Saturday, March 07, 2009

Stem-cell research and the return of science under Obama

By Michael J.W. Stickings

WaPo:

President Obama's decision to lift restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, scheduled to be announced Monday, is expected to provide a major boost to one of the most promising but controversial fields of biomedical research in generations.

The signing of an executive order voiding the restrictions will allow thousands of scientists to study hundreds of lines of cells that have been developed since the limitations were in put in place eight years ago. It will also allow them to dismantle cumbersome bureaucracies constructed to work around the constraints and let them exchange scientific ideas more easily.

Because stem cells obtained from very early embryos are believed to be capable of morphing into any tissue in the body, scientists think that they will yield fundamental insights into the underlying causes of many diseases and that they could be used to repair damage caused by diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and other conditions.

Aside from all the benefits that could come from renewed stem-cell research, isn't it just nice to see science emerge from eight years in the theocratic wilderness of the Bush presidency?

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posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at 10:30 AM

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4 Comments:

  • To quote the immortal Monty Python, "Spam spam spam spam..."

    By Blogger Mustang Bobby, at 5:24 AM  

  • Present day maladies benefiting from treatment using adult stem cells:

    Brain Cancer
    Retinoblastoma
    Ovarian Cancer
    Skin Cancer: Merkel Cell Carcinoma
    Testicular Cancer
    Tumors abdominal organs Lymphoma
    Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
    Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
    Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
    Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
    Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
    Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
    Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
    Cancer of the lymph nodes: Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy
    Multiple Myeloma
    Myelodysplasia
    Breast Cancer
    Neuroblastoma
    Renal Cell Carcinoma
    Various Solid Tumors
    Soft Tissue Sarcoma
    Ewing’s Sarcoma
    Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia
    Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
    POEMS syndrome
    Myelofibrosis
    Auto-Immune Diseases

    Diabetes Type I (Juvenile)
    Systemic Lupus
    Sjogren’s Syndrome
    Myasthenia
    Autoimmune Cytopenia
    Scleromyxedema
    Scleroderma
    Crohn’s Disease
    Behcet’s Disease
    Rheumatoid Arthritis
    Juvenile Arthritis
    Multiple Sclerosis
    Polychondritis
    Systemic Vasculitis
    Alopecia Universalis
    Buerger’s Disease
    Cardiovascular

    Acute Heart Damage
    Chronic Coronary Artery Disease
    Ocular

    Corneal regeneration
    Immunodeficiencies

    Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome
    X-linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome
    X-linked Hyper immunoglobulin M Syndrome
    Neural Degenerative Diseases and Injuries

    Parkinson’s Disease
    Spinal Cord Injury
    Stroke Damage
    Anemias and Other Blood Conditions

    Sickle Cell Anemia
    Sideroblastic Anemia
    Aplastic Anemia
    Red Cell Aplasia
    Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
    Thalassemia
    Primary Amyloidosis
    Diamond Blackfan Anemia
    Fanconi’s Anemia
    Chronic Epstein-Barr Infection
    Wounds and Injuries

    Limb Gangrene
    Surface Wound Healing
    Jawbone Replacement
    Skull Bone Repair
    Other Metabolic Disorders

    Hurler’s Syndrome
    Osteogenesis Imperfecta
    Krabbe Leukodystrophy
    Osteopetrosis
    Cerebral X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy
    Liver Disease

    Chronic Liver Failure
    Liver Cirrhosis
    Bladder Disease

    End-Stage Bladder Disease

    Present day maladies benefiting from embryonic stem-cell research (which continued throughout the Bush Administration: None

    Be honest with yourself if no one else - this is about unlimited abortion on demand, not science.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 10:10 AM  

  • Finally, after almost a decade of limiting taxpayer money for research president Barrack Obama has lifted the restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research today. Let's think of how many Americans are suffering from ailments and what this research can do for them. I'm sure everyone reading this knows someone important to them that is affected by one of these maladies such as Parkinson's, repairing spinal cord injuries as well as treating diabetes, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and many more defects.

    By Blogger Bear, at 8:35 PM  

  • Do you really believe this stuff? If there's so much promise in embryonic stem cells, why has it produced nothing? There has never been a ban on research using them. Surely greedy capitalists would pursue whatever avenues showed promise.

    Here's the truth - in spite of Obama's words about science, this is not a decision driven by science.

    The doublespeak continues.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 10:06 AM  

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