Britain OKs Human Cloning

[esef]

Britain has granted its first license for human cloning, joining South Korea on the leading edge of stem cell research, which is restricted by the Bush administration although many scientists believe it may lead to new treatments for a range of diseases.

The British license went to Newcastle University researchers who hope eventually to create insulin-producing cells that could be transplanted into diabetics. South Korean scientists said in February they had cloned an embryo and extracted the stem cells from it.

Many scientists believe stem cells hold vast promise for treating an array of diseases from diabetes to Parkinson's. Stem cells have the potential to grow into any type of human tissue and scientists hope to be able to direct the blank cells to grow into specific cell types needed for transplant.

BAD, not good, IMO

[Trancelucent One]

Stem Cell research/cloning= good IMO. Actual human cloning=bad IMO (byt they're not really talking about that). As the article says stem cells can differentiate into any cells. They have complete copies of the host's (animal/human) DNA and all the scientist does is turn on specific genes in the DNA to turn the cell into that specific cell. Although it sounds simple it's not b/c the genes and gene codes must be found/deciphered. As a scientist I think that stem cell research will lead to the next breakthroughs in science. These differentiated cells are not humans and should not be regarded as such. I can understand, however, that some people regard this as "playing God." What I ask those people is that once upon a time people believed transplants (or any major surgery) was playing God. This really is no different. They will lead to breakthroughs in science and will one day be saving many lives...just as surgeries and transplants have done.

[MJ]

^^agree totaly.

How many people do we know that have incurable deseases? Many. My missus has diabetes and if some scientist is able to grow her a new pancreas to enable her to produce insulin again i`m all for it.

[factorg]

cloning(stem cell or human/animal) = Very good IMO :wink:

As for Playing God, I find that hilarious. If we weren't supposed to have the knowledge to do these things then we would still be primates.

[Yao]

Re:: Britain OKs Human Cloning

Stem cell research = very OK. Another advantage might be the reduction in the use of medicines, eg. inserting chemicals in your body that may harm some parts of it, or having artificial/donor organs implanted, which make you take pills for the rest of your life.

I am however totally opposed to cloning a human being...but that's just because the thought of another me is simply disgusting.

[rubyraks]

Re:: Britain OKs Human Cloning

I'm all for the benefits of stem cell research and believe it should go forward, but it must be done with very restrictive and controlled measures in place.

Be warned: This research puts a lot of power into the researchers. For all the benefits they may discover, there's a very serious danger that the same knowledge could be used for devastating means. If you think chemical and biological weapons sound bad, imagine what could be done with genetic ones...

[qwerty2222]

Stem Cell research/cloning= good IMO. Actual human cloning=bad IMO (byt they're not really talking about that). As the article says stem cells can differentiate into any cells. They have complete copies of the host's (animal/human) DNA and all the scientist does is turn on specific genes in the DNA to turn the cell into that specific cell. Although it sounds simple it's not b/c the genes and gene codes must be found/deciphered. As a scientist I think that stem cell research will lead to the next breakthroughs in science. These differentiated cells are not humans and should not be regarded as such. I can understand, however, that some people regard this as "playing God." What I ask those people is that once upon a time people believed transplants (or any major surgery) was playing God. This really is no different. They will lead to breakthroughs in science and will one day be saving many lives...just as surgeries and transplants have done.

its a bit different than transplants because it may lead to some dangerous experiments when the technology gets in wrong hand
as for organ transplants, its a real mafia out there in the undeveloped countries with the organ traffic that"s getting out of hands so i think we should be more careful with it

[esef]

cloning( ...human/animal) = Very good IMO

that's what the nazi's tried to do w/ women and dogs. sorry, BU THAT IS FUCKED UP SHIT!! what, you want a baby with wings? or a centaur? or a minotaur?

that's some island of doctor mauroe (sp?) shit there and is completely FUCKED UP!!!

[palmer]

cloning( ...human/animal) = Very good IMO

that's what the nazi's tried to do w/ women and dogs. sorry, BU THAT IS FUCKED UP SHIT!! what, you want a baby with wings? or a centaur? or a minotaur?

that's some island of doctor mauroe (sp?) shit there and is completely FUCKED UP!!!

bout time for some evolution up in this bitch

minotaurs

[Nigel Harkness]

Re:: Britain OKs Human Cloning

I don't know about actual human cloning, I get nothing but bad feelings when I think about there being clones of real people.

Just my opinion though...

[xenshin]

Im not by all means dead set against stem cell research, but all this seems to remind me of one particular book. Brave New World anyone?

[esef]

^^^ was that the book where everyone was taking Soma's?

[factorg]

cloning( ...human/animal) = Very good IMO

that's what the nazi's tried to do w/ women and dogs. sorry, BU THAT IS FUCKED UP SHIT!! what, you want a baby with wings? or a centaur? or a minotaur?

that's some island of doctor mauroe (sp?) shit there and is completely FUCKED UP!!!

That was supposed to read human cloning or animal cloning, not "some island of doctor mauroe (sp?) shit"

But i'm not against genetic enhancement now that you bring it up, not necessarily the baby with wings x-men shit though.

[tiddles]

OMG! they shuld clone SASHA!!!11 he's teh englands fine-ass'd