Scientists: Stem Cells Created From Eggs
If this ends up being a legitimate source for stem cells, will this silence those who argue it's better to destroy unwanted embryos than save existing human life? I doubt it.
I have to admit that this subject raises concerns in me. I can see that there is a clear line of progression between zygotes and babies. At what point in development should a moral person, regardless of faith, believe the cluster of viable joined human zygote cells becomes human life with some sort of defensible rights? Or maybe that's not the true framing of the argument at all...
We all have living organisms inside of us that we kill everyday. Those of a developing human have more value to us as humans. Maybe it's a matter of who gets to say what happens to the cells growing inside of each of us. Why should the government have a say in what happens inside my body that can overrule my wishes.
God knows we're not going to solve the abortion debate within the confines of this blog. But maybe we can have an intelligent discussion about the subject. What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Self indulgent medicine to perpetuate the power of the wealthy in western societies. Stem cells are almost up there with cosmetic surgery and space programs, obscene squandering of limited and precious resources in the name of longevity and vanity.
Are we talking about the same medical research? I'm not sure that the potential of better lives for people with Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis is something I would lump in with grossly vane cosmetic surgery and today's utterly pointless U.S. space program.
I think we agree that there is a serious problem with Western consumption rates and societal interest in vanity and meaningless diversions when there is so much misery and suffering - much of which has such an easy solution.
Id love to know more... What is it about stem cell research that makes it seem self indulgent to you?
I am afraid I am forced to disagree with you both on a number of points.
The Space Program is still important and meaningful, simply by its existance. It is being poorly managed, for sure, but it is a sign of the fact that the U.S. has not completely given in to anti-intellectualism. The world needs to embrace all the efforts that are being made to better people's lives. We are human and we often go about things in a bumbling way; but the space program is an outgrowth of our desire to learn about our universe, which for me is one of the most precious gifts given to me by the creator. The space program needs to be fixed but we should not pull back from doing what we are doing now. We need to reacher higher.
Stem cell research is basic science research at this point. It is undertaken to better understand how the human body restores itself which the hope of being able to use that knowledge to devise treatments for the vast number of diseases that are linked to failures or limitations to how the body renews itself. Among the conditions that stem cell research is likely to be able to ameliorate or possibly cure are: heart disease, diabetes, many forms of cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimers, brain damage due to stroke, spinal injuries, and severe burns. As with all basic research, we don't know exactly what we will learn; we can only make educated guesses. This line of research has the potential for vast application across the panoply of human diseases and conditions, many of which ravage the third-world uncontrolled.
Finally, I would not characterize the iPhone as a meaningless diversion. To set the stage, our world is fundementally different that it was 30 years ago due to the prevalence of communication and computing technologies. We are in the early stages of a transformation of the human experience. The computer revolution is not properly paralleled to the rise of the printing press as is often done. The proper comparison is with the invention of writing, it provides us a fundemenatally new way of storing and transmitting information, essentially serving as an extension of human capabilities. In this context, the iPhone is harbinger of new class of computing device that merges communication and computation together in a usable way. We may not always like changes that computation has brought to our world, but they are real and they are important. Some of the hype in the press about the device is silly for sure, but the device itself is a milestone.
I agree with you on the space program, although I see more and more of that becoming privatized in the coming years (not that I think that's a good idea).
I have to admit that harvesting stem cells from human embryos is kinda problematic for me. I see the benefits, but I really wish we could find a less destructive source. I'm not against the use of human embryos without debate (like our current administration), but I would like to know more before I could agree to expanding their use without limitation. I recognize that we do need to step up to the scientific plate on this issue or we'll be buying the fruits of this research from other countries in the future. Can I be any more wishy-washy on this one?
I've not played with an iPhone, but I would love to. I enjoy new technology, but resent much of the hype surrounding it when there are so many more important things to focus our collective efforts on. I'm not sure I'm convinced the iPhone is really anything new, but then I thought the iPod would be a flop and now I own one. :D
A couple of things to realise about embryonic stem cell research.
First, it is a stepping stone. It may have some direct medical applications, but the ultimate thrust will be to learn how to take cells from a patients body and use them to create "pluripotent" stem cells (the type of stem cells used in embryonic stem cell research). That way your own cells will be the source of the cure for your condition.
The embryos used in stem cell research are 5-7 days old. They are balls of cells about .1mm in diameter and are yet to differnetiate into the 3 main types of human cells: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. The source is almost always embryos frozen for possible in-vitro fertilization. Many more embryos are created in this process than are used, due to failure rates in the implantation process. Extra embryos are usually discarded. Donation of the stem cells provides an alternative fate for the embryos. I have never heard anyone propose the creation of embryos for the purpose of this research.
Half the world's population - around three billion people - presently subsist on less than $2US per day. The effect of climate change on these people will be profound, Africa is considered likely to be hardest hit by drought. Your standard of living is effecting these people, are you willing to compromise any of it?
Whether or not people want to change their standard of living to accommodate those in need, it's going to happen (it's already happening). To people who are suffering for lack of resources easily available in abundance to us, stem cell research is certainly a distant concept. I'm not convinced that this means we shouldn't reduce the genuine suffering of people who will benefit from this research just because they aren't starving.
I'm convinced that if everyone used their talents to the best of their abilities in an effort to make this world a better place, many if not all of the big problems in this world would evaporate overnight.
Neglecting people in need, be they our neighbors or people on the other side of this planet is wrong regardless of the distraction. I would say that helping others where you find need in a way that makes a direct and meaningful difference is the most important goal. For many scientists around the world, stem cell research is going on in an effort to meet that goal.
"Extra embryos are usually discarded. Donation of the stem cells provides an alternative fate for the embryos. I have never heard anyone propose the creation of embryos for the purpose of this research."
This is the crux of the issue. These are leftover blastocysts at fertility clinics from which these cells are taken. They are almost all headed for the trash as "medical waste," otherwise. With that fact in mind, if you have a moral issue with ANY killing of a fertilized human egg, you really should be barking about fertility clinics rather than stem cell research. The latter merely turns the excess blastocysts doomed to the trash bin created in the former.
Post a Comment