THL

We have got so many possibilities here. Right here in front of us lies research that could cure so many terminal illnesses, greatly improve the quality of people's lives and potentially prevent many diseases. The advances that are made in medicine is incredible, and it only continues to get better as time goes on.

I think we need to take some funding from federal and state prisons and supplying criminals with public defenders and put that money toward research that could have the ability to save any of our lives one day.

If it were my daughter, mother, father or sister that were sick, and I was told that by getting pregnant and having the embryo harvested 5 days into that pregnancy could save their life - there would not even be a second thought about it.

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"To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person you are."-Sholem Asch

"I always turn to the sports page first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures."-Earl Warren

"I didn't intend for this to take on a political tone. I'm just here for the drugs."-Nancy Reagan, when asked a political question at a "Just Say No" rally

"He no play-a da game, he no make-a da rules."-Earl Butz, on the Pope's attitude toward birth control

667medic

Stem Cell research has potential for all the possibilities that you have mentioned. However it is not as easy as you think it is. A stem cell is basically a cell which is capable of transforming into any tissue specific cell. So in theory a stem cell can be engineered to become a Liver cell but it is also possible for the cell to become cancerous. The fruits of the research in stem cell biology might take around 50 or even 100 years to materialize...

THL

You are correct, and I understand that. While I think this is a great opportunity that we are letting slip by, I know there is always room for catastrophe in any scenario. This might take 50 or 100 years....maybe more. But as an eternal optimist, I also see that we could start to benefit in only 5, 10 or 20 years.

667medic

I too share your hope that humans might benefit greatly from stem cell research. But the ethical issues must not be ignored. I am aware of a few cases where parents beget a child simply because they need the chord blood for theraphy in an earlier child afflicted with a genetic disease. If instances like this are ignored, there might be horrible repercussions. Moreover as I had mentioned earlier, a stemcell harbours the potential to turn cancerous so, the criteria for Medical Council approval might be stringent. Even with the approval, there will definitely be cases where the procedure had gone wrong and the parties who had done the stem cell theraphy might get slapped with law-suits.....