Adult Stem Cell Results & Embryonic Stem Cell Ethics Video

Adult Stem Cell Research: Making a Difference Today from Rosenberg Communications, Inc. The Gerard Health Foundation has produced a powerful video on adult stem cell research, showing its advantages over embryonic stem cell research. The public domain video offers useful, yet often ignored, information about adult stem cell research. We believe the information you'll see in the video is essential to making an informed judgment about the debate over this research. This film is consistent with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, which state that the ablation of the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst, which critically and irremediably damages the human embryo, curtailing its development, is a gravely immoral act and consequently is gravely illicit. No end believed to be good, such as the use of stem cells for the preparation of other differentiated cells to be used in what look to be promising therapeutic procedures, can justify an intervention of this kind. A good end does not make right an action which in itself is wrong. An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ, can renew itself, and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. Some scientists now use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are defined by their origin (the inner cell mass of the blastocyst), the origin of adult stem cells in mature tissues is unknown. Research on adult stem cells has recently generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. This finding has led scientists to ask whether adult stem cells could be used for transplants. In fact, adult blood forming stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for 30 years. Certain kinds of adult stem cells seem to have the ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, given the right conditions. If this differentiation of adult stem cells can be controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of therapies for many serious common diseases. The history of research on adult stem cells began about 40 years ago. In the 1960s, researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. One population, called hematopoietic stem cells, forms all the types of blood cells in the body. A second population, called bone marrow stromal cells, was discovered a few years later. Stromal cells are a mixed cell population that generates bone, cartilage, fat, and fibrous connective tissue. Also in the 1960s, scientists who were studying rats discovered two regions of the brain that contained dividing cells, which become nerve cells. Despite these reports, most scientists believed that new nerve cells could not be generated in the adult brain. It was not until the 1990s that scientists agreed that the adult brain does contain stem cells that are able to generate the brain's three major cell types—astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, which are non-neuronal cells, and neurons, or nerve cells. Public domain film from:
From http://h1.ripway.com/rosenbergComm/. (public domain).

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• stem
• cell
• cells
• stem-cell
• stem-cells
• embryonic
• adult
• ASC
• ESC
• destruction
• destroy
• embryos
• embryo
• scientific
• research
• somactic
• ethics
• morality
• cloning
• therapeutic
• nuclear
• transfer
• blastocyst
• SCNT
• human
• life
• pro-life
• prolife
• regeneration
• spinal
• cord
• injury
• injuries
• science
• regenerating
• nerve
• morals
• moral
• roman
• catholic
• church
• teachings
• skin
• differentiation
• therapy
• therapies
• Bush
• Obama
• inner
• mass
• ICM
• procedures
• procedure
• killing
• murder
• undifferentiated
• differentiate
• treatment
• umbilical
• blood
• organ

[XGrellSebastian]

May i use this for my Biology paper?

[rosaryfilms]

@XGrellSebastian - yes, you may. Thanks, rosaryfilms

[LEILASUBIA]

may i use this for a research paper

[rosaryfilms]

@LEILASUBIA - yes, you may. thanks

[Flawgasm]

Mind if I use this in my grade 9 science essay?

[rosaryfilms]

@Flawgasm - you have my permission. Thanks, rosaryfilms

[veson231]

I don't think we should ban abortion or stem cell research. I agree it's wrong to use abortion as a form of birth control, but if the fetus is going to die anyway, we should at least help others with it. My example is Jacob Jabonski, that 16 year old who is paralyzed from the neck down. If you take away stem cells, you take away his life. And that is cruel.

[geewhiz747]

@AdrianPasch What facts have I not presented? Yes, I will use personal insults whenever necessary. I call it like I see them. No, the "safe" and legal killing of innocent human beings isn't a "personal" issue. Just like war, poverty, and social injustice is not reduced to "Well, its just an opinion, so let's allow it to happen"

[AdrianPasch]

@geewhiz747 At the end of the day it is a personal question that we all have to answer for ourselves. There is no one thing in the world that everyone agrees on including stem cell treatment.Personally I fully believe in using them and if it was necessary for me I wouldn't hesitate. However real debating is on facts and shouldn't include personal insults. For the record I also believe in the right to safely and legally abort...

[geewhiz747]

@AdrianPasch That's like saying, "People already murder people, so why not rob the dead victim's graves to make something useful of our lives?" Do you realize how dumb you sound?

[geewhiz747]

@nintend04life Science states that at the time of conception, an entity of the species HOMO SAPIENS comes into existence. Stop playing dumb.

[AdrianPasch]

@geewhiz747 Hundreds of patients can be treated from the stem cells obtained from one aborted fetus. People can and do have abortions so the question really is can we use the already aborted fetus for good or do we just throw it away. It is a common misconception that babies are aborted so that others may be treated. In fact babies are aborted, full stop. Whether we use them for stem cell treatment or not has no affect on whether people choose to have an abortion.

[nintend04life]

A blasocyt isnt even an actual human. Just about 120 cells. While yes, it is a potential life it is technically not alive or a concious living organism.

[geewhiz747]

If the material comes from umbilical cords, or placenta, or from babies who died in some natural manner (miscarriage, stillbirth, accident, etc.) few people would raise a moral objection.

However, America crossed the line when it began using parts taken from babies who were intentionally killed by abortion, and we obliterated the line when we began creating human life for the stated purpose of destroying it and using it in medical experiments.

[geewhiz747]

The pro-life movement has never been opposed to responsible medical research. But we also know that there is no more evil or dangerous force on earth than science without morality. Whether fetal tissue research or embryonic stem cell research is morally defensible or not is dependent on how the tissue and cells are obtained.

[geewhiz747]

@TheYipedo because HOW of they are obtained... you are no less obtuse my dear.