Saving lives versus taking lives: These are the stark terms in which the public regards human embryo research–a battleground of extremes, a war between science and ethics. Such a simplistic dichotomy, encouraged by vociferous opponents of abortion and proponents of medical research, is precisely what Jane Maienschein seeks to counter with this book. Whose View of Life? brings the current debates into sharper focus by examining developments in stem cell research, cloning, and embryology in
In this George Mason University video, Karol Boudreaux of the Mercatus Center hosts a group of panelists in a discussion about the ethical debates that engulf cloning and stem cell research. When President Bush announced in 2001 his decision to allow federal funds to be used for research on stem cells, he made two other striking comments. Stating his decision was based partly on the fact that ‘stem cells have the ability to regenerate themselves indefinitely’ he said he’s ‘strongly opposed to human cloning.’ How do we separate the stem cell research debate from debate over human cloning and genetic screening? What ethical questions surround them? What are the pros and cons of cloning and stem cell research? Is there a viable compromise that both pro-lifers and pro-biotech researchers can accept? Panelists include: Richard Doerflinger, deputy director for the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Kathi E. Hanna, consultant at Science & Health Policy, and Jim Olds, director of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study. Video Rating: 4 / 5
DOWNLOAD HERE: newsdirect.nma.com.tw US scientists have succeeded in producing embryonic stem cells using a new cloning technique. They injected genetic material from a diabetic patient’s skin cell into a donor egg, and stimulated it to develop enough so stem cells could be extracted. The result is stem cells with 69 chromosomes – one set of 23 more than a normal human’s 46 – meaning they cannot be used for cell replacement therapy yet. Source: CNN, Financial Times Video Rating: 4 / 5
This video presents the Catholic Church’s teaching on human life as it relates to adult and embryonic stem cell research — courtesy of the Michigan Catholic Conference. Please visit www.aodonline.org for more information. There are two different types of stem cell research — adult and embryonic. Adult stem-cell research is ethical, because it does not harm the human embryo, and is proven — as more than 70 different medical conditions are being treated with adult stem cells — whereas embryonic stem-cell research is unproven as no cures or treatments have been identified. Also, embryonic stem-cell research is immoral as it leads to human cloning and necessitates the destruction of the human embryo to extract its stem cells — a profound violation of human life. The Catholic Church supports adult stem cell research and encourages the faithful to do likewise. The Catholic Church supports stem-cell research and therapy utilizing stem cells harvested from adults and umbilical-cord blood. The Church opposes embryonic-stem cell research because the human embryo is destroyed to harvest the stem cells. While embryonic stem-cell research has received considerable publicity and the endorsement of some high-profile celebrities, it is adult stem cell research that has so far yielded the best results. Adult stem-cell research is currently treating more than 70 medical conditions in human patients, including several types of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, sickle-cell anemia, Type I …