Good on you Obama.....

[carole]

Now i know this is a very controversial subject,however i wanted to say that I am thrilled with the latest announcement that Obama is over-ruling the Bush Regime, with the decision to allow stem cell research to go ahead.

For many of you who are against this, i respect your opinion,so please can we keep this civil and do the same for each other.

This does affect me personally, I have a very bad hereditary disease within my family, having had an Aunt die of this already,and for me stem cell research could indeed be the answer to a cure, I don't want to die of this awful disease, and i certainly don't want my children to either, so this is Huge for me,America has the money and resources to find a cure for many of these diseases.

I think until you are personally affected,you don't realise just how important this research can be.

I know many think it is unethical,and i understand your feelings on this, and again i respect them.

However i just want to say THANK YOU Obama,your are tops in my books.

[Grace]

I totally agree with you, Carole.

[cassiesmom]

I copied this from a chat moderated by Dr. David Scadden, who is the co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Research center. I'm a nurse and I have a family member with infertility, so this is a really tough one for me. What it comes down to (for me) is this... If there is absolutely, positively, no way that embryo has no chance of ever being implanted and everything possible has been done to ensure that -- then go ahead and use it for stem cell research.

Thanks,
Elyse

Questioner: "If you truly believed that an embryo was a human being with a right to life, would you be against embryonic stem cell research? I understand the research potential, but am very uncomfortable with the source. ... I'm wondering how you'd encourage people who have a legitimate objection to embryonic stem cell research to overcome their qualms without sacrificing a basic tenet?"


David Scadden: "This is an extremely personal decision a person needs to make. There are at least two morally justifiable positions on this work. The first is the one you state; the other is that people are suffering from conditions that might be helped if we were to use cells that were otherwise destined for the incinerator. As a physician, I am compelled by the opportunity to relieve suffering recognizing that hundreds of thousands of stored embryos in IVF clinics will otherwise become medical waste. If and when we can move away from needing to use such cells, I assure you that scientists in the field are anxious to do so. (emphasis: mine) At the moment, these are still the gold standard pluripotent cells. We hope to move away from them with more understanding of the so called iPS (induced pluripotent cells), but we are not yet at that point."

[Grace]

Thank you for posting those comments. As a retired nurse, I feel just as the doctor does - I am compelled by the opportunity to relieve suffering recognizing that hundreds of thousands of stored embryos in IVF clinics will otherwise become medical waste.

Why not put these embryos to good use - perhaps helping to save other lives touched with diabetes, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries - rather than toss them out with the trash.

Another alternative - there was a wonderful article in a recent Good Housekeeping magazine about a couple in Minnesota or Wisconsin. They had fertility problems and went the frozen embryo route. After having twins they decided that was enough for them. Rather than trash what was left, they passed them on to a couple in Virginia. That couple had twins, also, and then the two women passed the remaining ones on to a couple in California. This last couple also had twins.

Of course, one could go the way of octomom and have all remaining inserted at once.

More than one option is available for the unused embryos - we should be open to the possibilities.

[smokey the elder]

I'm in the allow them to use the embryos that are going to be discarded camp. I am against purposely cloning embryos; if they can figure out a way to fish out stem cells from non-embryonic sources (which they have had some success with!) such as cord blood, etc.

[RICHARD]

I hope there is a way to monitor HOW THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT.

I too have a few 'things' that I have to worry about as I get older, But giving money, willy nilly to research and lifting some of the regulations and bans without any oversight as to what is being looked at makes me a bit nervous.

Having the government step in and throw money at a problem without having any rules on how the money is spent is a recipe for disaster.

---------

I think that money should be spent on finding cures for illnesses, but their should be some acountability.

[pomtzu]

I am also in agreement, and this is long overdue!

[moosmom]

I've always been an advocate for stem cell research. After the baby is born, the uterine lining is checked and the umbilical cord is thrown out.
Those the the two things RICH in the cells needed to create cures, etc. It's about time!!!

[Puckstop31]

FWIW, there was no ban on stem cell research. Just a ban on government funding of it. And we all know what happens when the government gets its fingers into stuff....

If there is such promise in this research, I wonder why private companies were not all over it? I honestly ask because I am sure there is more to it than what I know.

[carole]

Yes you are correct, sorry i mean't to clarify myself better,you may well have a point, but who really know's eh?

[Catty1]

Recently there seem to be more and more reports about getting stem cells from non-embryonic sources. Hopefully this will become the main supply at some time.

Simply because embryonic stem cell use can be very controversial.

Here's hoping for some medical miracles ahead.

[Marigold2]

Yes it is indeed a great day. Obama did a brave and wise thing.
Umblical cords are usually thrown in an incenorator(sic) anyway.

[carole]

Exactly, if they are going to be thrown away, why not put them to good use, and save millions of people suffering,and cure some very nasty horrible diseases, I am 100 per cent behind Obama, and without the government funding, i seriously doubt the research would go very far.

[blue]

Im gonna be the downer here, shocking I know.

Using embryonic stem cells is riskier then using adult stem cells (ASC), this includes stem cells from cordal fluids. The risk of rejection from ASCs is much less likely to happen, less risk to the patient, and much less questionable ethicly.

I do not consider this a brave or even an insiteful move in anyway shape or form.

[Grace]

Using embryonic stem cells is riskier then using adult stem cells (ASC), this includes stem cells from cordal fluids. The risk of rejection from ASCs is much less likely to happen, less risk to the patient, and much less questionable ethicly.

LINK to an NIH site with info about stem cells - both embryonic and adult.