U.S. researchers announce stem cell breakthrough
Aug. 22, 2005. 10:50 AM
RANDOLPH SCHMID
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - U.S. scientists have discovered a way to fuse adult skin cells with embryonic stem cells, a promising breakthrough that could lead to the creation of useful stem cells without first having to create and destroy human embryos.
The team, from Harvard University, announced Monday the fused cell "was reprogrammed to its embryonic state." Such a breakthrough could have the effect of taming a bitter national debate about the ethics of stem-cell research — but not any time soon.
posted by Anonymous at 8/22/2005 08:12:00 PM
3 Comments:
LOOKS LIKE A DAMN PIZZA HUT PIZZA
The major source of stem cells for research today is embryos, and the embryos are destroyed in the process of extracting the stem cells.
What's the big deal? Genetically, an embryo is a human being. A very tiny, undeveloped human being, but a human being nonetheless. Even if stem cell treatments ultimately prove successful, embryonic stem cell treatment involves the deliberate killing of a human being in order to use his body parts to treat another human being.
Supporters of embryonic stem cell research point to all sorts of good that might result. They paint glowing pictures of the diseases that might be cured and the people who might be helped. But does this justify killing an innocent human being?
Surely we all appreciate the value of organ transplants. No one questions that many, many lives have been saved because of organ transplants, and many more have been improved in one way or another. But a continuing problem is the shortage of healthy organs available for transplant. There are long waiting lists for transplant organs.
Suppose that someone suggested that this probably could be easily solved if we made it legal to kill selected people so that there organs could be "harvested". Think of all the good that could result!
Why, one such person could provide dozens of organs -- a heart for this patient, two kidneys for two more, retinas, bone marrow, etc etc. Think of how many lives could be saved by one death! Wouldn't that make it worth it? And we could carefully choose the people who would be selected as donors.
They could be chosen from particularly disliked groups, like minorities, the handicapped, or lawyers.
How would you react to such a proposal? That is exactly what is being proposed here. Medical researchers think that they may be able to save or improve the lives of some people by killing others. So they insist that it should be legal to kill these human beings in order to help others.
kinky kendall and brother14x should hook up and create a superhuman race to take over the world. Call your offspring Factor X. Both intelligent people.
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