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October 25, 2006Adult Stem Cells: 72, Embryonic Stem Cells: 0 - UPDATEDThat’s the number of successful applications research has identified for the medical uses of Adult Stem Cells vs Embryonic Stem Cells. Mary L. Davenport, MD, writing in The American Thinker, calls Michael J. Fox’s distortive political ads nothing less than “unconsionable”: Mr. Fox and his ads’ sponsors are guilty of conflating embryonic stem cell research, which the GOP candidates and many Americans oppose for destroying a human life in the name of curing other people’s diseases, with stem cell research in general, which includes adult stem cell research and umbilical cord blood stem cell research. The only limits in question are on federal funding of new embryonic stem cell lines, requiring the sacrifice of new embryos. Private and state-funded research (California voters are spending six billion dollars borrowing money to fund this) is ongoing. [both emphasis mine - admin] The implicit claim that research based on new embryos is “the most promising” is absurd, completely unsupported by the scientific literature, and an insult to voters, based as it is on the assumption that they are incapable of understanding the issue. Too stupid to tell the difference, is the elitist assumption underlying this campaign. The plain fact is that embryonic stem cell research is proving to be a bust. There are currently 72 therapies showing human benefits using adult stem cells and zero using embryonic stem cells. Scientifically-minded readers can review this medical journal article on the status of adult stem cell research. Adult stem cell therapies are already being advertised and promoted while no such treatments are even remotely in prospect for embryonic stem cell research. Please read the whole thing. Ponder again just what it is about the Embryonic Stem Cells which - it bears repeating - have been unsuccessful in experimentation (even though there’s plenty of private funding for it) that drives all of this? What makes people so insistant that somehow federal funding will make ESCR more successful? What makes some people so disingenuous that they will omit the word Embryonic from their discourse in order to give a false impression that ALL stem cell research is being “criminalized” (none is) and undermined. What is it about the Embryo that makes some people so determined to destroy it, to become heated and hateful if you suggest to them that they should not destroy it, that it is a being of identifiably human species and therefore worthy of respect? I suspect that the embryo is all about promise, about tomorrow, about life and fulfillment - and there is a whole culture out there that does not want to think an embryo is anything more than “a clump of cells.” A tumor is a clump of cells. It might grow out of control, but it will never live, breathe, sing, laugh, pray, cry, create or mourn. An embryo is something more. At its core - beyond the science - an embryo is Mystery. And Mystery is too much like God for some people…or Mystery makes them contemplate, and contemplation leads to thinking about things like God, and prayer and worship. O Mystery, you are alive, I feel you all around…you are the fire in my heart, you are the holy sound. You are all life, it is you that I seek, grant that I may seek you, always in everything. UPDATE: A very smart emailer pointed out to me that many of the people pushing so strenuously for ESCR are unlikely to comprehend any “mystery” in the embryo, scientists and such, and that’s a valid point and a good criticism; it made me realize that I had not been as clear in my meaning as I’d thought. My feeble excuse is that the dog had me up all night and then I had a CAT scan w/ all that Barium stuff (ick) so by the time I was home writing, I wasn’t writing very well. (As some of you know, I actually have some skin in this whole SCR question). While it is probably very true that many of these scientific people are not thinking of the embryo as anything beyond matter, my meaning was more toward the case of the press and others, even if they’re not thinking of the embryo specifically, who are so kneejerk in their support of abortion that they see any denial of access to embryonic/fetal destruction as the same fight, and yes, I think there are some who are angry at the embryo, in general and so this is right up their alley. They get to feel “noble” because they care more about the suffering people than we supposedly do, and they get to be burrs in the butts of the “pro-life” people on an issue that is actually EASIER to support (for some) than abortion because by their reasoning, “at least some good is coming out of it.” Hope that is clearer, and thanks to reader Stephen for pointing out my shortcomings. By the way, for those of you who have asked me what I think of the “rebuttal video”, I think it’s alright, as far as those things go, although the bit with Jim Caviezal muttering in Aramaic is a little creepy and unnecessary. I think he’s a great actor, but he does know he’s not the Christ, right? It’s time for him to try a new role. http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/10/25/adult-stem-cells-72-embryonic-stem-cells-0/trackback/ 16 Responses to “Adult Stem Cells: 72, Embryonic Stem Cells: 0 - UPDATED” |
October 25th, 2006 at 11:13 am
[...] UPDATE: Anchoress has a newer, even more relevant post up on this sad debacle. [...]
October 25th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Very well said. embryos are life, not just somethig that is alive.
October 25th, 2006 at 11:29 am
“I suspect that the embryo is all about promise”.
I suspect that the reality is just this simple: the DHIMMIcRAT Party is the party of death.
October 25th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
What makes the Michael J Fox ad more pathetic and disingenuous is that his own foundation has reported that the most promising Parkinson’s treatments have been derived from adult stem cells. The lack of progress on the ESC front is not for the lack of trying or the lack of funds. Many experiments have been tried and all have failed. Funding from private sources and third nations has been substantial. But, that funding was yielded no substantive research breakthroughs of any kind. In the humble opinion of this scientist, ESC is a dead end. Efforts should be focused on adult stem cells and cord blood which have yielded treatments and breakthroughs.
If this is all about dignity, then JP II showed us the way. He showed us the dignity and value of human life, especially when his last days were Holy Week last year. He showed us not to fear or despair, especially at death’s door.
October 25th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
Wednessday Links
Busy day for myself, but here is some good stuff from around the blogosphere.
Mary Katherine Ham: Halloween HamNation: Who’s Acting Scared?
Gateway Pundit has a roundup on the superstar lineup blasting the McCaskill Stem Cell Ad
The Anchoress h…
October 25th, 2006 at 10:33 pm
Stem Cell Opponents To Air Celebrity Ad
Opponents of stem-cell research will air an ad during Game 4 of the World Series urging Missouri vot
October 26th, 2006 at 11:18 am
I’m sorry that Michael J. Fox suffers from Parkinson’s. I know that many of my own family members have suffered from it and that I, too, may someday suffer the same. However, I cannot get around Psalm 139:13-17. It’s clearly talking about human life in embryonic form and God’s acknowledgement of the being of that person. If that’s not validation (I guess to only those of us to believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God) that life begins at conception, I don’t know what is. I do have a question though. Forgive me because I’m not the keenest on scientific matters, but if you had a child and decided to bank its umbilical cord, would that not contain stem cells which could be used? I know they use the cord blood to treat illnesses. Does anyone know anything more about it? Would this not be a viable way to obtain stem cells without ending a life?
October 26th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
T.G. Scott — the term “Adult Stem Cell” is very badly named. In this sense, a multicelled creature is considered an “adult” as soon as its cells start to differentiate. In other words, a few hours after fertilization. Cord blood stem cells are considered to be “adult” in this sense.
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(For some reason medical types have a very bad habit of taking basic simple terms and giving them bizarre misleading meanings. For example, we argue about whether life begins at conception or later, but obstetricians count that pregnancy begins two weeks before conception. And the dullards among the OB profession have caused more than one premature birth by their inability to understand that the “two weeks” figure is just an average. And sometimes a baby who is 40 weeks post-LMP is weeks or even months less than 38 weeks post-conception.)
October 26th, 2006 at 7:29 pm
Here is a portion from the endagered species legislation. Note that they are concerned about the eggs (embryos) of animals. And they make this a criminal act punishable by law to harm the egg (embryo)
“The term “fish or wildlife” means any member of the animal kingdom, including without limitation any mammal, fish, bird (including any migratory, nonmigratory, or endangered bird for which protection is also afforded by treaty or other international agreement), amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod or other invertebrate, and includes any part, product, egg, or offspring thereof, or the dead body or parts thereof.”
Then read about one of these animals and the warning in the act for this bird that it is also unlawful to chase the animal from its nest. Why?
“May and June are particularly sensitive periods for nesting eagles. Eagles may still be incubating eggs until late May, and if flushed off the nest for too long a period, the eggs will become cold and the embryo can die. Eagles need to keep the growing embryos warm inside the eggs for a long time. On average, the incubation process takes 35 days. Eagles develop an incubation patch in the area of the lower breast that loses feathers and is full of blood vessels. This allows a better transfer of heat from the adult to the egg.”
If they are so concerned about the embryo of the animal, why is it they care so little about the embryo of a human?
October 29th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
[...] KEEPING SCORE– Adult Stem Cells: 72, Embryonic Stem Cells: 0 - UPDATED …. (theanchoressonline) [...]
October 30th, 2006 at 7:37 pm
[...] Adult Stem Cells: 72; Embryonic Stem Cells:0 [...]
November 16th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
[...] STEM CELL NEWS: Now that the election is over, it’s amazing how much good news we’re seeing about ADULT stem cell research, a subject which went woefully underreported in the past year. AJ has the news on a major breakthrough now being published. Hint: It has a Muscular Dystrophy connection. [...]
January 9th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
[...] Because “possibility” is more important than results, I suppose, considering that there are 72 successful applications for adult stem cells and zero for embryonic stem cells. But keep wishing and hoping for that ONE application for ESCs. And try to persuade some private businesses to fund the research, will ya? [...]
April 4th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
[...] We’re lately unable to cleanly identify authenticity in the realm of politics, in education, medicine, economics, social mores, spirituality, the environment, community…it almost feels like the [...]
April 11th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Adult-stem-cell therapy used to cure diabetes…
ProLifeBlogs notes that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is promoting his bill to provide federal funding for research using stem cells extracted from living human embryos, and he had this to say: Think about it: If you were treating someone with embryonic ste…
November 30th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
[...] articles on Adult Stem Cell Research: ASC 72, ESC 0 A sobering setback in stem-cell research MIT Prof: Embryonic Stem Cell Research Nowhere Close to [...]