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Administrator
Currently Offline
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Posts: 2018
Join Date: Jul 2006
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It's often amazed me how politics could overshadow scientific evidence. Such I believe is the case with stem cell research.
Even though it's been said that Adult stem cell research accomplishes more than embryonic stem cell research, everyone seems to think that all the problems of the world will go away if we could only use more embryos.
So besides just going on what I've heard as a blanket statements concerning this topic, I thought I'd keep my eye out of actual research articles that support either argument one way or the other.
One such article on yahoo news caught my eye concerning blind mice that were made to see again.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061108/sc_nm/sight_dc
The scientist here decided to use cells other than stem cells and were successful.
Quote:
But instead of using stem cells, which could form into any cell type, the scientists transplanted cells that had reached a later stage of development toward becoming photoreceptor cells.
Quote:
Rather than focusing on stem cells we believed that if we could understand how cells develop and become photoreceptors ... our transplantation efforts would meet with greater success," said Professor Anand Swaroop, of the University of Michigan Medical School and a co-author of the study.
"This technique gives us new insights in repairing damage to the retina and possibly other parts of the central nervous system," he added in a statement.
I just think it's time that instead of arguing politics we should start looking for concrete evidence as much as possible. It drives me crazy to see well meaning individuals who from the evidence I've seen presented fight tooth and nail for nothing just because some politician told them it was a good idea vs a non-partisan scientist who actually cares about making a difference.
So if anybody has some links on this topic with concrete facts vs generalized opinions, please post them.
thanks
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