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General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase Out Lab Rats
LifeSiteNews ^ | 7/2/09 | Alex Bush

Posted on 07/02/2009 1:21:39 PM PDT by wagglebee

BOSTON, Mass, July 1, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - General Electric has announced that it will use embryonic stem cells provided by Geron Corporation for the purpose of testing toxic effects of drug treatments.

GE issued a statement, attempting to preempt criticism over the decision, saying, "We acknowledge the considerable debate and take very seriously the ethical and societal issues associated with research using stem cells derived from embryonic or fetal tissue."

"We conduct our research in an ethically and scientifically responsible manner," the statement said.

However, embryonic stem cells have been the center of heated controversy since harvesting the cells requires the destruction of embryonic human beings.

But Geron Corporation indicates that in this case it believes that the ends justify the means.

"Up to three quarters of toxicity problems are not detected until preclinical or later stages of drug development and this significantly increases the cost of developing new drugs," Geron Corporation said in a press release, "Earlier detection of toxicity problems could reduce both overall drug development costs and potentially harmful patient exposure in clinical trials."

Konstantin Fielder, General Manager of Cell Technologies at GE Healthcare said that stem cells harvested from human embryos could even replace lab rats as the primary scientific testing method.

"Once you have human cells and you can get them in a standardized way, like you get right now your lab rats in a standardized way, you can actually do those experiments on those cells," he said.

Both GE and Geron have said that the stem cells to be used are listed on a National Institutes of Health registry, making them eligible for use in the United States.

Contact Information for General Electric:
https://www.ge.com/contact/contact_form.html?ref=http://www.ge.com/

Or by phone: (203) 373-2211



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: animalrights; boycottge; boycottnbc; deathindustry; embryonicstemcells; generalelectric; humanrights; infanticide; moralabsolutes; nbc; peta; prolife
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"We conduct our research in an ethically and scientifically responsible manner," the statement said.

No, you have decided to kill babies to protect rats.

1 posted on 07/02/2009 1:21:39 PM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; Salvation; 8mmMauser

Pro-Life Ping


2 posted on 07/02/2009 1:22:14 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 185JHP; 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee or DirtyHarryY2K to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]


3 posted on 07/02/2009 1:22:56 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

4 posted on 07/02/2009 1:23:42 PM PDT by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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To: wagglebee

well, the rats can breath a sigh of relief another life form is taking their place


5 posted on 07/02/2009 1:24:16 PM PDT by silverleaf ("Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal ( Martin Luther King))
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To: wagglebee
We acknowledge the considerable debate and take very seriously the ethical and societal issues associated with research using stem cells derived from embryonic or fetal tissue.

How does this make it more "ethical"?

IF there is nothing wrong with abortion, then why skirt the issue?

And mark my words, if fetal tissue returns results one day, they will need to farm fetuses to produce enough materials for wide use.

Cloning would also be "preferred" so you'd be more aware of what you were likely to "get".

But it'd still be genetic cannibalism. Nothing will change that.

6 posted on 07/02/2009 1:29:54 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: a fool in paradise
But it'd still be genetic cannibalism. Nothing will change that.

mmmmmh, babies. mmmmmmh

7 posted on 07/02/2009 1:31:37 PM PDT by MichiganConservative (Just say "No" to socialism.)
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To: wagglebee

Wonder what GE-NBC’s take on this issue will be. < /sarc >


8 posted on 07/02/2009 1:31:57 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: wagglebee

Hitler would be proud of them. And Obama will give it his stamp of approval.


9 posted on 07/02/2009 1:32:07 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: wagglebee
General Electric has announced that it will use embryonic stem cells provided by Geron Corporation for the purpose of testing toxic effects of drug treatments.

I guess they ran out of Jews?

10 posted on 07/02/2009 1:36:34 PM PDT by Technogeeb (The only good Russian is a dead Russian. Rest in Peace, Solzhenitsyn.)
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To: a fool in paradise
And mark my words, if fetal tissue returns results one day...

You have the same concern I do.

I think the pro-life movement may be putting too many eggs into the "no proven successes" argument against embryonic stem cell research, rather than attacking the moral issue directly.

I, like you, shudder to think what's going to happen if the left is ever able to show any objective success in ESC research.

11 posted on 07/02/2009 1:38:00 PM PDT by rhinohunter (Want to REALLY see the left TOTALLY meltdown??? (Cheney - Palin '12))
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To: rhinohunter

They refer to “ethical stem cell lines”. There ARE ethical lines available (from adults as well as other elements like umbilical cord stem cells).

That they refer to “ethical” is supposed to give them the upper hand on the argument. There is nothing ethical about their approach. They have co-opted the word.

They can continue down the hope and dream and faith path that stem cells (adult or fetal) will be the cure-all, but they may also lead to higher cancer rates and other bad results.

Which is why experimentation is done.

The main thrust of it seems to be in shielding abortion and fetal farming from restrictions or prohibition.

In Europe, they’ve looked at human-animal hybrids. So they can concoct a “sub-human” race that would also be “ethical” to experiment on. They just don’t GET IT.


12 posted on 07/02/2009 1:47:12 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: wagglebee

OK this calls for a national BOYCOTT of GE and any of their other Co.. I am doing it any one else?


13 posted on 07/02/2009 1:50:56 PM PDT by blueyon (It is worth taking a stand even if you are standing alone!)
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To: silverleaf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSqo17o2a1w


14 posted on 07/02/2009 1:51:40 PM PDT by wolfcreek (KMTEXASA!)
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To: a fool in paradise; rhinohunter

This article seems to indicate that they are going to use the embryonic stem cells for testing toxicity of drugs, not for stem cell therapy.

So they think it is more ethical to kill babies and see what the toxic effects of various chemicals/drugs are on the stem cells than to see what the toxic effects are on rats.

What, aren’t there enough Jews, blacks, or mentally retarded people around these days?

What is the reason for picking embryonic stem cell lines? Probably the same reason most scientists are for embryonic stem cell research in general: they are a$$holes who regard themselves as their own god.

And I have known a good number of scientists. I got a BS in chemistry from a state school. They are a$$holes in general.


15 posted on 07/02/2009 1:52:24 PM PDT by MichiganConservative (Just say "No" to socialism.)
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To: wagglebee

Exactly.


16 posted on 07/02/2009 1:55:46 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: wagglebee

I think they assume they will get less trouble from pro-lifers than PETA. I contacted them through the link above, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for as many as possible to do the same. The longer we wait, the deeper they’ll be into implementing this changeover.

No doubt they’ll sell their rat cages and invest in a few good abortion clinics to supply them with stem cells.


17 posted on 07/02/2009 1:55:53 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: wagglebee
General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase Out Lab Rats

Until the first drug that they tested exclusively with cells kills a few hundred people and they get their butts sued.

18 posted on 07/02/2009 2:00:57 PM PDT by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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To: wagglebee

GE AKA The Soylent “Green” Company


19 posted on 07/02/2009 3:12:31 PM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: wagglebee

GE’s new corporate slogan:

“GE: We Bring Good Things to Death”


20 posted on 07/02/2009 3:15:44 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX
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