Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cells are so important to research because they can turn into any kind of human cell, this is not the case with Adult Stem Cells.

The case for research is so obvious why is it opposed? More imporantly who opposes it. Kevin Andrews, Tony Abbott and Peter Costello to name just 3. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17628377%255E30417,00.html

John Howard is talking about a concience vote on the Lockhart committee's report a way he knows will send it to the garbage bin. While keeping his image squeeky clean.

I am sick and tired of being governed, sorry ruled, by the moral religious views of a small number of cabinet ministers and the organisations that support them.

Kevin Andrews and his pro-life backers are deliberately using emotive terms like "human cloning" when referring to somatic cell nuclear transfer or therapeutic cloning. The public is being conned.

Sorry to be crass but human eggs are flushed down the loo every month and we loose millions of skin cells every hour. When scientists combine the two they are killing a potential human embryo, what a load of crud.

I think of all the money $$$$$$$$$ that is being spent to save more lives through science, when hundreds of people are dying, daily, for want of clean water.

The scientific research as discussed will only be available to those who can afford it. $$$$$$$$

Ugly commercialism.

Coyote.
Of course you are 100% correct. There are no dollars in clean water so of course it will be ignored by "civilised" countries. Ugly commercialism in all its forms are running and ruining our world. Australia is run by the Coal and Mining industries. America is run by the Military, Defence suppliers (they need wars to sell their weapons, who's next?).

We need pure scientific research to find the solutions to many illnesses, but this is being seriously hindered by our elected officials who ignore inquiries by eminent people, because they and their God know better.

I am sick and tired of seeing Kevin Andrews name pop up every time I look into any issue with a "moral" aspect. Very stange that he is responsible for The Coal Mining Industry Corporation. What has that got to do with workplace relations?

He is Another of the Popes secret army "John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family"
Adjunct Lecturers
These lecturers assist in courses conducted by the Institutes local or visiting faculty by contributing particular academic or practical expertise in some area.
Hon. Kevin Andrews MP, BA LLB (MELB), LLM (MONASH), Family & Life Politics; Marriage Education.

I want to be sick.

Alan Trounson thank you sooooooo much for your edifiying article. Could you please send a copy to Dr Joe Santamaria - especially with the line:

"The opposition to forming embryos for research is not really relevant because there is no combination of sperm and egg involved."

Underlined, in bold type - thank you.

As I stated in my post on J.S.'s thread - stem cells created in labs are not viable human beings even if they could be forced into a woman's womb to complete gestation.

Therefore debate on the so-called 'ethics' of stem cell research is entirely moot.

For those who claim to be genuinely concerned about the welfare and well-being of human beings and other life forms I suggest the following website:

http://www.savethechildren.org.au/

or

http://www.careaustralia.org.au/

or

http://www.hsi.org.au/

All worthy causes. And nobody can say I don't provide choices - unlike some....

I would not knowingly vote for a practicing Catholic, Christian Fundamentalist or Religious Right person in any Federal, State or local council election, unless this person had already showed that he/she is capable of putting the common good and the wishes of the electorate above his/her own religious belief.

Surely I am not alone in this respect.

Sometimes, as in the case of Kevin Andrews and Tony Abbott, it's obvious that their first allegiance is to the Pope. Sometimes it may not be obvious at all until crunch time on some significant issue. But such people should be publicly outed well before election time, so that we know what to expect if we vote for them.

Research scientists fail to tell those with disabilities there are no cures for them in the near future. Most of the results are coming from adult stem cell research and ethical harvesting like placenta and cord blood. It is evident that adult stem cells are having results like treating leukemia to sickle-cell anemia and restoring sight to the mother.

In veterinary use bone marrow stem cells have repaired damaged tendons in more than 160 race horses extracted from bone marrow and science is considering human trials. Adult animal stem cells injected into the brains of animals suffering cerebral palsy have assisted in recovery. Dr James Carroll of the Medical College of Georgia anticipates it will be likewise used in babies with severe asphyxial brain injuries. Adult stem cells assist in the recovery of heart damage eight years after a heart attack as reported in 1 Nov, 2005 Journal of American College of Cardiology. Dr Nagy Hibib a surgeon at London Imperial College using the patients own blood reinserted into the liver of five patients found the patients within two months had recovered considerably their liver function.

Some previous embryonic research has resulted in grotesque results like teeth forming in the brain so it is not the panacea cure all.