Posted on 03/05/2006 11:48:59 PM PST by neverdem
Stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood may be an alternative to embryonic ones after all
Shafer Leads Senate Republican Push For Non-Embryo Stem Cell Research (Georgia)
stem cell ping
LOL!
Well, in the opinion of a few cell biologists I know (MS and PhD levels, below the professoriate - lab bench workers, "bench rats"), embryonic cells are more robust and versatile than adult cells, and have broader spectrum of possible uses. Not being a cell biologist myself, I take their opinion on the subject.
It is important to remember always that the mission of the dying, dinosaur "mainstream" liberal newsrooms (CBS, New York Times, etc.) is to promote the Democrat Party. Since the Democrat Party has hung its hat on abortion, the "mainstream" liberal newsrooms have coolly decided to carefully meld "abortion" with "stem cell miracle cures" in the public's mind. Their hope is that the great big inattentive chattering class will subliminally conclude that "abortions" equals "stem cells" equals "stem cell miracle cures". Add to that the liberal newsrooms' already successful strategy of melding in the public's mind the lie that "overturning Roe" = "making abortion illegal".
The general lie that the liberal newsrooms are trying to promote is: "Republicans want to overturn Roe v. Wade, thereby making abortion illegal and causing people to die needlessly because they are deprived of the miracle cures promised by stem cell research. On the other hand, Democrats want to preserve Roe, keep abortion legal, and fund stem cell research so that everybody can live to be 110."
What would truly be surprising to me would be to see one of these dying, dinosaur "mainstream" Democrat newsrooms make the distinction between adult and embryonic stem cells in one of their stories. It won't happen, of course, because that would contradict the whole scheme described above.
But anyway, it is easy to understand exactly WHY the scumbag liberal newsrooms will never tell the truth about adult vs. embryonic stem cell research. It's all about promoting their party.
That is the problem with most of us, we have to accept others' opinions. We also have to get our information from sources that have proved unreliable in the past, the MSM. What's a body to do?
Well, at least you heard it from some you know and trust. Yet, where is the proof of the pudding? Lot's of talk, no action.
Also, why is the left pushing this so hard? I have my opinion but it labels me so I'll keep it.
bttt
To work with stem cells I need a PhD, unless I'd be working as a lab assistant to another PhD. To understand that work I most surely need a PhD. To blowiate on the topic I do not need it - mere googling would do nicely.
ping to above article
It amazes me still, the power the media has to frame a debate by virtue of what it does or does not tell.
There should be a stem-cell debate, but it's being prevented.
Embryonic cells are indeed pluripotent, but they get rejected (they are foreign tissue). Rejection can be supressed with expensive drug regimes, which is a large potential revenue stream.
Whereas non-rejecting Adult stem therapies - that use your own stem cells to heal you - won't need massive drug support to supress rejection.
This is just my theory, but there is a great deal of money to be made in Embryonic cell therapies SIMPLY BECAUSE they are imperfect and so allow a way of selling expensive drugs on the side.
Pharmaceutical companies are pushing Embryonic "cures" in the same way that they pushed IVF rather than GIFT (Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer) as an infertility treatment. GIFT had a better success rate and fewer complications - and moreover didn't involve culling babies - but IVF allows the sale of expensive hyperfertility drugs.
"Bench rats" are not the pharmaceutical companies - they have nothing to push. But as to what works on the bench, and how frequently - I see no reason not to trust them on that.
BTTT
This would not be an issue for most scientists if it weren't for the religious right's other assaults on science, principally its aggressive promotion of Young-Earth Creationism. Stem-cell research is messy, and regardless of what Fumento says, use of any kind of stem cells in therapy is barely beyond the voodoo stage; we just don't know enough about human cells and cell-cell interactions to make this area of medicine scientific. However, since the battle lines have been drawn, with embryonic stem cells on the side of science, you have 90% of scientists, most of whom know little about stem cells and care less, opposed to you.
On the other hand, since I'm opposed to most of what the RR stands for (though I happen to be in agreement on embryonic stem cells), I'm happy you don't know how to pick your battles.
This is paranoid rubbish. What percentage of scientists do you think work on embryonic stem cells. 0.01%?
Do you support the suppression of info about successes with adult stem cells?
See: http://www.louisville.edu/hsc/news/adult_cells.shtml
What good can a suppressed debate do?
Also, there is nothing preventing other funding of embryonic stem cells by business. If it's a treasure trove just waiting to happen, then the big bio corporations are just salivating at the chance to rake off those easy bucks.
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