Embryonic stem cell research

[scribblet]

Embryonic stem cell research is available in Canada and is attracting people here because of the ban in the U.S.

Stem cell research in Canada is made even more attractive in view of the availability and quality of research facilities, the lower cost of conducting research in Canada than in the U.S., and the government tax credits. Mind you, the dollar might change that this year.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...s_name=&no_ads=

Even in Sweden there are groups opposed to it, including both left wing and greens.

Does anyone here think that Canada should ban it, not fund it, or but any restraints on it at all or let it go on as is? Britain allows the creation of human embryos for stem cell procurement, should Canada, or does it matter?

[gc1765]

For.

What reason is there to be against it?

[normanchateau]

What reason is there to be against it?

"In the midst of the 2002 Canadian Alliance leadership campaign, he (Stephen Harper) told Global Sunday that he was pro-life. During that same leadership race, he told The Interim that he opposed embryonic stem cell research and went on to vote against Bill C-13 (on reproductive technologies) last year."

http://www.theinterim.com/2004/mar/01noclc.html

[scribblet]

Personally I don't have a problem, but many people from all persuasions have a problem with using live embryos, as they are considered a life., they don't have a problem with stem cell research other than that issue.

Health Minister Anne McLellan introduced a bill in 2005 to regulate assisted human reproduction and related science I'll have to look it up.

The governing council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research has given conditional approval for a controversial project to use "fresh" as well as frozen human embryos for stem cell research, officials said

here the health agency has for the first time authorized the use of days-old human embryos for a stem cell project.

The $523,000 project, which has been under review for a year, will use surplus embryos donated by people who have undergone fertility treatment. The tiny embryos, composed of just a few cells, would be destroyed as the researchers try to harvest embryonic stem cells. The hope is that understanding the potent cells might one day lead to treatments for everything from Parkinson's disease to heart disease.yesterday.

http://www.wednesday-night.com/STEMCELL-Notes.htm

Edited June 15, 2007 by scriblett

[normanchateau]

Two-Thirds in U.S. Back Stem Cell Research:

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/...em/itemID/15484

[normanchateau]

And then there's Arnold Schwarzenegger who made his opposition to Bush's opposition to stem cell research evident years ago:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...MNGVD9C5P01.DTL

[Guest chilipeppers]

Who cares about the U.S. this is Canada we are talking about.

Found this http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/31488.html which seems to be more than fair and reasonable it should satisfy most people.

[normanchateau]

Who cares about the U.S. this is Canada we are talking about.

And that's why I pointed out that Stephen Harper opposes embryonic stem cell research.

[margrace]

When you have a daughter with a year to live, one who may not live and a cousin who did not, this is leukemia. Embryonic stem cell research would improve dramatically the treatment of this disease.

Until you walk in my shoes be very careful how you judge.

[gc1765]

I think this cartoon says it best: Link to Funny Cartoon

[Bonam]

Does anyone here think that Canada should ban it, not fund it, or but any restraints on it at all or let it go on as is?

Nope. If anything, we need to encourage more. The payoffs of stem cell research will save lives.

[cybercoma]

stem cells are as much a human being as an acorn is a tree. Every single day there are plenty of stem cells thrown in the dumpster.

[Guest chilipeppers]

stem cells are as much a human being as an acorn is a tree. Every single day there are plenty of stem cells thrown in the dumpster.

True for the most part, the problem for some is the slippery slope, or taking it to the extreme there would be farming of live human embryos grown for just that purpose, maybe in a woman's womb, then deliberately aborted for research? I can empathize with some of the arguments, but to say that Harper is 'against stem cell research' is wrong or simply spin on the part of our resident spinmeister. I havn't read about Harper's stance on this but would assume they are against the harvesting of live embryos for stem cell research which is dependent upon the destruction of human embryos. There are other methods of harvesting stem cells.

The belief is this.

http://www.cbhd.org/resources/stemcells/po...n_statement.htm

Whereas researchers using fetal tissue are not responsible for the death of the fetus, researchers using stem cells derived from embryos will typically be implicated in the destruction of the embryo. This is true whether or not researchers participate in the derivation of embryonic stem cells. As long as embryos are destroyed as part of the research enterprise, researchers using embryonic stem cells (and those who fund them) will be complicit in the death of embryos.16

[geoffrey]

Pragmatically, if the embryos are likely to be destroyed anyway (say, leftovers from in-vitro), you might as well put them to use.

I do have some issue collecting embryos to conduct experiments on. I figure there are enough leftovers to do the job.

[Slavik44]

Personally I don't have any major issues with Embryonic stem cell research...I think its best to put this issue in perspective. The embryos we are talking about are basically left overs from fertility clinics that are locked in a perpeteul state of limbo given the current moral situation. Probabley best to put them to good use before they die of freezer burn. uhmm...but seriously, Scientists are now able to harvest Embryonic stem cells with out actually killing the embryo. Meaning that the scinetists get what they want for research and the embyo's still get to sit around all day. I personally feel that this removes any major ethical dillema, Although I am not so sure there was one to begin with...given the treatment of left over embryo's by fertility clinics in the first place.