2007-05-22 05:26:29 · 6 answers · asked by Wes 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
Through careful work, adult stem cells could be used to repair a damaged brain or heart, rebuild a knee, restore injured nervous system connections
The great advantage of embryonic stem cells is that they can differentiate into 210 different types of tissue.
Heart Disease - German heart specialist Bodo Eckehard Strauer successfully treated a heart patient, using stem cells from the man’s bone marrow. Dr. Stauer said, "Even patients with the most seriously damaged hearts can be treated with their own stem cells instead of waiting and hoping on a transplant" ("Stem cell therapy repairs a heart," London Daily Telegraph, August 25, 2001).
Heart Disease - "Four out of five seriously sick Brazilian heart-failure patients no longer needed a heart transplant after being treated with their own stem cells" ("Stem cells used to repair heart tissue," MSNBC News, September 8, 2003).
Sickle Cell Anemia - CBS’ 60 Minutes II reported on 15-year-old Keone Penn, whose physicians at the University of Pittsburgh say was healed of sickle cell anemia with an injection of stem cells from umbilical cord blood. According the report, "the stem cells changed his entire blood system from type O to type B" and eliminated the sickle cell problem ("Stem cells from umbilical cord blood used to save a boy’s life," CBS broadcast transcript, November 28, 2001).
Acute Myeloid Leukemia - Sixteen-year-old Nathan Salley told a U.S. Congressional subcommittee how stem cells from umbilical cord blood saved his life ("Teenager testifies he’s ‘living proof’ of stem-cell option," Denver Post, July 22, 2001).
Multiple Sclerosis - Thirty-six-year-old Susan Stross is one of more than 20 MS patients whose conditions have remained steady or improved after receiving an adult stem cell transplant. The same results are reported with several hundred patients worldwide ("Already saving lives, stem cell research may soon be in full swing," Seattle Times, August 20, 2001).
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma - Forty-year-old Mark Fulford was not able to receive a bone marrow transplant; so doctors used stem cells from umbilical cord blood ("Different kind of stem cell already saving lives," Denver Rocky Mountain News, August 18, 2001).
Parkinson’s Disease - "Jefferson researchers have early evidence of bone marrow stem cells able to become brain cells" (Thomas Jefferson University news release, November 12, 2001).
Improved Stroke Recovery - "Cells from the blood of an umbilical cord help rats recover from stroke faster, new study finds" (University of South Florida Health Sciences Center News Release, November 8, 2001).
Blood Stem Cell Transplant - "Transplantation: Surgical team uses standard stem cell procedure in unique way for kidney recipient" (Blood Weekly, March 7, 2002).
In a breakthrough trial, 15 young patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes were given drugs to suppress their immune systems followed by transfusions of stem cells drawn from their own blood.
All but two of the volunteers in the trial, details of which are published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), do not need daily insulin injections up to three years after stopping their treatment regimes.
The negatives are the ethical, moral & legal use of embryonic stem cells.
38 states recognize that life begins at conception and 25 states already regulate embryo and fetal esearch. Ten states ban harmful embryonic research altogether. Louisiana designates IVF [in vitro fertilization] derived embryos as judicial [legally recognized] persons. Maine, Michigan, and Massachusetts impose up to five years of imprisonment for harmful research on live embryos or fetuses.
Five states restrict the sale of embryos, five more restrict sale for research, and eight others prohibit sale for any reason. Some of these laws might have changed as this is old research.
What do you think is this a good thing.
From everything that I have read it seems that this might be as close to a miracule cure as has ever been.
2007-05-22 08:16:34 · answer #1 · answered by bear5521 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the research itself is a good thing. Stem cells can potentially be used to cure a great deal of ailments. However, the controversy comes in from where the researchers obtain the stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from an embryo (a fertilized egg), meaning that it is the same thing that we all started out as, and it could potentially become a person. Stem cells are available from other sources. For example, you can get them from umbilical cords of an infant after birth. These have been simply thrown away in the past, but now people can donate them for stem cell research. I don't think there is any controversy in that.
2007-05-22 05:34:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stem cell research is a good thing so long as women are not required to get pregnant and undergo abortions to generate stem cells.
Fortunately, there are many zygotes that are the result of in vitro fertilization and are not wanted by the biological donors that can be used for this purpose.
For those who say this is immoral, most unwanted fertilized eggs are destroyed. This allows them to be used to better human life.
2007-05-22 05:32:50 · answer #3 · answered by TychaBrahe 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't think is any thing wrong with gays getting marry. I don't think any body is prepare at the present time to say homosexuality is a disorder. The way people approach homosexuality is the same way they approach any thing else they don't agreed with, like another religious or political believes, the taste in food, the way you dress, your personal life style, etc. How about living and let others live as they want to, as long you are not affected by it. In this time and age, any body who condemn others for any reason based only on a personal religious believe, or in a imaginary god's opinions, that person should be ignored or laughed out town. Practice whatever you think your god tells you to, and let others pursue happiness the way they want to. Stem sell research? if fanaticism had its way we'd still be buried back in the dark ages.
2016-05-20 00:36:16 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I belive stem cell is a good thing because its enhancing the future. but it could have its down falls.
2007-05-22 05:34:20 · answer #5 · answered by ÃcÄLÿTè 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read the information at this site:
http://www.stemcellresearch.org/
The controversy is not about how well they help but where you get them from ..
2007-05-22 05:35:11 · answer #6 · answered by Tapestry6 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋