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Stem cell research: All viewpoints.

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Overview:

Stem cells are seen by many researchers as having virtually unlimited application in the treatment and cure of many human diseases and disorders including Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, strokes, etc. Stem cells come in two general types:

bulletEmbryonic stem cells are a primitive type of cell that can be coaxed into developing into all of the 220 types of cells found in the human body (e.g. blood cells, heart cells, brain cells, nerve cells, etc). They are derived from human embryos in a process that causes the death of the embryos.
bulletAdult stem cells bear some similarities to embryonic stem cells. Research using adult cells has a two decade head start on embryonic stem cells. Thus, potential treatments have already advanced to human trial stage. Unfortunately, adult cells are limited in flexibility.

Many pro-lifers believe that human life, in the form of an ovum and spermatozoon, becomes a human person at the time of fertilization. Thus, killing an embryo in order to extract its stem cells is a form of homicide. They are generally opposed to such research. Others disagree. They believe that an embryo has the potential to develop into a person, but is not a person itself. They note that an embryo is not sentient; it has no brain, sensory organs, ability to think, awareness of its surroundings, consciousness, internal organs, arms, legs, head, etc. They feel that research using stem cells derived from embryos is ethical.

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Topics covered in this section:

bulletOverview
bulletQuotations
bulletEmbryonic stem cells
bulletAdult stem cells
bulletUnethical reporting

 
bulletBackground information (Please read these first):
bulletMore quotations; what are stem cells?; existing surplus embryos
bulletThe properties and potential of stem cells

bulletCan the President's plan work?

 
bulletTypes of stem cells:
bulletDo adult stem cells have potential?
bulletAmniotic stem cells discovered
 
bulletExperimental treatments using embryonic and adult stem cells

bulletEthical and legal implications:
bulletAbout extracting new stem cells from embryos
bulletResearch performed on descendents of stem cells
bulletEmbryo adoption: a way of handling a miniscule percentage of surplus embryos
bulletIn opposing stem cell research, are pro-life leaders ignoring the real problems?
bulletMethods of obtaining embryonic stem cells with fewer ethical concerns

 
bulletPolitical activity:
bulletPolitical concerns
bulletCalifornia stem cell research law, 2002-SEP
bulletMissouri amendment, 2006-NOV

 
bulletRecent news:
bullet1998 to 2001-JUNE
bullet2001-JULY to 2001-AUG.
bullet2001-SEPT to 2002-DEC.
bullet2003 and 2004
bullet2005 and 2006
bullet2007
 
bullet2008

 
bulletAdditional information:
bulletBecoming politically active; links to other information sources

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Copyright © 1998 to 2008 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2008-FEB-22
Author: B.A. Robinson

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