Predictions - soon the FDA will ban this, based in part by studies let loose by the big Pharta...Pharma? (spelling issues), but a Christian will need some treatment that only an embryonic cell will produce, so it will all be ok'd as soon as someone from another religion (possibly of the Hebrew area) can find the funding...

Just out of curiosity, what stem cell treatments can only be taken from an embryonic stem cell?

Actually, umbilical cord stem cells can be harvested after birth, these are being used to help others already. I hope they are making an effort to collect umbilical cords for research. I think they threw embryonic research in the article to see if the fanatics come out to complain.

From research I've read, all effective treatments have been with adult stem cells, and they expect that it will be at least 15 years before embrionic stem cells prove productive. Since umbilical stem cells are equivalent, there is no need for embrionic stem cells.

I was one of those opposing stem cell research back in the day when stem cells were taken from a fetus.

New stem cell research is a great idea when an unborn baby isn't involved.

I am NOT an Obama supporter, but this was one move in the right direction on his part.

I believe the article states that it was the French who are ignoring our policies in order to find truely humanitarian cures

Do you really view the French as leaders?

Of anything?

"the French...are ignoring our policies in order to find truely humanitarian cures"

You can say that again.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitlew8o9d7bzvtia?from=Main.ImAHumanitarian

Although peripheral, I am impressed with your knowledge on adult stem cells. You are correct: why use someone else's stem cells when you could easily use your own? The bottom line is simple: autologuous (self) adult stem cells can differentiate into multiple lineages in the body ergo they are multipotent and are not a threat to the immune system. Mesencymal cells or stromal cells repair and regenerate the organs for which they reside. There are over 107 diseases being treated with cellular therapies today and the number is growing rapidly. Question: do you want to be healed or just treated with drugs for the rest of your life? The power of autologous stem cells can HEAL; embroyo derived treatments HAVE NOT been proven to work without causing tumor formation.

yup, if one can afford it..otherwise it SUCKS !!!...

Then earn enough to afford it!

Valhalla Phil, now that's an absurd statement against most unemployed/ uninsured poor Americans..obviously, you don't have survival problems..quit being so insensitive to the real issues of reality, heartless one.........

Valhalla Phil, hope you don't get hit with an uncurable, painful form of cancer that costs a fortune - you might not care, but any of your dependents (if you have any) might.

I wonder if it can take my 7 inches to 9 and chub it up.

No.

Using religious bias to halt medical advancement is never right. If the world had followed the George Bush example we would still be doing blood-letting and leaches for medical treatment, administered by your barber.

Mike I guess you are a big fan of Josef Mengele he wasn't stymied by religion

mkeMike-1686061

It is obvious that a small daemon has taken up residence in your bowels.

You must eat the powdered goat horn mixed with a bat's eyeballs in order to drive the sin from your rectum.

Do this three times daily until the beast is expelled.

I like your avatar dadoftim!

Actually, it is the stem cell itself that matters, not where it's obtained. I do believe stem cell researchers have begun reprogamming skin cells into becoming stem cells, so we really don't have to use embryonic stem cells any more, although that is probably still where we get most of our stem cells. Whew, I'm tired of saying stem cell so much.

And Bush didnt spend federal money on embryonic stem cell research because he might have been afraid it would have caused many people to become angered.

Although he angered people anyways.

Bush angered people by breathing. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have mattered what he did, he'd have landed on someone's naughty list! So he took a stand based on his moral code. It's a lost art among politicians. And everything I've ever read on the subject said he was right- adult stem cells are providing breakthroughs, embryonic stems cells are causing bigger problems than they are solving. Doesn't it make sense to put the funding into the research area that's shown actual progress? And no one banned private funding of embryonic stem cells so I never quite got where the big hooptido came from.

mkeMike-1686061,

It is possible to have ethics without being religious. Likewise, you just have to be logical to accept that life begins at conception. So the debate for embryonic stem cell research is only a matter of whether people think it is acceptable or not to take a human life for scientific research. You can argue that the embryo would be destroyed anyway, but then it should also be ok to keep someone on life support alive to harvest stem cells once it is decided that the patient will be terminated. I agree that religion has done a lot to hold back society but there is more to this debate than the wrath of god.

religious biggots slowed medical progress for the votes of other religious biggots It has been known for ages that the placentas and umbilicals were a great source of stem cells, but gotta get them right wingers on board...ignorance worked for them... Many will suffer and die because of that ignorance...or bullheadedness. Me, I need a bunch of new discs. im crippled....because of insurance fraud. iris

You are correct, private money can do what it wants. But public money shouldn't be used for research all of the people don't agree to or have deep moral objections to.

Correct, Jaime V, so far as I have been able to find, there has not been one "breakthrough" with embryonic stem cells--yet several with adult stem cells. (Wasn't it odd how 40% of this article was about excusing the fact that embryonic stem cells don't do stuff?)

Chris - LOL, it's all their fault! It's only the illegals that are causing traffic accidents! If they were not here, you would have never gotten into your accident! ;-)

Well, ya gotta get the embryos from somewhere...

While research in Adult Stem Cells will and should undoubtedly continue, we cannot continue to ignore the possibilities of Embryonic Stem Cells, just because religous fearmongers have scared us into a state of funding-starved ignorance. Fetuses are going to continue to be aborted, weather Embryonic Stem Cell research is federally funded or not, and by ignoring this whole discipline of science, those stem cells are essentially wasted.

Additionally, it is this exact type of head-in-the-sand ignorance to anything even remotely controversial that has led America's slow decline as a leader in science, medicine, engineering, and countless other fields.

There is a big difference between something that would be happening anyway, providing no commercial or social value, vs something that would provide commercial or social value. Something that would provide value could and would be activly exploited for that value. Getting paid to get pregnant and abort your baby? Think that cant happen? People get paid to j/o at the sperm bank...

What I think your implying is rediculous. No, getting pregnant to abort your baby won't happen. Why? Because there is no need for it. Like Father said, there are plenty of abortions happening regardless of weather or not stem cell research is done.

This is not and never has been an abortion related isssue.

Check out the story in yesterdays Tennessean about a lady in my community who went to Mexico for stem cell treatment for her MS, it's inspiring. Here is the link http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100801/NEWS01/8010360/MS+patient+goes+to+Mexico+for+stem+cell+transplant++chance+to+walk+again

Ease off the bold key sport,

I had an adult stem cell transplant in 2007 for Systenic Sclerosis (Chronic Scleroderma) an autoimmune desease, at Fred Huchenson Medical Center in Seattle. They are curently doing transplats for MS as well which is esentually the same process for Scleroderma. The way they suppress the immune sstem is with full body radiation and chemo...basically destroy your immune system leaving you without an protection from desease or infection...some risk involved. Then they introuce the harvested stem cells which morph into and create a healhy immune system.... For me it stopped the progression of the desease which surely would have caused my death...and reversed much of the damage caused by the desease. I am still left wth some disability...but alive and living an active life. A stem cell transplant is not for wimps! It is a difficult process involving at least 3 weeks in hospital and there can be unpleasent complications. But, it saved my life... You do have to have good insurance or deep pockets. My proceedure with significant complications cost $650K...and without it would be about $350K...that is if you can get into a study as it is not an approved treatment for many conditions. Stick with an accredited medical centers...my advice is do it if you have a life threatening condition or little quality of life.

You might benefit from taking one of several very affordable dietary supplements which have the effect of increasing the natural production of adult stem cells into your bloodstream. The reasons for this are not understood and are not likely to be investigated because this solution is far too economical in an otherwise lucrative field.

well, after paying into for it 5 yrs to be qualified for care, i would sure hope so..........

The reform bill punishes innovation by taxing new equipment at 40%. By making profits evil, particularly by health care companies, the rest of the world will pass us by.

V/P, straight from the horses mouth !!..healthy subjects will opt out, h/c will spiral downward..no money out there, then what ??..only those capable of premiums will be taken of, then again due a huge deluge of non- parcipitation, then; A never ending Health Crisis forecasted once again..A Failure Sure to Happen.....

That's great Hopeful Economist!

I had a stem cell procedure done on my right hip. It turned out that I had no cartilage what-so-ever (being a very active 27 year old, this news sucked @ss, considering that I couldn't do anything fun without being in writhing pain for a week afterwards) So when they went into my right hip, they drilled a hole in the hip to allow bone marrow to seep out and added a pocket around it to keep the bone marrow in the area they wanted it in. It worked! I can walk without pain and hike and do all the fun stuff I did before!

This can do everything from save lives (like you) to improve quality of life (like me)!

Not the current Pope, but, yes.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0605317.htm

Not yet XD

Doctors Are Surely NOT !!!...they may able to prolong your Life, that's it..it maybe a road of Comfort and it may be road of hell and pain..

With LSD and morphine there is no such thing as physical pain.

The spiritual variety however has no such panaceas.

ohh Kat my dear, my heart bleeds for you..i know the Pain of losing a dear loved one and at times doctors only can do so much..they are NOT GODS, they don't know Everything !!!...i've taken solace in God, Not religion years ago..I find Comfort in someone Greater Than Man, some may call it worldly epithets..but i have my peace and faith treasured, God Bless, Love you dear one...