Embryonic Stem Cell Research
 

What are your thoughts?

For or against and why?

In favor of.

It may not cure me personally, but if there is a way to prevent another child from growing up with Type 1 diabetes like I did, I'd support it.

In favor. I did my senior thesis on the scientific and ethical aspects of it...fascinating subject.

For using it without making more cells. From what I understand there are enough to go around and there is no need to make more.

They're going to throw it out anyway so why the hell not use it?

I think the issue is that there are frozen embryos that have been frozen for over 20 years and may never be implanted into a human female uterus because of its freezing age--like freezer burn...

But once thawed, it cannot be rethawed and must be properly disposed. How do they get disposed? Just like all other human bodily fluids I guess--add some bleach and get flushed down the toilet... Or thrown into a biohazard bag and incinerated...

However, with the technology so advanced these days, scientists can take the embryos, dissect the pluripotent cells from them (cell that can be made into any organ in the body), and grow them for some time and study their uses for the potential of therapeutics for dehabilitating diseases--mainly Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Heart, Diabetes, Huntington's and Brain/Spinal Cord injuries--mainly any organ that will NEVER have cells that divide again...

Am I for the constructive use and study of how to use human embryonic stem cells in a FDA, Public Health Service NIH funded Nobel Laureate peer-reviewed fashion? Yes.

Am I for the use of these cells for eugenics. No.

Yes

In favor for it. I don't ever want to see anyone suffer from parkinsons like my grand dad did and how my dad suffers from diabeties.....if there is a cure in stem cell for these illnesses than i all for it

In favor.

In favor.

One of our big strengths in this country is our ability to develop and research medical advances. We are going to lose our best scientists to other countries where they can do their research and develop their cures for diseases/disabilities and thereby lose a big chunk of our technological edge. If we have opportunities to cure diseases and disabilities, thereby saving real, living, breathing human beings, why wouldn't we do it? To save frozen embryos which will be thrown away?

Politicians who are against allowing more stem cell lines say we have enough. The scientists who are actually doing the research don't agree and claim that many of the current lines are corrupt and unusable. I tend to believe those who are actually educated in this area and understand the science behind it.

Besides, I work for a biostatistics department and need research to keep happening here in the US of A so that I can keep my job :)

Dee

I'm for stem cell research.

Absolutely in favor. Why? Because I think we need to work on improving the lives of people who are already here before we start worrying about those who *may or may not* someday exist.

BTW, this seems to invalidate my stance on the Terry Schiavo case because I was very much for removing her feeding tube. In reality though, it's apples and oranges because I felt that her case was all about marital rights.

I really dislike this whole "culture of life" thing the Republicans keep bring up because I cannot in good conscience agree with it.

Absolutely in favor of it.

My religion places more of an emphasis on the living and not those that have the potential for living.

There is a careful way about approaching it though.

-Rudey