Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Amniotic stem cells

2007-05-05T00:49:58Z

I3felicity:

Amniotic stem cells are [[stem cells]] taken from the amniotic fluid in the sac protecting the unborn child in the womb. Amniotic stem cells may be as versatile as embryonic stem cells and as useful as adult stem cells, according to preliminary research. There is little ethical debate over the use of stem cells derived from the amniotic fluid.

Amniotic stem cells can be grown outside the body as quickly as embryonic stem cells, doubling as fast as every 36 hours.

Extraction t simply requires extracting fluid from the womb, a procedure already done in nearly a million women in America and Europe each year. That is nearly ten times the amount needed to supply 99 percent of Americans' needs for perfect matches for transplants.

Talk:Cord blood stem cells

2007-05-05T00:48:35Z

I3felicity: New page: It is wonderful to pretend that supporters of embryonic stem cell research oppose funding of other types of research, but it is patently a lie. It is generally only those who oppose embry...

It is wonderful to pretend that supporters of embryonic stem cell research oppose funding of other types of research, but it is patently a lie. It is generally only those who oppose embryonic stem cell research who oppose funding of any particular type of stem cell research.

Cord blood stem cells

2007-05-05T00:47:31Z

I3felicity:

Cord blood stem cells are taken from the placenta and umbilical cord after detachment at birth. These materials have a high concentration in hematopoietic [[stem cells]]. These stem cells are then useful for transplantation later.

Keone Penn was the first recipient of unrelated cord blood cells from a bank, and no longer suffers from sickle cell anemia.

There are public and private cord blood banks to store the core blood. National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) facilitates matching cord blood for particular patients. Private cord blood banks also exist for use by the donor and his relatives.

Public cord blood banking is essentially universally encouraged{{fact}} France and Italy actually prohibit private cord blood banking, and the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies also opposes it.

Embryonic stem cells

2007-05-05T00:45:50Z

I3felicity:

'''Embryonic stem cells''' are taken from the inner part of a young embryo, also known as a [[blastocyst]]. An embryo reaches the blastocyst stage about 4-5 days after [[fertilization]]. At that point they contain about 50-150 cells.

Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into the three "germ layers": [[ectoderm]], [[endoderm]] and [[mesoderm]. The 220 types of cells in humans are all based on these germ layers. Because of their origin, embryonic stem cells can proliferate indefinitely and can be used to study the differentiation of any type of human cell.

Embryonic stem cells currently in use have all been derived from leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization - embryos already slated for destruction. Some scientists have begun research into a process known as therapeutic cloning, which would allow production of embryonic stem cells that would match a patient's own DNA. However, this process has not yet been carried out.

Pro-life conservatives consider taking stem cells from human embryos as tantamount to [[abortion]], even though the cells cannot possibly be obtained from an abortion procedure and the embryos used to obtain the cells were already slated for destruction.. President Bush has allowed limited funding of stem cell research. However, most of the lines currently funded have been damaged by growth conditions that are sub-optimal. President Bush vetoed a measure that would have expanded funding to include other lines created from discarded embryos from in vitro fertilization - leaving those embryos to be destroyed without purpose.
[[category:biology]]