Embryonic Stem Cell Research

[Nienna]

I believe there is some Japanese research going into this. It works alot like the natural process that creates Identicle twins. At some stage in fetal developement it is possible for a sizable portion of stemcells to split from the main fetus, if this bunch of stemcells is large enough it can form a new fetus and so an identicle twin is formed. If we take a few stemcells from the fetus at this stage of development, and get those stemcells to grow in culture, than we have a viable source of embrionic stemcells without harming the fetus.

Note that this is still being researched, but if successful should provide for a source of stem cells that is ethically sound.

Sounds good, if it works. Now, if we could just remove the tendency of embryonic stem cells to grow uncontrollably.

 

[Adam's Apple]

Embryonic Stem Cell Hucksters Exploit Paralysis Victims
By Michael Fumento, Human Events
March 31, 2006

We've being flooded with news about paralyzed rats receiving ESCs suddenly doing back flips and dancing the Cha-Cha, most recently in a February CBS "60 Minutes" segment. While utterly ignoring ASCs, it touted the work of the University of California, Irvine's Hans Keirstead to the extent of showing the video he's been displaying since 2002 of his walking rats.

But most of what surrounds these rodents is mere hype. Thus Ed Bradley claimed on "60 Minutes":

To move the science forward, California allocated its own money to pay for stem cell research, luring some of the top scientists in the nation, who are doing cutting edge work that could change the way we treat disease. No image says more about the remarkable results that have been achieved so far than this one: laboratory rats whose hind legs were completely paralyzed -- until they were injected with human stem cells. Remarkably, afterwards, the rats were able to walk again.

First, all of Keirstead's rodent work was published before the California initiative to use state funds to pay for embryonic stem cell research, Proposition 71, was even voted on.

Second, Keirstead's rats were not "completely paralyzed." Rather, as reported in the May 11, 2005, Journal of Neuroscience, the rodents were given an "injury [that] is moderate in severity, sparing some hind limb motor function, but [that] severely impairs hind limb use during over ground locomotion."

Fancy that; the researcher most associated with curing paralyzed rodents has been fibbing for years, and Ed Bradley is a re-fibulator.

Finally, although "60 Minutes" fastidiously avoided all mention of adult stem cells, ASC use in successfully treating paralysis in rodents goes back a decade.

Like "60 Minutes," the media in general don't want to hear about ASC-paralysis work or ASCs at all; such that they frequently attribute ASC breakthroughs to ESCs. As I write this, German researchers have just announced that they've isolated adult stem cells from mice testes that appear to have tremendous potential to become all cells of the body. The Washington Post headline: "Embryonic Stem Cell Success."

Last year, a representative of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute showed a video on the floor of the Delaware Senate displaying a surgically crippled rat that, he said, could walk again because of ESC treatments. The rat certainly was walking. Only problem was, it had been treated with ASCs.

Not surprisingly, the media eagerly repeat Keirstead's claims that he’s just about to take his "treatment" to human. Indeed, he's been telling reporters since early 2002 could begin such "in about a year." Check your calendar.

But such "minutiae" doesn't bother ESC lobbyists. The South Korean incident provided false hope for paralysis suffers, and that's painful. But ESC acolytes are knowingly lying to them. And that's wicked.

for full article:
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=13657

 

[taimie]

Please do a search for:

Open Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research - The Petition Site & Sign!!!!

Less than 3,000 needed still to reach goal.

Sorry this site will not let me post direct link yet


Thank You!
Taimie

 

[Anguille]

Are you ok with it? Yes

Does it bother you? No

Have you taken time out of your day to educate yourself on what it actually is? Yes

.