Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] [Politics] Amendment 2 ads and lies

["Christian M. Cepel" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Stephen Montgomery-Smith wrote:
> Mike Miller wrote:
>
> > > My major issue with stem cell research is that while stem cells 
> > > might take upon themselves the characteristics of the surrounding 
> > > cells, I don't know if it is known yet whether they become properly 
> > > functional. For example, nerve cells not only need to be properly 
> > > formed, but they also need to properly interact with their 
> > > neighboring cells.  As far as I know, this basic question has not 
> > > been answered.  I think that these basic questions can be easily 
> > > established with experiments on animals. If we cannot do this with 
> > > animals, there is no real point trying this with humans.
> >
> >
> > Cells in the substantia nigra produce dopamine, but these cells do 
> > not produce enough dopamine in individuals with Parkinson disease 
> > (like Michael J. Fox).  I think stem cells implanted in the 
> > substantia nigra don't need to interact much with their neighbors, 
> > but they need to take on the characteristics of their neighbors and 
> > start producing dopamine.
> >
> > In spinal cord injury, there is a need to grow nerve cells that will 
> > interact properly with neighbors to allow neurotransmission to occur. 
> > There seems to have been some progress on this front in rats using 
> > rat embryonic stem cells:
> >
> > http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2006/ninds-20.htm
>
> Yes, this does look like promising research.  I think that another 
> thing about stem cells is that even if they do not cure the disease, 
> that it does look like they likely slow down progession of the disease.
>
> Still, as I said in other places, in my view ethical issues completely 
> trump the effectiveness issues.  My vote is based completely on the 
> ethical issue.
I just had this image in my head about a 6 pack of little identical 
fetuses that one gets from the pharmacy and keeps in the fridge, and 
then pulls the tab off the top or pops the tab in soda fashion and then 
drinks the contents, and some guy at work just drinking one in front of 
everyone like it was a Mr. Pibb and saying, "Yhep, it doesn't cure me, 
but it sure makes things manageable.  It doesn't really cure me, but it 
does slow down the progression.  The problem is that I'm up to 4 a day 
and these things are so damn expensive and the insurance deductible is 
huge."

And yes dammit, it is metaphorical, but it was a really disturbing image 
that popped in my head when you said it just slows down the progression.

Imagine if you will that perhaps they are in some way 'life', and 
umpteen thousands were 'used' to discover, fine tune, and get a 
treatment approved... and then that each treatment regimen requires the 
use of several hundred to acquire enough cells.  Then on top of it all, 
it doesn't really cure the disease....   Somehow, when put in those 
terms, I can't see it being a difficult decision to make... even if the 
question of whether or not it's 'life' goes unanswered, the equation 
changes significantly if you think about the numbers of embryos that 
would have to be used w/o knowing for certain if they don't constitute 
life, and the fact that not only is it not a cure, but a treatment that 
will have to be repeated over and over.

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