Stem cell research

[Nogrick]

Hey, if you can make individual organ that don't have to come from another being then go for it.

But really most people who get a transplant don't live that long anyway. Their body could reject the organ or it could fail. Once the damage is done to that organ, your whole body gets affected. Changing out organs doesn't stop that.

[Silver Adept]

Well, by using stem cells and your tissue, in theory the organ that is created is identical to the one inside you, just not damaged, and will be taken happily by your immune system as a friend. In theory.

Most of the furor in stem-cell research is using those "unwanted" embyoes and such to harvest the stem cells. For those who think that life begins at conception, this is murder.

Myself, I would like to see a means of replicating stem cells be developed, so that from the stock that we already have, we can create more stem cells, and then use those to do the research. What comes out of that, I don't know... While it would be ncie to have a spare liver around, I can also think of some fairly nightmarish potentials as well (like what happens in Neuromancer, for example...)

[Tobias]

Ok...i dont know if you guys quite understand how stem cell research works...but i believe it works something like this: (Note, this is from my bio class...so if you prove me wrong...they prop points to ya!)

When a sperm cell and an egg form together to make an embryo, they bascially become one stem cell. The stem cell is pretty much the basic cell, able to be changed into any kind of tissue. The stem cell starts off as a stem cell, though, becuase it has yet to accumulate enough stem cells to form into specific tissue. Basically, they are raw materials in the celluloid body. You need lots of them to actually create something in particular.

This is where stem cell research comes into play: Before there are enough cells to actually form into a tissue or bone, all of these cells are still these raw-material cells. If you were to harvest cells from this celluloid mass, they can be applied to damaged areas. What is (in theory) supposed to happen is that the stem cells, having no exactly specification, go onto the damaged area of the tissue, and since they can pretty much be any kind of tissue, they form into the form of tissue they are applied to.

Here is where the controversy comes into play: There are 2 controversies that come from this type of procedure. The first, and the weakest in my opinion, is the "you are killing a human being by doing this" approach. To back up the fact that this is weak, im going to use the biology of forming identical twins:

Cells have a special biological adhesive that keeps them together and forming along with each other. If in the early stages of cell reproduction, one of these cells were to break off, it will continue to reproduce, and actually form into it's own fetus and child. The same can be pretty much proven in stem cell research. This is done in the early stages of cell reproduction. If you were to take only 1 cell from that clump of cells, its not going too harm the overall child. It's only going to be 1 cell short, which the reproductive rate of cells will easily overcome and replenish. That stem cell that you removed, in theory, and if provided the right environment and nutrients (such as a artificial placenta of some sort) will continue to multiply into more stem cells, whcih then, you can freeze and preserve. In actuality, you killed nothing, only borrowed, and for a cause.

The real controversy, which CAN be argued, is playing God. Lets say you were to take that one stem cell. And you were to let it reproduce...and yes...place it into either an artificial placenta or inside a female uterus. It would reproduce, and undergo the same process of reproduction, and WILL form into another child. This is the theory of cloning at a whole new level. It is taking a working stem cell and placing it in a uterus to reproduce. And they HAVE done it. (bahh....says the sheep). This is the controversy that is at hand. The fact that these cells are to be used for cures...but some person will inevitably do the feared and make a clone.

So ya. Like i said...if im wrong, isa sorries! Just feel free to correct me. You guys can also question me if you would like. But i hope i actually enlightened you guys as to how stem cell research works...its not growing individual organs and such, but rather, it's just repairing the old stuff so that it will be good as new!

That is all

[Excel Zero]

you're pretty well right there Tobs...Stem cells take form of the cells they are nearest too. Of course this isn't 100% of the time but you are pretty accurate there

[reaper]

yeah thats how I under stood it as well.

Very well said bro

[Tobias]

ya, its just that it appeared that everyone thought that they were used to grow specific organs outside the human body, and then transplant them...and thats just plain wacky!

That is all