Stem Cell Research

[p0lar_bear]

Is it just me, or is anyone else confused about the whole stem-cell thing....

OK, so the Church is against embryonic stem-cell research, and rightly so. People who support it point to all the possible benefits. The thing is, the Church is OK with [i]adult[/i] stem cell research, which has actually been used to treat many of the things people want to use embryonic stem cells for. In fact, there is not one disease that has ever been treated as a result of embryonic stem-cells. In addition, adult stem cells have been found to be much more versitile than originally thought.

If adult stem cells are so effective and moral, why do we need embryonic research?

[yiannii]

because there is money to be made

[p0lar_bear]

Are people (average people, not scientists) just unaware that there is a moral and effective alternative?

[yiannii]

Well I only hear of new breakthroughs or potential breakthroughs brought about by embryonic stem cell research - nothing is mentioned regarding the use of adult stem cell research and the sucess it has brought about.

I wrote an article on this issue last year for an English assessment. You can view it [url="http://www.livejournal.com/users/no_regrets/21336.html"]here[/url] .

[p0lar_bear]

Adult stem cells have been used to treat:

[quote]Autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, lupus, juvenile and other rheumatoid arthritis)

Stroke

Immunodeficiencies, including a new treatment for severe combined immune deficiency (when used with gene therapy)

Anemia

Epstein-Barr virus infection

Corneal damage (full vision restored in most patients treated in clinical trials)

Blood and liver diseases

Osteogenesis imperfecta.

Cancer treatment (in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiation):
Brain tumors
Retinoblastoma
Ovarian cancer
Solid tumors
Testicular cancer
Multiple myeloma, leukemias
Breast cancer
Neuroblastoma
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Renal cell carcinoma

Cardiac repair after heart attack (clinical trials announced Spring 2001)

Type I diabetes (not stem cells as such, but pancreatic islet cells from donors)

Cartilage and bone damage [/quote]

Embryonic stem cells have been used to treat......nothing.

[Iacobus]

[quote name='p0lar_bear' date='Aug 22 2004, 07:52 AM'] Are people (average people, not scientists) just unaware that there is a moral and effective alternative? [/quote]
Ah but that is the problem. They are doing test with the adults and well it isn't hot button, so nobody covers it. But now they are seeing that the adult cells don't fully change or whatever. But I figure some is better than none. Give it a few years.

[p0lar_bear]

[quote name='Iacobus' date='Aug 22 2004, 01:51 PM'] Ah but that is the problem. They are doing test with the adults and well it isn't hot button, so nobody covers it. But now they are seeing that the adult cells don't fully change or whatever. But I figure some is better than none. Give it a few years. [/quote]
Actually, according to the reports I've seen, the have found the cells can undifferentiate and redifferentiate (something previously thought impossible).