New Method Equalizes Stem Cell Debate

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/washington/21bush.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

The discovery that skin cells can be reprogrammed to mimic embryonic stem cells is likely to transform the sticky political debate over the science, a debate that has pitted Mr. Bush against two-thirds of the American public including prominent Republicans like Nancy Reagan and has even helped decide some elections.

This is a big step in terms of science and health. Good thing it happened no matter who takes or deserves credit for it.

I'll take the credit for it. It was my idea. Check the archives. I'd point out the post, but I can't be bothered to look it up right now.

here it is.

I'm not clicking on "disgusting.jpg."

Edit: Nice try, though!

They're not the researchers. They're the donors.

damn you glatt....

...damn you to hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll[size=1]llllllllllllllllllllllll[/size]

LJ;409301 wrote:

damn you glatt....

...damn you to hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll[size=1]llllllllllllllllllllllll[/size]

Muh hah hah ha!


But in all seriousness, this is promising news for stem cell research. I, for one, am pleased that this break though occurred. Go science!

I don't like any stem cells unless a fetus dies to provide them.

LJ;409294 wrote:

here it is.

Hey that's me on the far right!

PISH POSH

Fuck off Sundae, you're in a different league to that bird.

I think cellar dwellars should consider that stem cell research could help one of our own members if it comes down to the crunch.

Then think about whether or not it's immoral or any of that other drivel.

I think this new developement is great, but then, I had no problem with the old method either.

I don't know if this really "equalizes the debate," either. It's still beyond stupid to argue that, "God hates abortion, so instead of using this already aborted fetus to do research, let's throw it away. Because throwing it away is less of an abomination than studying it."

Do people think women have abortions so they can help science?? The fact is, even if we can get skin cells to do the same thing, there's absolutely no harm in studying the fetuses as well. It should also be pointed out that just because you can get a skin cell to mimic a fetal stem cell, it does not mean that it will behave in exactly the same way in every situation.

Animal organs can be studied to learn more about our organs, but when it comes right down to it, they're only so close. This is like the church saying posthumous dissection is evil, people should study animals.

Oh em eff gee, I just read that article. GW is taking credit for scientific discovery, now!?

:headshake:

queequeger;409496 wrote:

I don't know if this really "equalizes the debate," either. It's still beyond stupid to argue that, "God hates abortion, so instead of using this already aborted fetus to do research, let's throw it away. Because throwing it away is less of an abomination than studying it."

Do people think women have abortions so they can help science?? The fact is, even if we can get skin cells to do the same thing, there's absolutely no harm in studying the fetuses as well. It should also be pointed out that just because you can get a skin cell to mimic a fetal stem cell, it does not mean that it will behave in exactly the same way in every situation.

Animal organs can be studied to learn more about our organs, but when it comes right down to it, they're only so close. This is like the church saying posthumous dissection is evil, people should study animals.

IIRC the source of fetal stem cells is not abortion, but unused zygotes left over from in-vitro fertilization programs.
You're right, though, that it is not yet certain that these skin stem cells will behave exactly like fetal stem cells. More research is needed.

Here's a good summary.

PZ Myers wrote:

This discovery is probably going to become a political football in short order, with the far right politicians who have restricted American research into embryonic stem cells claiming vindication. However, let's point out some realities here. Americans did not make this discovery; Japanese researchers did. It required understanding of gene expression in embryonic stem cells, an understanding that was hampered in our country. It's going to require much more confirmation and comparison between the induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells as part of the process of making this technique useful — science doesn't take just one result from a few labs and accept it as gospel truth. And we definitely need to figure out better ways of switching the four genes on. Figuring that out will require more research into how organisms switch cells into the ES state in situ — we can't figure that out from these cells with inserted, artificial gene constructs.


Another essential point is that scientists are excited about this work because it opens up avenues for basic research into development and differentiation. These cells are NOT useable for therapies…the immediate, practical applications that the electorate wants from stem cell research.

Bump
Stem cell ruling huge blow to U.S. science

stem cell research -- a promising avenue in biomedical research for curing a host of deadly and debilitating diseases -- has been dealt an enormous setback by a U.S. District Court's injunction against the Obama executive order. In ruling that federal monies can not be used for any research involving embryonic stem cells, Judge Royce Lamberth's decision creates significant uncertainty in the field. A stay was ordered this week, rescuing the funding of the research for a short time until the case is heard. The fact that research can be shut down and then started again in a matter of weeks has created confusion for proceeding with the work.

With Judge Lamberth's decision, American scientists have been put at a disadvantage against their counterparts all over the world. The U.S. is in danger of being surpassed as the leader in biomedical research by several countries, including South Korea, Singapore, and Great Britain. The loss of research competitiveness undermines our biotech and pharmaceutical companies' ability to bring new therapies to patients.

Judge Lamberth's decision places American researchers in a difficult position. Promising avenues of research will need to be halted. NIH grant decisions on major diseases were halted this month, even for studies including a small number of experiments on embryonic stem cells, and millions of dollars that have been committed to stem cell researchers is at risk.

The economic impact of this injunction on the United States could surely be huge. Scientists run increased risks of running afoul of the law and will be increasingly isolated from their colleagues overseas. While many will seek private and foundational funding for their research, this also comes with a price. Before the Obama order, many elite researchers were spending up to 20 percent of their time on fundraising. We risk that the U.S. will fall increasingly behind.

This decision is driven both by ideology as well as continuing confusion over the science of stem cells. Eighty percent of Americans are in favor of stem cell research, and Congress has twice passed a bill in favor of stem cell research. More education is necessary so that everyone understands these cells. At Children's Hospital, we have created a website that provides basic information about stem cells, their biology and potential for therapies.

much more on CNN

The more things change the more they ... well maybe not.

bump.
I present to you, (from 2/11) The Skin Gun

[YOUTUBE]eXO_ApjKPaI[/YOUTUBE]

That image is bad, but the rest is pretty tame.
It shows some amazing promise about whats happening with this.

Awesome! One of my professors last semester told us about this, he had worked on some very small part of it back when it was first being developed years ago.

Full regeneration and immortality, here we come! What could possibly go wrong?

Cool... but damm this was an old post. I mean for a minute there I thought Radar had returned.

Ghosts sometimes wander these halls.

Back to the OT - I regret how much religion colours American politics.
With such vast resources and wealth, so much is achieved.
But more could be.

Of course my view is coloured by my atheism. But as I've said before, I've mentally been kicked in the cunt by the current Republican Party elections. I can't even imagine how David Cameron would justify himself to Jebus, let alone Rick Santorum.

How people who enter politics (on a national level) could ever define themselves as followers of Christ beggars belief. And how any true American could try to use religion to garner votes, ditto. Same as closeted gay MPs who vote anti-gay, or those who have adulterous affairs (sometimes it seems like 80%) who rail against the break up of the family and propose tax breaks for married couples.

There are very good MPs out there who look after their constituency (demesne) without compromising the country as a whole. As in they would still pass legislation on human rights even if they had a company on their home turf employing vulnerable people.

It must be the same in American politics.

Sorry.
Stem Cell debate.

Just got a bit cross.

personally, as a republican/liberterian without the religious aspects, abortion just becomes an extreme case of someone you want off your property, your stem cells are something that is your property to do with as you please, marriage by a judge should be treated like any contract between two people while marriage by religion is that religion's business.

traceur;787257 wrote:

personally, as a republican/liberterian without the religious aspects, abortion just becomes an extreme case of someone you want off your property, your stem cells are something that is your property to do with as you please, marriage by a judge should be treated like any contract between two people while marriage by religion is that religion's business.

But marriage by religion should carry no more or less weight than that conducted as a civil contract. The religion aspect is nothing more than ceremony, not same thing, more special or important than the civil contract, unless you want to believe that, and if you do more power to ya. Just don't say I have to think like you do....

traceur;787257 wrote:

your stem cells are something that is your property to do with as you please,

OMG!! I just cut my finger and killed some stem cells. I'm surely going to jail now.


We can all thank god that Rick Santorum went to Florida and rescued a vegetable. Wait. Had wacko extremists not banned stem cell research, then Santorum could have injected stem cells into Terry Schiavo's brain. And saved here. Why did Santorum not pray for that guidance to save Terry? Or maybe god really told him to kill Schiavo. That's why he went to FL. To keep stem cells away.

TheMercenary;787339 wrote:

But marriage by religion should carry no more or less weight than that conducted as a civil contract. The religion aspect is nothing more than ceremony, not same thing, more special or important than the civil contract, unless you want to believe that, and if you do more power to ya. Just don't say I have to think like you do....

no...

i'm saying that the country should treat it like any contract without any special requirements (Such as gender) or benefits (such as tax), but any religion can do as it pleases regarding who they will make such a contract for and its content.

if the if the knights that says ni doesn't want to marry people who say oy, or if the catholic church doesn't want to marry gay people, its there choice, and if the mormons exclusivity shouldn't be part of the contract or should only apply to the wife, and the holy cockhold fetish club wants cheating to be a wife's duty, its there choice.

if your religion doesn't give you the kind of ceramony you want, its your choice of religion and your damn problem.

FYI - i'm a tea pot agnostic jew (a religion that doens't allow you to marry a non jewish women) who got married in a civil ceramony to an agnositc women with mormon upbringing (a religion that believes we're fake jews)... there's really nothing holy there :p