ITT it's stem cell research debate!
I don't see anything wrong with harvesting dead human parasites and processing them for research material. After all, cancer cell lineages have been in use for decades, so what's wrong with using some other endogenous parasite for research?
Suggestion: ITT we talk about stem cells and start a new thread on American education in /politics/.
I think (and you may call it arrogant of me to think that the American scientific community would even support such an advance of ethical comfort with basic research) that the biggest advance in stem cell research will come from advanced proteomics. A form of "proteoconstructionism" if you will. There are unending masses of potential in polymerase substrate for producing our own proteins and perhaps even our own blastular cells. Why use viral vectors and bacterial vectors when we could mass produce our own in much more controlled environments than vats of bacterium for our insulin injections? We could directly produce our own drugs in our own bodies.
Sorry about the tangent. I hold firmly to the belief that ventures into things (as marred by the media as they are) such as producing viable stem cells is worth the risk, money, and time. Too much focus is on unification and preservation and the like. I say we need more advances in our capabilities as scientists and the capabilities those who benefit from our discoveries. If there are technicians willing to tackle something as daunting as stem cell research, I give them my blessing.
That sounds like an interesting idea.
I'd also hope that things like regrowing organs might be possible. I know they're working on growing 3D tissues, so it sounds plausable.
>>104
Do you mean growing organs in vivo? Because they can already grow some organs in vitro (they successfully transplanted a laboratory grown bladder a while back).
I think a lot of us have a slight misconception as to what the limits are on stem cell research. EMBRYONIC SC research is forbidden, however, there are many scientists in laboratories today that work with adult stem cells that are located in other areas of the body, such as the heart and bone marrow.
As for growing organs, the toughest part is finding by what mechanisms stem cells can self renew without differentiation or immortalization or transformation. This requires knowing exactly what mechanisms and growth factors are necessary. I know the genes Oct-4, Nanog, Rex1, etc. are good stem cell markers, and looking at the pathways associated with these genes can help us pinpoint the solutions.
Another really good application of this is the manipulation of stem cell differectiation in order to heal injuries that would otherwise not heal. Injection of (lots) of stem cells under the right conditions would lead to differentiation and renewal of lost tissue during injuries, etc. This is especially useful when treating older people whose body can't repair as fast or as complete as, say, a teenager.
It would also be interesting to look at germ line differentiation....although that might be a bit scary cause if we can get stem cells to turn into sperm....even when isolated from a female....men and their y chromosomes might not be needed anymore.....
>EMBRYONIC SC research is forbidden
Since when? All I know is that no government funds are going toward it (except for already established cell lines), which puts a damper on it but it's not illegal.
I believe in some countries, such as germany for instance....it is illegal for any german citizen to conduct embryonic SC research, even when outside of germany. I know germany has that rule...possibly other countries, i'm not sure. But i know it isn't legal all over the world.
it depends how you define whats a living thing, right now the law states that a baby isnt considered a person until it is fully out of the mother and still alive and breathing.
so if a pregnant woman were to be hit by a car, she survives but baby dies, the driver cant be sued for "killing" the unborn fetus as it was never a "person" to begin with...although personally i think this law is disgusting, it allows for abortion, which frankly i think does more good than harm.
anyway with that said, if you can abort, i dont see why we cant use the otherwise wasted potential life to save an existing life