Are you supportive of stem cell research or opposed to stem cell research?

Question

Before you answer be sure that you actually know what stem cells are and why they are of interest to researchers.

Answer 1

I'm not religious whatsoever and I'm heavily interested in science and medicine, of which a career I am currently pursuing. But I have to say that, morally, there is a lot about stem cell research and its' possible breakthroughs that are very "unnatural" to life and living nature.

However, humans have since the beginning of time always stepped forward in the development of society. Amidst religious and moral questioning, we have continued with learning and research. I believe that it is human nature and an innate characteristic of human kind to continue discoveries to better understand the world we live in.

I may sit on the fence with this issue, but I have no doubt that regardless of the morality of which opposes this new frontier, we will still go ahead with this and stem cell research will advance, at whatever rate.

Answer 2

For it. I would also like to clarify that I support embryonic stem cell research as well. Adult stem cells are nice and there is almost no morality issues with it, but they are far less useful for research because they are already too far specialized. Stem cells from amniotic fluid (the fluid from the umbilical cord) are a bit less specialized, but still not as useful as embryonic stem cells, which have the potential of becoming virtually any cell in the body. I do not think research using embryonic stem cells is wrong for a number of reasons. First, they aren't "harvesting" fetuses to use for the research. Most of the embryonic stem cells used are the discarded embryos from fertilization clinics. At fertilization clinics, many eggs are fertilized because it normally takes a number of attempts before the egg is implanted. So, the extra embryos are basically thrown out. Why not use these discarded embryos for a good use? No one seems to have a problem with fertilization clinics, so what is the big deal? Also, I support embryonic stem cell research because of what an embryo is. An embryo is simply a glob of cells resulting from the fusion of a spermatocyte and an oocyte in the formation of a zygote. It has no organs, no vascularization, no heart, no brain, etc. It has no way of sensing pain or feeling emotion. Some say that an embryo has a soul. If so, then how would it come about? Does a soul arise from meiosis? Does each egg have a soul, or each sperm? Does that mean everytime a woman menstrates she is murdering a potential human being? I personally do not believe in a soul, but if I did, I certainly would not say that there is a soul in an embryo, especially if it is growing in a petri dish.

I have added this clarification after reading a number of these answers:
They DO NOT use cells from fetuses for research. Cells from the fetus are already too specialized. They use cells from an embryo during the blastocyst stage (5-7 days after fertilization). Then they take the pluripotent inner mass cells from the blastocyst and differentiate them in a lab.

Answer 3

Stem cell research should be further funded by the government. The possibilities are almost limitless and there is no justified reason to take those possibilities away from sick people. Obviously there is not enough space here to go into it all here but it must be done....forget the political BS.

Answer 4

Sure I'm for it. I'm just against raising fetuses specifically for stem cell harvesting. That's pretty much creating life and then murdering it for the sake of research. ANY other way you can get stemcells, is fine with me! I understand that when giving birth, you can donate umbilical cord tissue or fluid which aso has stem cells and no one has to die for that.

Answer 5

I totally support stem cell research, if the source is umbilical cord a donor`s bone marrow or a spontaneously aborted fetus..

Answer 6

I don't think anybody is against stem cell research. Even the most conservative people don't object to limited research. They just don't want to encourage baby farms to produce human embryos knowing they'll be destroying (potential or actual, depending on your views) human life to do so. Nobody's against organ transplants, but most people would object to unrestricted harvesting. We kind of like to think people are entitled to keep their own heart as long as they're using it.

Answer 7

I'm for it. I agree with the previous poster that fetuses should not be produced explicitly for harvesting stem cells.

Answer 8

Im all about it, donate a life to save one or two

Answer 9

i'm for it