Look at that handsome devil!

Alrighty, to begin, we need a tad bit of history… -Early 1900s- bone marrow was given to leukemia and anemia patients by mouth. (unsuccessful…um, duh.) Led to the treatment of mice through injections of bone marrow Jean Dausset discovers “Human Leukocyte Antigens.” (HLA Antigens) Basically, they are the cells that know what does and does not belong in the body. When they find “bad stuff,” they destroy it. (Important for transplanting) st bone transplant between unrelated pateints National Organ Transplant Act (To try to create a registry of transplant donors) s- More than 16,000 transplants in the U.S. to treat immunodeficiency like leukemia. Scientists being to see a possible method for repairing organs st Pluriporent Stem Cells created and Embryotic Stem Cell Lines are created (*controversial!)

Don’t forget about the benjis! (Funding for Stem Cell Research) a moratorium (suspension) is put on federal funding for research National Institute of Health (NIH) panel votes 19 to 2 in favor or reopening federal funding for research Congress votes to override the moratorium, but it is vetoed by President Bush (Sr.) President Clinton lifts ban on federal funding but then changes his mind by the following year due to public outcry Clinton allows research on aborted fetuses, but not embryotic cells Congress asks Bush to review the funding policy. He says that “he has moral qualms about creating life to save life so he continues the ban on federal funding. This opens the door for state funding of stem-cell research.

Ok, so I know the question on everyone’s mind is…what the heck is a stem cell? Basically, stem cells are self-sustaining [human and animal] cells that can grow into any other kind of cell. They offer hope for major medical advancement. Think of them like blank microchips that can be programmed to perform any task, except if they are programmed just right, they can possible cure: -Heart Disease -Leukemia -Alzheimer’s -Cancer -Parkinson’s Disease -Juvenile Diabetes -Multiple Sclerosis -Spinal Cord Injury -Other Genetic Orders Cancer Killer ?

Stem Cells can also possibly* lead to cloning - creating duplicates of animals or even humans… Or even gene-line engineering! *Understand, this is still quite a ways off scientifically, but it could theoretically be a possibility.

Still, I’m sure some of you are wondering, “ok, but how does a stem cell work?” Well, basically, there are 3 sources for stem-cells: -Adult Cells: Usually only bone marrow cells. Are a rich source of cells, but require a painful process. Additionally, using these cells takes a LONG time, which can be problematic with heath issues. As a bonus, they are always an exact DNA match because they come from your own body. -Umbilical Cord Cells: From Umbilical Cord; a very rich source of cells. With planning, can be a perfect match. Extracted during pregnancy and stored in “cell banks.” As a bonus, they can be used by Mom, Dad, and other relatives. (Though more distant the relative, the less of a chance of DNA compatability)

The last source of stem-cells is THE REASON that there is so much controversy. -Embryonic Cells: These cells are extracted from an embryo (the thing in the mom’s tummy) before they differentiate (become specific body parts). This embryo is called a “blastocyst,” it has about 100 total cells. A large % of these cells are stem-cells. Stem cells double about every 2-3 days. These consecutive doublings are called “Stem-cell lines.” So where is the controversy? Patience young Jedi, to understand the issues, you must first know that there are three components to the puzzle.

Controversy #1: Medical Issues In order to extract the “blastocyst” from the embryo, the embryo must be destroyed. Therefore, the first question is when does human life begin? Is it at conception (when the sperm reaches the egg)? Or is it the first sign of human features (NOT during the “blastocyst” phase)? Additionally, about 20% of the patients treated with stem-cells developed tumors later. Some even showed the development of cell anomalies that created some cancer-like cells. However, the argument against this is that without stem-cell therapy, would patients have had worse medical issues earlier? Is this murder?

Controversy #2: Political Issues Many politicians and people argue that stem-cell research is essentially “destroying life in order to save life.” Additionally, they argue that America already places too little value on human life, therefore stem-cell research should be stopped to prevent more destruction. On the other hand, many of these same politicians and people (though not all of them) support the war in Iraq. The question is, does the Iraq War (or any war for that matter) basically promote death to save life? From another perspective, America has spent almost $400 billion dollars on the War in Iraq. Scientists argue that with 1% of that funding for stem-cell research, that they could save many lives. Destroying life in order to save life???

Controversy #3: Religious Issues This is probably the most controversial issue. Some people see “science” as a gift from God, as in our ability to learn and discover is a gift that should not be wasted. Other people argue that by controlling cells (and destroying embryos) that we are going against God because he/she creates life. (Think like Adam and Eve) ? Science or Religion?

If you could be given the power to end all pain and suffering in the world but in order to gain the ability you had to kill one innocent child, could you do it??? ? Ultimately Ladies and Gentleman, the question about stem-cell research is the same as the age-old proverbial question…