Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research | Adult Cells

Can Embryonic Stem Cells help repair damaged nerve cells? In an article that I read here I found that a company, Geron Corp. published that they have successfully made a big breakthrough in the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research. They say that they used Stem Cell Research to produce several “nerve growth factors.” These Nerve growth factors are proteins which stimulate the survival and regeneration of neurons. Obviously, by regenerating neurons you are repairing damaged nerve cells.

It is definitely and interesting update in the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research.
Now, the company’s researchers said, they had shown the cells produce multiple nerve growth factors, which are proteins that stimulate the survival and regeneration of neurons.

I thought it was really cool when they could get stem cells from umbilical cord blood, but this is huge. Researchers from both Wake Forest University and Harvard University have discovered stem cells, more specifically embryonic stem cells, in amniotic fluid. As many of your might know, the debate over the pros and cons of stem cell research is less like a list, and really covers two issues.

1) Is the use of embryonic stem cells in research morally appropriate (many believe that destroying an embryo to obtain these stem cells is on par with abortion)

2) Do Adult Stem Cells really have the same potential for developments as Embryonic Stem Cells?

While you will talk with many people who disagree on both, could it be that this new find will completely get rid of the meat of the debate. Could it be that both Adult and Embryonic Stem Cells can be researched without these moral questions and we can really find out which hast the most potential?

Researchers are still not certain whether or not stem cells found in amniotic fluid have the same capabilities as the embryonic stem cells that we would normally think of. But, either way it is definitely an exciting idea.  This could affect heart disease, diabetes, (both types of diabetes) and other illnesses as well.

For more information read about it in the Washington Post.

In an article in the Washington Post that I read today, (if you look at the date, it’s kind of old news, but new to me) I learned that they can actually use skin cells to make embryonic stem cells. The difference might be that they just classify them as Adult Stem Cells now (I do know that they can use skin to obtain adult stem cells), but back then they called them embryonic stem cells.

Either way, it is amazing to me how they are able to obtain adult stem cells from so many different sources. It truly is impressive that we no longer need embryo’s or need to use bone marrow or something difficult to get stem cells. Instead we can use skin, hair follicles, and lot’s of different things to obtain stem cells. This truly is amazing.

Just another amazing find in the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research.

It seems that new techniques are being used to promote the study of stem cell research. Apparently researchers have successfully altered the offspring of a sow, to produce flourescent green pigs. By injecting fluorescent green proteins into embryonic pigs they successfully made it so that portions of the pigs glow green under ultra-violet light.

I’m honestly not sure what the reason, nor the consequence of this decision is, but it could raise awareness of stem cell research. It could also be in celebration of the year of the pig, which starts in China in February.

I am always amazed at what stem cell research has done so far and the amazing potential it still seems to have. From cures to heart defects to taking anti-cancer drugs to cancer cells, it appears that stem cell research can do everything. Again, one of the Pros in the Pros and Cons of Adult Stem Cell Research.
It is widely hoped that neural stem cells will eventually be useful for replacing nerves damaged by degenerative diseases like Alzheimer disease and multiple sclerosis. But there may also be another use for such stem cells–delivering anti-cancer drugs to cancer cells.

read more | digg story

Many of us didn’t know this, be sort of assume that a stem cell only shows exists in “animals.” We also believe that the only two kinds of stem cells are adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells because of the debate over the Pros and Cons of Stem Cells. But you would be surprised to know that there is a whole list of different kinds of stem cells. One of these kinds of stem cells are cancer stem cells.

The article that I read discusses notes that under 2 sweeps of a standard radiation regiment only 20% of normal breast cancer cells are still living. On the other hand, twice that number of stem cells live. Some scientists believe that these are the most important types of cells to destroy, because of their ability to become other types of cells.

Scientists suppose that because of the stem cells ability to alter it’s DNA, that the cells aren’t in as much danger of their DNA changing. Unfortunately there hasn’t been too much research on this. But this is an exciting find that should hopefully spur more of it.

Feel free to leave your comments and let us know what you think about the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research Blog.

It appears that there is a compromise in stem cell research. I was made aware of this via the scientific activist. He definitely would label himself in the pros of adult stem cell category. But, he is getting a graduate degree at Oxford in molecular biology, so he definately knows what he is talking about. Anyway, I quote from him, but this definitely has some implications for the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research Debate. He says:

“The technique involves removing a single cell from an eight-cell blastula and using this cell to derive a line of stem cells while allowing the remaining cells to grow and develop normally, without any apparent damage to the embryo. This was an interesting advance….”. He is not sure that he believes it works completely yet, but could it be a potential compromise to the stem cell debate? It definitely could be. The potential downside is that the new embryonic cell could theoretically become a human as well. So is using that for research killing a human (even if the other embryo develops into a human). So some I’m sure would still find this appealing, but it is indefinables an interesting idea, that could lead in part to a compromise in stem cell research.

I have been spending a lot of time looking around on blogs over the past few days. I found one which discussed the connection between science and the recent majority of Democrats in the house (the link is to the homepage, I couldn’t find the specific post later). Anyway, for those of you who are studying the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research, you should be aware that this has some big implications. The Bush administration, and the conservatives have been a leading cause in current regulation on how federal funds could be spent on Stem Cell Research. (That is not a critique, but it is true. Some will think that is good that they did it, others bad, but it is true). Anyway, if Democrats are able to push their agenda we will see a lot more money, and institutions, being dedicated to Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Since the new house is not yet in place, we don’t really know the full implications, but we can rest assured, that the stem cell debate is far from over. Embryonic Stem Cell Research should be moving forward.

So get ready for the Stem Cell Debate to escalate.

As I was going through the Internet reading up on stem cell research, I came across another article on another blog. Heres what I found out:

Justine Asher, a 35 year old paraplegic, was allegedly told that she could be healed by a stem cell treatment. She is now suing the Cape Town Businessman and his girlfriend for performing this completely illegitimate procedure. Not only was the treatment which they formulated completely “unsafe” and “untested” but the defendants Stephen van Rooyen and Laura Brown were on the FBI’s most wanted list for similar scams before.

To make matters worse, Asher is now haunted by the fact that during the procedure she may have contracted HIV or other diseases. Asher, who has undoubtedly spent a lot of her money on medical expenses (electronic wheelchairs, wheelchair transportation, Doctor Visits, Medical Assistants, the list goes on and on) was cheated out of her money and potentially infected by a disease that could kill her.

What a sad commentary on humanity and how low people will stoop to earn a quick buck. In my opinion, scams like this are some of the worst types of things that we will hear about associated with the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research.

So I can’t stress it enough: Research, Research, Research. Please do your research on stem cell treatment, your physician, etc. I imagine that this unlucky woman wishes that she had done a little bit more research of her own.

As I’ve been looking around the internet, I found an article that I think really highlights the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research. For your reference, I read this blog. To sum it up, the article discusses how in Ukraine, women who reported giving birth to healthy babies later found out that their babies had been taken by the maternity staff. The reason? They were taken for their stem cells.

I certainly hope that most all of us would agree that this is without question blatantly wrong and disturbing. It is sad that for the cause of research to “help humanity” that we are kidnapping babies for stem cells. But what I would like to focus on is the attitudes of those who commented on the blog. As you read through the blog you read of some who say “Wow, it’s disturbing once they’re born, but it’s okay if they’re aborted…?” While, there are others who defend the abortion and say that the cells harvested from a mother are the mother’s body and therefore her decision. The purpose of this blog is to not pick sides, and I will continue to make every effort to leave my personal opinions at the door. But, I do think it’s interesting that this article which speaks of the atrocities performed in the name of stem cell research is turned into the same debate on abortion vs. no abortion. Essentially when it comes right down to it the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research rests more on your opinion of what is right and what is wrong and a little less on the science of it. Few will actually deny that stem cell research has great potential in the future of medicine. But, some also wonder if the pros are worth the cons in the debate. Aside from those who conspired to steal the babies, few will argue that helping mankind now is worth destroying our future. The difference lies in what we believe our future to be. Ultimately that is the Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research.