The debate concerning stem cells

Not everyone will agree that the use of stem cells is ethical. I voted yes regarding Constitutional Amendment 2, allowing Missouri patients and researchers access to any method of stem cell research, therapies and cures permitted under federal law. In addition, it was made known and I knew this before I voted that, there would be set limits on any stem cell research, therapies and cures, including banning human cloning or attempted cloning. Violators will be subject to criminal and civil penalties.

I made sure before I voted I knew my facts. I was not going to just vote because it seemed the right thing to do without doing my research. I knew the following:

Official Ballot Title:

--Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to allow and set limitations on stem cell research, therapies, and cures which will:

--ensure Missouri patients have access to any therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted under federal law; ban human cloning or attempted cloning; (I would never advocate human cloning)....require expert medical and public oversight and annual reports on the nature and purpose of stem cell research; impose criminal and civil penalties for any violations; and prohibit state or local governments from preventing or discouraging lawful stem cell research, therapies and cures.

--The proposed constitutional amendment would have an estimated annual fiscal impact on state and local governments of $0-$68,916.

I just read on the news regarding stem cells cloned from monkey DNA:

Gleaning stem cells from cloned monkey embryos, as a team of Oregon researchers has done, is an impressive step. But it probably won't lead to medical treatments any time soon.

Scientists merged skin cells of a rhesus macaque male with unfertilized monkey eggs that had the DNA removed.

One hurdle is ethical and political. Human embryos have to be destroyed to produce stem cells. That has aroused opposition to human embryonic stem cell research, and it led the Bush administration to restrict federal funding for it. Scientists say that has slowed science in this effort.

Another hurdle is the inefficiency of the process. Even if the method described by scientists Wednesday works in humans, it would demand too much of a precious resource -- women's unfertilized eggs.

The promise of producing stem cells by cloning is that they can be genetically matched to a particular patient. So theoretically, doctors should be able to transplant tissue created from them into that person without tissue rejection. And presumably, such transplants could help treat such conditions as diabetes and spinal cord injury.

The process used in the new experiment is "quite inefficient," Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon National Primate Research Center in Portland told reporters Wednesday.

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Seems like a waste of time and money to me when we could focus upon human stem cells instead. I know it is a touchy issue but I had to address it. Let's see what the future holds.......................

I think about my dad who has diabetes, I think about my daughter who might inherit this trait down the road and if stem cell research could one day help her then I am 100% for this.