WP: Koreans Say They Cloned Embryos for Stem Cells

[BurgundyNGold]

I really don't have a problem with this from the scientific perspective. If I was able to use this science to eventually clone a new heart, kidney or liver as a replacement part, I would do it in a minute.

What I do have a problem with are the conservative religious folks holding our scientists back from leading the way in this burgeoning new field of science. You can almost hear $$$ flying out of our country in yet another way.

Scientists in South Korea reported making nearly a dozen cloned human embryos that are genetic twins of patients with various medical problems and have isolated from those embryos batches of stem cells with the potential to replace failing tissues in those patients.

The experiments mark a significant advance in therapeutic cloning, the fast-paced but controversial field that aims to make customized heart tissues for heart attack patients, nerves for patients with spinal cord injuries, and a host of other laboratory-grown spare parts genetically tailored to the patients who need them.
More (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/19/AR2005051900955.html)

[Spence]

What I do have a problem with are the conservative religious folks holding our scientists back from leading the way in this burgeoning new field of science. You can almost hear $$$ flying out of our country in yet another way.Got that straight. I've talked to about half a dozen scientists in this field who have left the country -- mostly for the United Kingdom. There is huge money to be made in this field, not to mention a huge amount of medical science to be applied for the benefit of mankind. This is the price we pay for our abortion wars -- paying attention to nutjobs who think a couple of cells in a petri dish have the same rights as a human being.

[BurgundyNGold]

Got that straight. I've talked to about half a dozen scientists in this field who have left the country -- mostly for the United Kingdom. There is huge money to be made in this field, not to mention a huge amount of medical science to be applied for the benefit of mankind. This is the price we pay for our abortion wars -- paying attention to nutjobs who think a couple of cells in a petri dish have the same rights as a human being.
As an American, I hate to see that. As a person who is heavily involved in science, I am not only in total disbelief that our government would take such a tack, I am disgusted that we would even allow religion -- any religion -- to affect our national science policy.

[CNYSkinFan]

As an American, I hate to see that. As a person who is heavily involved in science, I am not only in total disbelief that our government would take such a tack, I am disgusted that we would even allow religion -- any religion -- to affect our national science policy.

Or our national education policy (restricting sex education and evolution), or our national defense policy (Iraq), or our national health care policy (Schiavo, Abstinence only sex ed), or our Foreign policy (restriction of funds for clinics that peform abortions)..........

[SkinsKY]

I am not categorically opposed to stem cell research. The medical benefits could be huge. My only concern is where will we draw the line? If it proves better to let the embryos develop longer, should we do it? How long can we wait before the embryo becomes a human being? I don't have definitive answers for that, but I want to make sure we draw the line somewhere rather than make it up as we go along.

[CNYSkinFan]

And on this syubject Bush threatens to Veto a stem cell bill in the HOuse loosening the restriction in place now.

SOURCE (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=1&u=/nm/20050520/pl_nm/stemcells_bush_dc)

[BurgundyNGold]

And on this syubject Bush threatens to Veto a stem cell bill in the HOuse loosening the restriction in place now.

SOURCE (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=1&u=/nm/20050520/pl_nm/stemcells_bush_dc)
The guy doesn'tr veto a single bill in the 4+ years of his presidency, but he pulls out the stamp for this one. That would make sense. :rolleyes:

[akhhorus]

What the Koreans did is on the edge of the life debate, but I think its a bad argument to make that they are creating humans to harvest their stem cells. First off, they stick in the dna from the donor, and remove the DNA from the woman who donated the eggs it will grow in. So its not like making a baby here. And the scientists don't believe that if you implanted the egg in the woman, that it will ever gestate into a human being since there is only the one set of DNA in it. So they are creating life like conditions to make stem cells, but to claim that this is directly life they are creating for the purpose of killing it for stem cells is fairly ridiculous.

[CNYSkinFan]

What the Koreans did is on the edge of the life debate, but I think its a bad argument to make that they are creating humans to harvest their stem cells. First off, they stick in the dna from the donor, and remove the DNA from the woman who donated the eggs it will grow in. So its not like making a baby here. And the scientists don't believe that if you implanted the egg in the woman, that it will ever gestate into a human being since there is only the one set of DNA in it. So they are creating life like conditions to make stem cells, but to claim that this is directly life they are creating for the purpose of killing it for stem cells is fairly ridiculous.

Exactly. But I have to admit it creeps me out. I can't help but wonder of someone in the future will clone Hitler in S. America.

[akhhorus]

Exactly. But I have to admit it creeps me out. I can't help but wonder of someone in the future will clone Hitler in S. America.

Ok, you have to stop watching The Boys From Brazil before you go to bed each night....

[CNYSkinFan]

Ok, you have to stop watching The Boys From Brazil before you go to bed each night....

someone got the reference....Bravo sir!!!!!