Stem Cell Research and President George W. Bush

EMINEM · Post by **EMINEM** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 8:35 am

Welcome back Elegans! I sincerely missed you, although in your absence fable has been keeping me on my toes, forcing me to do some homework.

Do you know what Bush meant by the "60 lines of stem-cell research" currently underway? Evidently, the approval of federal funding will be restricted to these lines, whatever that may be...

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 11:21 am

I say this with my hand on my hearth: BUSH SUCKS!!

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 11:35 am

@Vegeta: Very true.

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 12:37 pm

@Vegeta: I've already done enough of the Bush sucks business. I do agree with you though. He's one of the worst presidents in the past few years(decades).

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 1:58 pm

Posted by C E -

A PS to my last post: For all you who haven't followed the stem cell and human cloning issue - the step between stem cell research and human cloning as a possible consequence, is very large. Stem cell research, including embryoic stem cells research, can be explored and used to find treatments for severe disorders like neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, without starting to clone people.

It may sound gruesome to some of you, but when I had both my children, the hospital asked my permission to use stem cells from the umbilical cord (that my babies did not need anymore) in order to transfuse these 'pure' cells into such as leukemia sufferers because there is less risk of rejection...I am all for this kind of research.

Cloning is another matter, and so far I am yet to be convinced there is a necessity, and indeed a positive outcome.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 2:06 pm

I'm for anything that helps better the curent situation of diseases and such... But Cloning is like playing god, and it's an extremly delicate subject. It's no wonder it's being banned, because it's something people fear. I mean, just look at Jurrasic Park!

EMINEM · Post by **EMINEM** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 5:26 pm

Originally posted by ThorinOakensfield:
@Vegeta: I've already done enough of the Bush sucks business. I do agree with you though. He's one of the worst presidents in the past few years(decades).

It's a little premature to be making judgments about Bush's administration when he's only held the office for six months, with 42 more to go.

leedogg · Post by **leedogg** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 6:00 pm

Why do people always blame the president? All this stuff has to get through congress. I am a firm believer in Bush(becuase i am an oil field worker and Al Gore was messing with my job!). Besides that, the power is in the congress, I have been saying it for years. The pres. can't do a thing without their support.

Thats my 2 cents.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 7:44 pm

Yeah, but lee. The prez ok's everything that congress does. (Also, no offense or anything, I'm kind've agianst his favoritism of oil companies...)

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Tue Aug 14, 2001 7:39 am

I'm kind've agianst his favoritism of oil companies...)

hey ho to that. its nothing but legalised corruption. its sick.

edit

bit of topic but i got carried away - sorry

[ 08-14-2001: Message edited by: Tom ]

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Tue Aug 14, 2001 9:29 am

@Tom: Your new here, aren't you?

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Tue Aug 14, 2001 10:47 am

@Tom - welcome to SYM!

It is great to see a few of the new BG2 board members find their way into our company.

scully1 · Post by **scully1** » Tue Aug 14, 2001 6:08 pm

Originally posted by C Elegans:
(A side note: Isn't it sort of strange that the IVF methods for making postmenopausal women pregnant was invented and used exclusively in Italy, the Mother country of the catholic church?)

No. Contrary to popular belief the Catholic church does not run Italy. It has a secular government etc. just like every other nation...

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Tue Aug 14, 2001 7:47 pm

Then how is it secure?

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Aug 15, 2001 6:04 am

aegis

Tom: Your new here, aren't you?

yah things were getting a bit tedious in bg2

yshania

@Tom - welcome to SYM!
It is great to see a few of the new BG2 board members find their way into our company.

thanks - though i have been around for awhile watching you lunies

average joe · Post by **average joe** » Wed Aug 15, 2001 7:45 am

Originally posted by Aegis:
I'm for anything that helps better the curent situation of diseases and such... But Cloning is like playing god, and it's an extremly delicate subject. It's no wonder it's being banned, because it's something people fear. I mean, just look at Jurrasic Park!

Or The Sixth Day.....no wait!! THAT MOVIE BLEW!!! <shakes head in disgust...I guess that's what i get for giving Schwar (how do you spell it!?)...arnold a chance.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Fri Aug 17, 2001 3:51 am

Originally posted by loner72:
No. Contrary to popular belief the Catholic church does not run Italy. It has a secular government etc. just like every other nation...

I know - I've been to Italy many times and one of my closest friends and collegues is an Italian molecular genetics researcher...What I meant was - the Roman Catholic church has a large influence on culture, attitudes, values AND politics in Italy, more so than in most other European countries. Still, you can perform infertility experiments there that no other European government allows.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Fri Aug 17, 2001 4:11 am

Originally posted by EMINEM:
Welcome back Elegans! I sincerely missed you, although in your absence fable has been keeping me on my toes, forcing me to do some homework.

Do you know what Bush meant by the "60 lines of stem-cell research" currently underway? Evidently, the approval of federal funding will be restricted to these lines, whatever that may be...

Thanks Eminem

I will try to catch up with the moral philosophy/religion debate as soon as I can

The 60 lines of research Bush was referring to, is the about 60 now existing stem cell lines (the "lines" are genetic lines) researcher are using today, ie stem cells that have already been taken from embryos. Bush did not want to allow federal funding for deriving new stem cells lines from new embryos, or from frozen embryos.

The 60 existing lines are spread in different labs all over world, and can of course be cultured infinitely. The question from researchers, I think, will be whether 60 lines is enough - often you need a broad genetic variety for finding cures and treatment to diseases. In any case, Bush has now allowed federal support to the possibilities that already is there, but he wants to aviod using tax dollars for deriving more stem cells from new embryos. So new embryonic stem cells projects will have to find private funding, which probably will not be difficult in an area that holds such vast commercial interests.

EDIT: For those of you interested in the stem cell research and debates, here's a link to National Institute of Health's stem cell site. The "A primer" article is a good introduction to the subject

[url="http://www.nih.gov/news/stemcell/index.htm"]NIH stem cell Index[/url]

[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: C Elegans ]