Legislators seek to make embryonic stem cell research a felony

The American Taliban strikes again. Next they’ll insist creationism is a valid scientific theory, Noah collected two of every animal on the planet and squeezed them onto a boat of his own making and Jesus was the ‘product’ of a virgin birth. Crazy, crazy times.

Public policy should be driven by facts not mythology.

Praise Jebus, God hates reason, Amen.

“creating stem cell lines is akin to killing a human being.”

So let me get this straight.

The MN Taliban is saying they want to protect human life because it is so sacred and no one should mess around with masses of cells because there’s the potential of a human life there and we have to protect human (or potential) human life at all costs.

However

It is OK to bump real kids and real people off insurance plans because it’s a part of the Affordable Care Act which they don’t like. This will certainly result in actual kids and actual adults dying because of their inability to get health care. That’s OK, but messing around with masses of cells isn’t.

I think the people are watching to much TV. They are not going to clone a human for spare parts. They will however clone a heart, liver or lungs and extend peoples lives.

If i spit on the ground there is the potential for a human in that mass of cells.

This sounds like the process for cloning replacement organs instead of depending on donated organs for transplants. Organ availability without a rejection factor – or the cost of endless anti-rejection medicine. So what they are criminalizing is advanced life-saving medicine – in a vain attempt to protect the “life” of a blob of genetic material that was never meant to see the inside of a womb. This bill will never, ever, save a single human life, though it will certainly cost some.

You don’t actually have to clone a human being to fit their definition of “human cloning”.

“It is unlawful for any person or entity, public or private, to knowingly:”
…
“ship or receive, in whole or in part, any oocyte, embryo, fetus, or human somatic cell, for the purpose of human cloning.”

Technically, even transporting a patient to another state for treatment would be a crime – as the patient DNA, key to the process, is an inseparable part of the patient.

This is a real knife in the back of the UoM and Minnesota’s medical research industry. What ever happened to creating jobs??? Why are they driving people and industries away??

Just to emphasize their desire to remain dependent on donor organs, HF965 expands the number of state licenses that can be used to indicate organ donation.

This takes “pro-life” to a whole new level of malicious and invasive misnomer. What a bunch of hapless haploids

So now science is illegal? What’s next, defining pi as 3?

The Minnesota legislators need to be aware of Advanced Cell Technology’s patented Blastomere technique that removes a single stem cell from a embryo WITH OUT doing ANY HARM to the embryo. The embryo could then be allowed to develop naturally . We cannot keep our head in the sand about stem cell therapy any longer. Other countries are moving forward with this technology without regard to moral nor ethical considerations. An American company has the ability to make an unlimited supply of these “EMBRYO SAFE” stem cell lines for research in this country and keep us on the cutting edge of this paradigm shift in regenerative medicine.

Many major polls show that the majority of Americans support embryonic stem cell research. However our “representatives” somehow interpret that as an opportunity to think for us. Thanks!!! How much drug company money does it take to generate this garbage?? Hey elected officials “represent” me and the majority of Americans OK??? Last time I checked that’s why we elected you!

Well, now according to republicans, life begins at conception, if not before, correct? So, since Obama was concieved in the US (Hawaii, his mother was 1 or 2 months pregnant when she was married) it shouldn’t matter where he was born. If you are concieved on American soil then you are an American according to republicans. Also, when women are filling out the census in 2020, will they need to count all their eggs as citizens? I think we are going to need a lot more members in the House of Reps.

Just noticed that there is now 2 Johns on this site. Paul can I be changed to John I?

They have done everything possible to halt advances in hesc research….I can only wonder what the real reason is….? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Move all research offshore……….start helping people….

while not hesc…interesting for some of us mere humans

UK Stem Cell Company Cures Race Horse Tendons, Humans Next

In a very unusual breakthrough, a stem cell treatment for racehorses is ready to be tried… on you. British scientists pioneered a technique in horses where an individuals’ own stem cells are grown outside the body, then injected into the damaged tendon.

The reason animals can get commercial drugs and treatments faster than people in the US and other Western countries is simple: there is enormous oversight in human medical research. Veterinary research is comparably simple. According to the FDA, bringing a new drug to market for humans requires pre-clinical laboratory tests, animal tests, and human clinical trials. Each one of those steps costs money, lots and lots of it. Approval for veterinary drugs is simpler, requiring a single study that proves the drug is safe and effective. Because of regulatory difference, progress on animal medical research can move very quickly compared to human research.

http://singularityhub.com/2011/03/10/uk-stem-cell-company-cures-race-horse-tendons-humans-next/

Sure. Changed it here, but I think you’ll have to change it on your own next time you comment. I wish our comment system was a bit more sophisticated than this…

I neglected to mention, for those out there not familiar with this company. Advanced Cell Technology has a patented process that extracts one cell from days old embryos without harming the embryo. The Single Cell Blastomere process is derived from the PGD technique which is used in InVitro fertilization clinics throughout the world without harming the embryo.

What about the budget? Where are the jobs?
Why are they working on crap that they have no business messing with?

The idea that being human starts at conception (fertilization) is not even a ‘religious idea’ but specifically a modern Christian idea. It is not the position of most schools of Judaism that one becomes human at conception. Even among Christians for many centuries the issue of when a soul entered a developing fetus was a topic of theological dispute. The idea that elected legislators with no theological or scientific training should decide when a blastula becomes a ‘person’ is absurd. The idea that they should impose one specific theological point of view on citizens not sharing their theology is a bit creepy.

It looks like potential therapies are being tied up for all sorts of reasons…in all places…imagine if you had ALS…or maybe one of your kids…and you see this…would probably be a little disheartening.

Patent trouble Ahead, embryo stem cell Patents might infringe EU Law

In the case, C-34/10, Prof. Dr. Oliver Bruestle v. Greenpeace eV; Greenpeace challenged a German patent awarded to Oliver Bruestle, a professor and specialist in stem-cell research.
Greenpeace, which said it sued for “ethical reasons,” argued the patent for a stem-cell research process developed by Bruestle to treat neural diseases is invalid because it covers cells derived from human embryos.

The Federal Court of Justice, Germany’s highest civil court, had last year asked for guidance on the case.
http://www.scimitarequity.com/blog/2011/03/10/patent-trouble-ahead-embryo-stem-cell-patents-might-infringe-eu-law/#more-11809

As a diabetic hoping for the cure, these folks sure sound like a death panel to me.

Some day they may have relatives or find themselves with an illness where embryonic stem cell research would benefit them. Reminds me of the fear mongering when the first artificial heart was conceived. Politics should not be playing a part in this research as most politicians are clueless; they play to emotions and not to reason. Nuts to them; take the research from the state and move the research where you are welcome. Minnesota will continue to fear what the politicians do not understand. Embryonic stem cell research is critical and eventually it will save lives and help those with debilitating diseases live productive lives. Sometimes it seems like we live in the dark ages where science was witchcraft and people were persecuted under the guise of religious right. Nuts I say!

Jobs?

Holy… wow. Batsh!t crazy is rampant in the land of 1000 lakes.

Ignorance is dangerous.

Thats Soylent Green they must be thinking of.

Some people need to be dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the Dark Ages.

If embryonic stem cells are human beings, then blow jobs are cannibalism.

I wonder what MN hospitals do with all the placental tissue they have.

A few thoughts;

1) If or when the Democrats retake the state legislature, they should immediately pass a bill that removes all obstacles to embryonic stem cell research and gives tax credits to companies who want to set up shop here for that research. The more scientific, university and business talent and investment we gather here, the more costly it will be for future anti-science religious zealots to stop it in the future.

2) We hear frequently about the alleged ethical concerns with embryonic stem cell research. The constant conservative drumbeat about this has led even people who should know better to start aping their language of ethical concern. The result is that this research, which at best warrants only ethical awareness, hardly concern, is now under a cloud of suspicion by potential allies. Let’s reclaim the ethical reality of this research–there’s NO ethical concern here whatsoever, unless you assume the ludicrous moral fiction that a clump of cells constitute a human being.

3) Let’s remind ourselves what this bill represents: scientific illiteracy coupled with partisan religious zealotry that will further delay cures for sometimes deadly disease and conditions. I have a friend who suffers from diabetes. Won’t she be thrilled to hear that Jesus doesn’t want scientists pursuing avenues of research that might cure her condition.

The Republican party seems to have a complete smear campaign against hesc…see this site….I’m not sure when this doctor said he was pressured….but it wasn’t in the TED video.

http://www.texasgopvote.com/restore-families/video-more-stem-cells-002615

Thank the Lord I moved to California. My home state is filling with political morons faster than a tsunami wave can wipe out a city. I’d focus on putting people back to work, reducing the homeless population, providing quality education, and fixing all those pot holes you have after each winter. Understanding how cell and molecular biology works in an effort to help humanity is not a crime, or even bibically offensive last time I checked.

[...] to make human cloning a felonyKAREMinnesota Lawmakers Introduce Human Cloning Ban BillLifeNews.comLegislators seek to make embryonic stem cell research a felonyMinnesota Independentall 5 news articles »Get more results from Google news Posted in: [...]

Do these legislators have no sense of decency and mercy? What about the human beings who are suffering from diseases that currently have no cure or effective therapy? The disgusting thing is, some of these self-righteous fat-cats will be the first ones on a plane out of Minnesota to receive stem-cell therapy if they get sick enough.

some errors in this story.
http://prolifemn.blogspot.com/2011/03/journalism-at-its-worst-andy-birkey.html

Errors? Show me, don’t tell me.

Otherwise, I would assign more trust to Andy and company before any group of people that assigns “babyhood” to an embryo.

Is there something in the fluoride up there Minn./Wisc.? The stuff I hear coming out of the mouths of your elected officials is off the charts. You can’t make this s##t up!

@Scientist, because they only care about whats happening or not happening inside us women, then all bets are off.

@ Rich… lmao! My thoughts exactly.

These legislators might want to consider whether they should lose their 4 y/o’s

http://www.wxow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13763493

We are facing the same type of gross ignorance in OKLHOMA! It seems to be coming from a few radical “right to life” folks who REFUSE to understand that unused or deformed embryonic stem cells are going to GO DOWN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL/DRAIN! Then are the parents performing an death by disposal? They do want to answer that question!
Next thing that happens will be putting scientists or the cross or burning them at the stake!

This is the actual reason they are against it. Because it essentially wipes out on of the reasons against marriage equality for all citizens but at the same time wont tip their hat and tell you what they oppose so intentionally limit the spread of this information getting out there.

http://www.chromosomechronicles.com/2009/07/29/sexual-reproduction-for-same-sex-couples/

Banning human cloning will do little if nothing to affect embryonic stem cell research. That is why many enlightened countries like Germany, Canada and France have already banned all SCNT or cloning in humans. No one has harvested a viable stem cell line from a cloned embryo nor has anyone ever been treated with stem cells from a cloned embryo. There is a current and viable option to creating and destroying embryos for stem cells. It is called induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells. Google it.

Who is Rebecca Taylor? What are her credentials?

Credentials are irrelevant. The simple fact is that ES cell research can merrily go on its way without SCNT, or any other form of therapeutic cloning. ES cells are created with no cloning involved. Human cloning has never been accomplished and so it is obvious that no existing human ES cell line has been created via therapeutic cloning.

The reality is that human ES cells are created from human embryos DISCARDED by parents after IVF procedures. Not all embryos created for IVF mediated reproduction are implanted into the uterus. Not every mother wishes to be an Octomom. Surplus embryos can be frozen in perpetuity, can be adopted, can be discarded, or can be donated for research. If the embryos are not going to be implanted into a uterus, then they are ultimately doomed. They can either be incinerated, flushed down the drain, or they can be used for research. If they are not going to become babies anyway, then please, let them have some purpose by allowing them to be used to help others.

If right to lifers truly want to protect life, then they should not be going after SCNT or ES cell research. If they truly want to protect life, then they should have the decency to go after the true cause of the destruction of embryos. They should ban IVF. See how politically popular that is.

Iowa went through this same ridiculous legislative process leading to confusion between ES cell research and cloning. Please don’t let Minnesota make the same mistake.

“There is a current and viable option to creating and destroying embryos for stem cells. It is called induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells. Google it.”

Unfortunately, you are mistaken. While iPS cells do offer promise for research, they are not an adequate replacement for ES cells yet. That may be the case some day, but we don’t know enough about iPS, or other pluripotent cells, yet.

More pieces of the puzzle, then. I’m in the midst of a rather bruising discussion with Rebecca Taylor at http://minnesotaindependent.com/79317/cloning-ban-proponents-muddle-facts-in-stem-cell-debate.

How do I get off this planet?