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About Me
- dsm
- Biostatistician, Biology and Philosophy Faculty, Lacrosse Addict
Posts
12 comments:
I am in favor of stem cell research. I don’t agree with those against the research and use of stem cells. Researchers have been able to accumulate, in the little amount of time they have had to study stem cells, great hope for people who have been less fortunate. Scientists have proven that the study of stem cells could improve greatly the quality of life for the less fortunate. I have read some articles that tend to lean in the direction that there’s hope with the stem cell research. The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance said human pluripotent stem cells are no doubt possibly a cure for many debilitating diseases, including spinal injuries and burns, and the benefits are compelling and worthy. Also, in the Rand study it states that in 2007 the estimated amount of frozen and stored embryos was well over 400,000. Approximately 11,000 of these were donated for research. The Rand study also found there to be no future for these embryos. There were a few couples willing to adopt out for unfertile couples but not enough. Leaving all these embryos frozen in labs, with the risk of something mechanically going wrong or the process itself failing, which is almost all cases, the embryos will die anyway. Then there are labs that will dispose of embryos, alive or not, down the drains. Some will be incinerated, and others will be exposed to open air to die. Stem cell reascherch could raise the quality of life for over 100,000,000 people if these embryo stem cells were put to better use. These eggs were already chosen for fertilization in a dish. The process has already begun by artificial means. I think it is unethical to dispose of something that could give those in need the gift of life. I think stem cell research should be legal and funded in the United States. It would be ridiculous to know that there is the technology and treatments available to cure the sick, other than the fact that it is made illegal or banned because some church group thinks it is wrong. I don’t think that stem cells are persons with rights to protect, but they can be used themselves to heal real persons with rights. Especially considering many embryos are disposed of anyway, it would be much better to put them to good use, and furthermore we should radically expand the development of stem cell research because the potential for great medical advancement is enormous, and stem cells have no inherent rights or interests themselves.
I support Stem Cell research!! It is a waste not to support it because there are so many thing it helps, and could eventually help. Like donating the cord to the banks who store and distribute the stem cell. I wish I would have known about this when I gave birth because I would have donated.
One day someone may be able to help my children when other methods wouldn’t have worked. I would have love to be able to say that I helped a child with my donation.
I don’t think there needs to be restrictions on this, as far as I can tell. I really need to look into more of what it entails to be 100% sure about it though.
I don’t have a problem with how the get it from the embryo, because it is just an embryo. They are cells just like all the other cells. It is amazing what they have discovered by doing this. The good outweighs the any bad that I have heard-read about.
I think stem cell research should be allowed. i just barely started paying attention to what it actually is and think it can be a wonderful break through in the long run. I think if their worried about the wrong scientist getting out of control. Maybe they should pick certain scientist to work in the stem cell research area. If they have to do an exstensive background check to make sure the mad scientist isnt amongst the group do it and let them continue stem cell research.
Stem cell research, is it ethical? It all depends on what type of stem cell, how they are obtained and from what source. I feel it is OK to obtain stem cells, except embryonic, from adults pretty much anytime. Non-embryonic stem cells are fair game and can be used for research pretty much at will. Limited to only having the written consent of the donor.
Embryonic stem cells should only be obtained from an aborted embryo or if the stem cell is part of something that would otherwise be “thrown away”. Embryonic stem cells should not be harvested specifically for the purpose of research; this is inhumane and unethical. If the mother decides she wants to donate the stem cells she needs to give written consent and forfeit her rights to the stem cells. In order to keep this process from being abused I think compensation should not be allowed in exchange for these embryonic stem cells.
In summary, stem cell research is important and key in modern medicine and in the development of future medicines. However, we still need to apply certain ethical and humane limitations for this procedure. Embryonic stem cells carry the most limitations since we are essentially dealing with a potential future human life.
Stem cell research is a new topic for me. I’ve heard plenty controversy about it but did not know much about the process until we discussed it in class. I went online and read about the subject and from everything I read I find stem cell research to be ethical. I don’t believe women are going to get pregnant just to abort and give the fetus or embryo to a research facility. I think the option to donate at abortion or miscarriage should be available. It is a sensitive conversation to have with a patient or family but with the correct training, physicians would be more apt to do it.
There are many other forms of stem cell research other than from a miscarriage or abortion, fetal. Leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be used for embryonic stem cell research before they deteriorate with consent from the donors. Opponents to this research feel IVF physicians may start to extract more eggs than necessary from patients so they can ultimately have leftovers for donation. Professionally and ethically I don’t feel many doctors would do that. You may get one or two that take it too far but overall, I don’t see it growing out of control like opponents project.
I think stem cell research should be legal in all forms but if embryonic stem cell research doesn’t happen I hope cord blood stem cell research passes. There is no harm to an embryo, fetus or patient. Currently very few hospitals or birthing centers donate or give the patient the option to donate cord blood after delivery. The umbilical cord is discarded as medical waste unless the patient has arranged and paid for a storage bank to collect it. The average person can not afford this so this potential life saving item goes in the trash. What type of rational is that??? How many women give birth every day??? What if ½ of them consented to donating the cord blood, how many potential lives could they save??? It would cost the tax payers extra to adopt this process and fund the facilities, but how much could it save the tax payers in the long run…millions maybe. To me this is a no brainer…no one is hurt, research continues, potentially curing life-long diseases that are costly to everyone.
In regards to limitations, my only concern would be if there is a monetary kick back to hospitals, physicians or the donors. When money gets involved some people’s ethics go out the window. When you donate blood you do not get paid so why should you get paid for something that is going to be destroyed or thrown away if you do not choose to donate. That would be the only limitation I would want to see put in place so it takes out the “Slippery Slope” concern many opponents have.
Stem cell research, something I have heard about for several years but never looked into what is really going on. After being introduced to it in class and reading on the subject. I would love to say I am all for it and that it is ethical, but I just cannot seem to pick a side. The night we covered this in class every positive thing we talked about I am all for, but now sitting at home really digging deep into myself I just do not know what is right. I am for research that is for the good of mankind but how far do I want that to go. Think of me as being old fashion, I feel that the cards we are dealt by God are the cards we keep and in this case if there is something wrong with a part of our body that the scientist may be able to tweak by playing with our genes I do not think it is right. The movie My Sisters Keeper has probably led me down this road because as of Wed. night I was going to write that I was for it. The pessimism in me is leaching out on this subject; I cannot help but to think the worst. If it is allowed for researchers to continue research with stem cells in the future no matter how they obtain them I just feel that it will go too far. One of the videos state it would be like going to a fast food restaurant and ordering up a blue eyed, smart, tall, person that is good in football. I am sorry I just fill like we as humans just cannot decide when enough is enough and leave things alone. To me it is too much like playing like God. I do not know how I feel on researchers playing with cells taken from the embryo either because I hate for things to go to waste and if theses extra embryos are just being stored and not used it would be a shame to see them discarded (made for no purpose). I am just worried what scientist and medical professionals will do with all the wonderful information that can help mankind. I feel if we as a species do not evolve on our own by the environmental forces then we do not deserve to occupy this earth and should slowly be removed. Wow, now that I have written this I guess I do have an answer for the question on whether or not stem cell research is ethical, the answer is NO!
I am for stem cell research. I think that efforts to better society. I think there could be many profound effects of further research in this area. I think that people are afraid to proceed with the research is they are afraid of the unknown. I think there can be areas of caution restraint. But I think that to move forward and to better help our people the more we know the better. As anything goes research can be applied for better or worse witch could be reasons why people are afraid or just the unknown of how far will people take the tech.
Personally I do believe in stem research. Stem research can be an ethical solution to genetic research and therapeutic applications. However, I do believe that stem cell research should be limited to existing stem cell lines and/or donated stem cells. I do not believe is it is ethical to solely create embryos for the sole purpose of stem cell harvesting. Currently there is a sufficient amount of existing stem lines combined with future possible embryonic stem cell donations. Stem cell research can lead to genetic research that otherwise would be conducted during trials with living subjects. Future discoveries could eliminate the need to have exact donor matches for organ transplant. Also, I do find it ethical to use donated embryos that would otherwise be destroyed. Should a family have difficulty conceiving and seek help through invitro fertilization and have embryos that will not be used for implantation, that family should be allowed to donate the embryos for stem cell research to possibly aid in the research of genetic diseases or organ tissues. Ultimately, the benefits of the research can greatly outweigh the destruction of stem cells. Many generations of people as well as future generations can benefit from the potential research derived from existing stem cells and future donated cells.
Stem cell research is completely ethical and is an amazing scientific discovery that will lengthen and possibly cure the lives of many. Since the purpose of stem cells is to save lives, than the research of stem cells is ethical. Through stem cells, especially embryonic, damaged tissues are able to regenerate into any tissue type in the human body. Other than harvesting embryos for monetary gain, stem cell research should have no limits. The possibility of saving lives through embryos that are planned on being destroyed (as result of over production for invitro-fertilization and other contraceptive aids) should not be wasted. Stem cell research should definitely be conducted in the U.S. but with safe guards that does not allow for harvesting for profit. National guidelines should be in place to ensure embryonic stem cells are obtained strictly through donation by means of informed consent. Donation of umbilical cord blood should also be made an option as a way of obtaining additional cells.
Stem cells can be founded in embryos, the umbilical cord and in adults. Embryonic stems cell are easier to obtain they taken from the inner cell mass of blastocysts (which means the embryo is destroyed) and can developed into any type of cells needed. Adult stems cells can developed in to a specific cell quickly more quickly and help the body by growing new cells for damaged tissues in various section of the body. The extractions of adult cells are a little more difficult. If a woman has an abortion more than likely that embryo will be discarded as waste, so why not used them for research to improve the quality of life for someone who is living but suffering, but not if it is against the woman wishes.
I think that stem cell research can be both ethical and unethical depending on where the researchers got the stem cells and how they got them. I feel that stem cell research is ethical for the sole purpose that is could help improve the quality of human life, by helping to cure a disease. But like I said is all comes down to the issue of how the researchers got the stem cells. If the embryo is donated to science by the mother after she has had an abortion or if the mother has no objections with an idea of using the embryos for research to save another life, I see no problem with it.
I feel it would be unethical and the line of limitation was been crossed if it was a planned abortion (meaning the mother conceived just to abort for researched or save a life.) I am some what on the line with the thought of creating a child for the sole purpose of donating cells, organs and or tissue; there is definitely a line of limitation that is drawn and when the quality of life of that donating child is being affected.
I am not ok with the idea of cloning for stem cells, yes it would be useful in conducting more research, but with cloning the naturalization of human life is being altered and that is unethical and the limited should be drawn.
Overall stem research is for the good. Stem cell research possibly cure untreatable disease that we now have today and I am all for it.
I could both ways about stem cell research I like the idea about the cord blood stem cell research and I also like the embryos that were used for IVF if they are not used and will only be donated as medical waste. Then by all means use it. This is okay within an ethical standard because no one was hurt, it is part of the natural ways of or nothing got hurt. But if one gets greedy with selling it for a profit gain it does not have the same ethical value. Stem cell research is also not ethical in the form of using unethical abortions just for the monetary gain. Miscarriages might be either unethical or ethical it all depends on the time of the miscarriage. But it is also up to the individual whom stem cells are being derived from. I do support it if the individual agrees to it. I think that I would like to see more of it to help the many forms of disease that can be cured from it. I would support stem cell research if it was ethically done.
Stem cell can improve many areas of health and medical research. I agree with stem cell research. Researcher's have found out that stem cells have the potential to develop into many different cell types where in many tissues they aid to repair system by dividing themselves and when this occurs each new cell has the potential ether to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. I agree with stem cell research because as I was reading some articles stem cell has the potential to cure many diseases and now they are seeking the possibility to coax stem cells already in the body to work overtime and produce new tissue. I believe the medical community as well as the people will favour if they continue with the stem cell research. Pertaining with the ethical issues of whether it is okay to use stem cells from an embryonic I think is alright if is donated and the person is aware of all the technicalities and procedures taken. I think stem cell research will be a great opportunity to greater improves the health of those who are in need.
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