The Stem Cell debate is over...hopefully.

DIrishB

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Very interesting news about a discovery enabling scientists to use a simple lab technique to convert skin cells into embryonic stem cells...this basically ends the religious/ethical/scientific debate over using embryonic stem cells in research in treating disease, etc.

Check out the article here.

This is good news for anyone with a disease that potential stem cell treatments could help treat or even cure. I'm a juvenile diabetic, so I'm very happy about this news.
 
Skin cells are stem cells. So aren't intestine cells. Old news to scientists.

I'll read the article in more detail later.

I think the article is pointing out the fact that they've discovered a way to revert skin cells back to their original template: stem cells. Hence eliminating the HUGE debate over the ethical and religious issues of using those stem cells for research. Hence now scientists can get cooking at a much faster rate in terms of research. Hence potential treatments and cures for diseases are one step closer. But you're a scientist, as you said, so its old news to you guys. ;)
 
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My first thought is, "great, now people can stop griping." But I'm sure there is a Skin Advocacy Group out there that's going to get all pissy about this.
 
I still don't understand why we can't use embryonic stem cells, they're dead lumps of flesh by the time they'd be used, so where's the friggen debate.
 
I still don't understand why we can't use embryonic stem cells, they're dead lumps of flesh by the time they'd be used, so where's the friggen debate.

I think the debate comes in with the idea that through research on stem cells, it causes the embryo they're taken from to be destroyed. Even though the embryo was never going to be allowed to gestate and grow into a human infant, the right wing religious groups view it as an abomination on par with abortion. I don't agree, but I understand where they're coming from given their beliefs.

Anyway, hopefully this discovery puts an end to said debate, and now we can focus on progress being made in medical research. Who knows? A cure for cancer itself could be a decade or two down the road.
 
Well, it will stop some ethical issues, but in reality, these scientists aren't doing much, I'm questioning if they are doing anything at all. I woul dneed to see the research paper for this to determine that, as this article is considered a secondary source of information, ie this was written after looking at the primary source of information. It's dumbed down for regular people to read.

While I'm not arguing what these scientists did, I'm questioning on how this was done.

But it's good news regardless, and will open up many job possibilities for my profession.
 
I think the debate comes in with the idea that through research on stem cells, it causes the embryo they're taken from to be destroyed. Even though the embryo was never going to be allowed to gestate and grow into a human infant, the right wing religious groups view it as an abomination on par with abortion. I don't agree, but I understand where they're coming from given their beliefs.

Anyway, hopefully this discovery puts an end to said debate, and now we can focus on progress being made in medical research. Who knows? A cure for cancer itself could be a decade or two down the road.

I also see where they are coming from, because another part of that is to not allow the possibility in the future of farming embryos for stem cells; creating a bunch of them just to kill them. Again, makes sense in the context of those beliefs.
 
I also see where they are coming from, because another part of that is to not allow the possibility in the future of farming embryos for stem cells; creating a bunch of them just to kill them. Again, makes sense in the context of those beliefs.

I try to empathize, but really, we're at 6 billion humans and growing. Hell, maybe we should let disease run more rampant than it already has...


Man, I'm getting bitter in my old age.
 
I was always on the fence about stem cell research. Not for what it is now (Because, as has been said, the embryos are already dead), but because of what E said: the potential to farm embryos.

Now? Awesome. Get crackin', scientists.
 
I think using skin cells for this purpose is a brilliant solution to the problem, and not only that, I think most likely, a better way of cultivating these stem cells than the original.

If this works like it's supposed to, wonderful. Religion and science actually talking to each other and solving a problem. Terrific.
 
Well the Pro-choice people lost a huge pro for them.

I'm glad this is happening, I don't mind stems cells coming from abortion, cause its just like donating an organ. But the growing of embryos for this research is crossing the line for me. I'm really glad they found an alternative.
 
Well the Pro-choice people lost a huge pro for them.

I'm glad this is happening, I don't mind stems cells coming from abortion, cause its just like donating an organ. But the growing of embryos for this research is crossing the line for me. I'm really glad they found an alternative.

This is what I never understood. From the papers that I read, they never planned on getting stem cells by growing them, they only planed on getting them from abortions. Scientists were researching ways to get them from skin and intestine cells at that time. And here they succeeded it seems.

What I think happened and made the public go ape****, was the news. It decided to see the word embryo, and take it out of context and control.

If this works like it's supposed to, wonderful. Religion and science actually talking to each other and solving a problem. Terrific.

That is a terrific thing, and hopefully, a trend that continues. There is no reason why religion and science can't get along. Lots of scientists I know are extremely religious
 
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This is what I never understood. From the papers that I read, they never planned on getting stem cells by growing them, they only planed on getting them from abortions. Scientists were researching ways to get them from skin and intestine cells at that time. And here they succeeded it seems.

What I think happened and made the public go ape****, was the news. It decided to see the word embryo, and take it out of context and control.
I could have sworn I heard that was going on :? But I never really pay that much attention to this
That is a terrific thing, and hopefully, a trend that continues. There is no reason why religion and science can't get along. Lots of scientists I know are extremely religious

I'm like that
 

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