Cord Blood Stem Cells Information

Stem Cells?

what are some arguments for and against the use of stem cells in medicine and biomedical research

Public Comments

1. Ask George Bush. He knows everything about this - That is why we have no stem cell research in the US.
2. Stem cells... depending on what kind, there are embryonic stem cells and non embryonic (from other organs)... People are usually more upset about embryonic stems cells because if they are not used for stem cells they could possibly develop into a child. Against stem cells -If your talking about embryonic stem cells, people don't like that they are viturally killing a human.. since people believe that that cell COULD develop into a child. -The cost and research of stem cells is enormous. First of all we don't have any government support.. the only labs that are doing it are people and companies that finance it themselves or either have grants. -We have a lot of information but we don't know what side effects it may have later. The human body is very complex and how are we able to determine what this one cell will do 5 years from now... 10 years? 20 years? -Also, if we do determine the need for stem cells and that they actually work, there may be a negative social result. Odds are, companies are going to have pay people to donate stem cells. Just like people get paid to donate, eggs, sperm, blood, platlets.... etc. Can you see people who just need the money donating cells for the wrong reasons? ( I think they should donate stem cells if they really want to help find the cure to a disease) -Some people think that we are just taking cells without the donor knowing. This is untrue. The donor knows. Now the good - People (millions) are suffering from so many diseases, stems cells may be our chance to find a cure. - Yes, we are using one egg... but how many lives can we save. If we find out that we can cure someone of cancer, won't that save thousands??? -If we find the cure, we would be able to learn more about that cell and that disease and how the body interacts with the disease. -Also, if we find the cure, we can see how it interacts with the body and possibly see what kinds of mechanisms it uses.. So then we find some pharmaceutical company to develop a drug that mimics what this cell did to cure the person. -So for people who can't have children, they could donate their cells to other people so that they can have a child... but some people don't like that they could have a child out there that is theirs and they don't know about it. I think its better to use those cells for research to help find a cure than to waste them. (I hope you know by now that I am for stem cells)