Stem Cells and Cloning

In this George Mason University video, Karol Boudreaux of the Mercatus Center hosts a group of panelists in a discussion about the ethical debates that engulf cloning and stem cell research. When President Bush announced in 2001 his decision to allow federal funds to be used for research on stem cells, he made two other striking comments. Stating his decision was based partly on the fact that 'stem cells have the ability to regenerate themselves indefinitely' he said he's 'strongly opposed to human cloning.' How do we separate the stem cell research debate from debate over human cloning and genetic screening? What ethical questions surround them? What are the pros and cons of cloning and stem cell research? Is there a viable compromise that both pro-lifers and pro-biotech researchers can accept? Panelists include: Richard Doerflinger, deputy director for the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Kathi E. Hanna, consultant at Science & Health Policy, and Jim Olds, director of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study.

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[Jessica1963Forester]

Other recent MS patients who have had Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT), or stem cell therapy have posted videos and comments on YouTube v=jFQr2eqm3Cg. Log on to ccsviclinic. ca for more information.

[Jessica1963Forester]

Autologous stem cell transplantation is a procedure by which blood-forming stem cells are removed, and later injected back into the patient. All stem cells are taken from the patient themselves and cultured for later injection. In the case of a bone marrow transplant, the HSC are typically removed from the Pelvis through a large needle that can reach into the bone. Log on to ccsviclinic. ca for more information.

[Jessica1963Forester]

The technique is referred to as a bone marrow harvest and is performed under a general anesthesia. The incidence of patients experiencing rejection is rare due to the donor and recipient being the same individual. This remains the only approved method of the SCT therapy. Log on to ccsviclinic. ca for more information.

[PaulUmbarger]

You'er welcome! I'm sort of on the fence about a lot of it. I mean, I'm in favor of Stem Cell Research but, I'm an ardent anti-abortionist. Kind of an odd grey area, eh?! LOL! I'm totally against killing a pre-born for science but, if the embryo is simply going to be "disposed" of, I'd rather some benefit come from it. Of course, the way that I phrase it would be virtually impossible to regulate.

[oran6es]

Thanks for thinking, Paul. RE: self-awareness, according to psych textbooks, true self-awareness does not occur until an average of about 18 months of age in most infants. Certainly we can all agree not to experiment or destroy or sell parts of a one year old.

[PaulUmbarger]

That is an interesting point. I guess it all comes back down to what you consider to be "self aware" and "human rights". Actually, that is probably about the best point that I have heard for the anti stem cell side. It may be pertinant to note that for much of human history, inmates have been used as slave labor and in some places test subjects for weapons and the such. Still, I like the comparison.

[oran6es]

If we destroyed all of you just to get your finger, that wouldn't be too cool. The embryo is already human. The 9 month old stem cell line is a newborn's stuff, alive but separated in dishes. A rat in 7 months will be a rat. An embryo in 7 months will be Isaac Newton.

[oran6es]

In that case we should be able to use all inmates on death row for experimentation. They're going to be destroyed anyway, right? The question is : is it okay to treat living human beings, in whole or in part, as property ?

The answer is no.

[PaulUmbarger]

Is it better to allow that life to be sacrificed in an effort to save lives or to condemn it to be sacrifice it to the landfill?

[oran6es]

Sorry. A human embryo's humanness is not determined by its "spareness".