that has no basis in reality.

That’s pretty much my understanding of the process.

 

[jillian]

That’s pretty much my understanding of the process.

 

[KarlMarx]

They don't ever use a womb. There's no reason to. The donor eggs are harvested, then fertilized with donor sperm. After a couple of days, you get something that is about 6 to 10 cells in size called a pre-embryo. That's what they get the stem cells from.

Visions of the horror of babies being pulled from the womb is more of that stuff that flies around the radical right sites that has no basis in reality.

I wasn't implying that they would be ripped from a mother's womb. However, I can see a manufacturing operation that does just what you describe. Fertilize eggs with sperm in vitro, grow them to a certain stage, then harvest them.

A doctor calls in an order for nerve cells, within a few hours a egg is fertilized. In a few days, the cells are harvested (that is the embryo is destroyed), then subject to an as yet unknown process to produce nerve cells.

So who supplies the egg, who supplies the sperm? Donors? Will there be enough to go around?

In a previous post I wrote that women would be required to supply embryos, that was a typo. I meant that it is entirely possible that someday women would be required to supply eggs for such a purpose and men supply their sperm.

Is it far fetched? Yes, and also entirely within the realm of possibility.

 

[glockmail]

Yep, and so goes your premise in same. Told ya you didn't understand what you were posting.

 

[Mr. P]

I wasn't implying that they would be ripped from a mother's womb. However, I can see a manufacturing operation that does just what you describe. Fertilize eggs with sperm in vitro, grow them to a certain stage, then harvest them.

A doctor calls in an order for nerve cells, within a few hours a egg is fertilized. In a few days, the cells are harvested (that is the embryo is destroyed), then subject to an as yet unknown process to produce nerve cells.

So who supplies the egg, who supplies the sperm? Donors? Will there be enough to go around?

In a previous post I wrote that women would be required to supply embryos, that was a typo. I meant that it is entirely possible that someday women would be required to supply eggs for such a purpose and men supply their sperm.

Is it far fetched? Yes, and also entirely within the realm of possibility.

I agree Karl, which is why I said in another post we need to proceed responsibly (or something like that), because, like it or not ESC research IS happening now, we’re just not part of it really.

It’s a shame that we, what many consider the most advanced Country in the world are avoiding such a challenge. We are failing in so many areas.

 

[Mr. P]

I agree with your self description.

 

[glockmail]

I agree with your self description.

That ranks up there with "I know you are, but what am I?" Pitiful, childish.

 

[glockmail]

....
Visions of the horror of babies being pulled from the womb is more of that stuff that flies around the radical right sites that has no basis in reality.

I'm a radical righty and I ain't seen those sites. But I still think its wrong.

I'm still waiting for an acknowledgement that you were wrong on the Red Cross thing a while back, as well as an apology for trying to ridicule me for telling y'all that fact. But that would require something that liberals seem to lack- honor.

:halo:

 

[deaddude]

As I said before it is theoreticly possible to harvest embrionic stemcells without harming the embryo as a whole. The process which creates identical twins is tantamount to a bunch of stemcells breaking off of the original and growing on their own. So theoreticly is should be possible to remove a small number of stemcells (not enough to produce a twin) and get them to grow in culture while leaving the the original embryo intact.

Another possible route is genetic engineering. We already have yeast cultures that make human enzymes and macrobes that eat patroleum, why not something that creates human embrionic stem cells.

 

[Mr. P]

That ranks up there with "I know you are, but what am I?" Pitiful, childish.

Since that's your MO I guess you'd know. Oh, no one has missed the fact that you deverted the conversation away from your oooopss he caught me, AGAIN.

 

[glockmail]

[1]Since that's your MO I guess you'd know. [2]Oh, no one has missed the fact that you deverted the conversation away from your oooopss he caught me, AGAIN....

1. How ironic.
2. No one?

 

[manu1959]

stem cell research is legal. same as animal testing for makeup....get over it

 

[deaddude]

stem cell research is legal. same as animal testing for makeup....get over it

And that pretty much sums it up.

 

[Gunny]

I am all for research. If the research nay sayers would have their way we’d be in the dark ages. You all know that. The problem as I see it is, there are some just totally opposed to ESC research and they flip between religious reasons and public funding objections. IMO they need to make-up there mind, that would help us all address the issues.

Many were and are opposed to space exploration using public funds, but just look at what we’ve learned from it.

The point is, cures are the objective for any SC research, and massive amounts of information will be discovered along the way that will be of benefit to us all. So what to do? Don’t, and satisfy some at the expense of many? Or move forward responsibly in the interest of all men?

If man was meant to fly, God would’ve given us wings. Tell that to the Wright Brothers.
No, as far as I know they didn’t get public money. But, the aerospace companies today do. Wow, in less than 100 years, from a few feet to supersonic!

The Earth is flat and you’ll fall off! Tell Columbus, I believe he was Government funded.

Rant over…The list is too long.

I have to agree with an earlier post ...... the argument for ESC is not good, and any promise of hope has been the result of adult stem cell/cord blood research. Based on the article, if adult stem cell/cord blood has been successful; albeit, at a minimal level, but DOES hold promise, and ESC has all the inherent defects as listed, why the smoke and mirrors to sell us the latter when the former holds the most promise?

And WHAT exactly have we learned from space? We can recreate the environment of space right here, and save ourselves a lot of money in the process. Oh, but then, we DID beat the Russians to the Moon.

Seems to me most people in this argument lean heavily on emotion and not very much on the facts.

 

[Mr. P]

stem cell research is legal. same as animal testing for makeup....get over it

Yep, so what is this thread all about, anyway?

 

[manu1959]

Yep, so what is this thread all about, anyway?

i think it is about people wanting to stop stem cell research because it has not cured anything yet.....i think they want to stop it because it kills human embryos...

last i checked, and as i said, stem cell research is leagal and the embryos would be disposed of if they were not used for research....