

Researchers announce possible treatments for two deadly and previously untreatable diseases










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RE: Regardless of your beliefs
By zinfamous on 3/25/2008 1:07:42 PM , Rating: 3
the caveat is that it isn't "pro-abortion," but "pro-choice." No one really likes abortion; it's a rather extreme decision for someone to make. The pro-choice crowd advocates that option should be available for those who really need it.

as for stem cells. speaking as someone who works in molecular genetics, and works with ES cells (mouse), my argument has always been that insemination is no guarantee of life occurring. So much can happen between insemination and up to and beyond blastula stage that will halt development. The process of cell division begins, but natural miscarriages are a part of reality, and always will be.

We also do IVF in our facility. One of our co-workers worked in a human IVF clinic with experience performing ICSI (injecting individual sperm into an oocyte--higher percentage of fertilization). She attests that IVF clinics routinely toss out frozen embryos after they have been fertilized. The debate around this issue is pretty silly, being that it's fostered by those who have no experience in the field. It takes physical space to house embryos, and such space is not infinite. Also, when per diems cost clients ~$50 per month to house their embryos, they aren't going to be willing to pay this ad infinitum. Embryos are frozen as backup, in the event that the initial implantation does not lead to pregnancy, or if the couple chooses this method for further pregnancies. No2 is also quite spendy.

simply put, individual IVF clinics can not function if they were expected to house frozen embryos for eternity. Those that argue that IVF clinics do this, only look at the theory of cryogenics, in that embryos, if frozen properly over infinite years, will still be viable. Indeed, this is the case, but doesn't touch on reality. No one will maintain embryos for this amount of time.

The issue that remains after this, then, is why toss out fertilized embryos? For those that think this is life, then it is indeed wasting life, and will always happen. Why not, then, put those embryos to use by potentially saving the lives of countless others.

For a man, and administration, that believes sacrificing the lives of his own soldiers, and 150,000+ innocent Iraqis is worth the cost of a very unlikely peace in a historically contentious region, to approach the actual facts behind stem cell research and IVF, yet hold the opposite moral viewpoint, is beyond hypocritical. And frankly, rather disgusting.

Sorry for the politics, but this is a sensitive issue with me. And when a jackass administration effs with my job and potential income b/c he uses blatantly false info to support a morally unjust side of a serious life-saving field of research....I get bitter.

RE: Regardless of your beliefs
By clovell on 3/25/2008 1:31:12 PM , Rating: 2
This administration was the first one to even consider the ethical dilemmas of this research by appointing a highly qualified multi-disciplinary council to prepare a report on it. Ultimately the council made its recommendations based on the research out there. The report was published. If you take issue with the facts it contains, I'd be interested to hear more.

If your field (ESC research) shows more than the twilight of promise that it has historically (being far eclipsed by adult stem cell therapies), then the issue will likely be reconsidered by a future administration. I realize that, by your view, you're hamstring by the current regulations.

While one side argues that the embryos will be wasted is research isn't done, the other side says it never should get to that point, and that by allowing 'some good to come of it' they are condoning that scenario that should not have been.

Though I disagree with your view, I think you laid it out well, and I can understand being upset; I work in pharma and the political prophecies of socialized medicine make me upset out of a fear for my paycheck and my industry, which, ultimately is in the business of helping people.

Dynamics like this balance our country well, in the end.


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