Do you think stem cell research is a good or bad idea? Why?

I think any research that benefits mankind is good.

Granted, stem cell research holds much promise. What is worry some to most, in my opinion, is that stem cells are obtained from human embryos. The question, where do you draw and enforce the line? A human embryo at 3 months? Harvest-able material until 7 months? Pregnancy and Abortion for profit (and don't try to convince me it wouldn't be done) Children and Women are already barely one step above cash crops in most third world countries. Open up another marketing opportunity and the slime bags will flock to take advantage of it. I would love for some-one to show me different, but I don't believe we, and I am speaking for the human race in general, can be trusted to use good judgement in areas where the almighty dollar raises it's head.

It's a good idea ....if one can get over the ethical debate about it.

Of course, one might ask why it is an ethical debate in the first place, since the embyronic stem cells are derived from unwanted foetuses which are going to be discarded anyway.

Also, so much focus has been on the debate of embryonic stem cells, people often forget there are adult stem cells which can also be used.

Edit: in response to the guy who said I didnt know anything about adult stem cells, here's a site from NIH on adult stem cells...

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics4.asp

This is the pinnacle of medicine.

I research stem cells at my university and we are fixing some problems regarding bone tissue.

let me say that this has an unlimited amount of uses, from creating organs 100% yours to curing cancer( which is caused by them). Its only stupid to me that countries ban this kind of research i live in Costa Rica and here saving lives and advancing science and world health isn't an issue we lose time thinking about.

if you have any questions you can mail.

kind regards.

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to the guy above me, you clearly don't know anything, adult t-cells are differentiated. the ones used from fetuses haven't matured thus permitting that cell to become any desired tissue.

and banning it has started a whole new market for fetuses.

I think it is an essential area of research. Much suffering can be alleviated if we can go forward with this very important area of research. The body human and the human genome projects were met with opposition...look at the incredible knowledge and treatments we have gained resulting from these important projects.

the one organ in the body whih does not renew its cells is the brain....... however stem cells can and do mimic brain cells....

think of all of the brain related disorders.... all of the head injured people that are in your community.... WHAT could new brain cells do for them???

Stem cell research must go ahead....

my daughter was severely brain injured at six months of age... she is now 18 years old...

let me tell you just a little of her life..

at two she learned to sit up..with help... that is two years of age..

at seven she learned to grasp a cup with both of her hands... yes that is seven years of age...

at fourteen she began walking with lots of support and lots of help from those who love and cared for her..

at 18 years of age she has still requires a great deal of help walking and eating, she is not yet toilet trained.... and every single thing she has learned has taken years of love, care, and dedication by therapists, teahers, carers, her family that is many dozens of people of nearly two decades and she still has a very very long way to go.

Oh how the replication of her brain cells could change her and many other peoples lives.

Bring on the required research....

And if the government needs an incentive they can look at their records of how many individuals presently have a brain injury and or other brain related condition ......... how much would the government save if this research were successful in giving these thousands of people an independant life....

how many millions of dollars could be saved in long term rehabilitation, medical expenses, care, and the many other costs involved in giving people who have brain conditions a reasonalbe standard of life.

Edited to add

I do not see how a government permits legal abortions can possibly be against using the aborted cells to rebuild lives of children who are wanted.....

I can see no moral issue in using what amounts to waste material to heal mend and rebuild and in some cases give children and adults an independant life that they have never had...

VERY GOOD - EXCELLENTLY GOOD! Think of stem-cell research as holding as much promise for the relief from debilitating disease that antibiotics did in the last century.

i have been doign alot of research on it it recently. I think it is an excellent idea if we can find a way to make it acceptable for everyone. It will be sad when japan invents the cure for aids while we are here debating whether its right to save little jimmy's life. Just my opinion.

It saves lives. It would only be wrong if people were killed for their stem cells. And nobody ever advocated that.

using stem cells i think is ok if it is being used to save a life, but if it gets used for the hell of it, its wrong, very wrong

I never really paid any mind to it before my cousin broke his spine in a dirt bike accident a couple of years back and, even though research says its possible they could heal the damage done to him one day, I'm still torn. I'm not able to fully justify what they have to do to get the cells