Nacario's Digital Scrapbook

• Obama overturned former Pres. Bush's policy he signed in 2001 restricting stem cell research.
• Obama agrees with stem cell research for easing human suffering but has strict guidelines to insure that no cloning can be made possible.
• He hopes that stem cell research can cure Parkinson's, cancer and spinal cord injuries.
• Embryonic stem cells are highly valuable based on their ability to be transformed into any cell the body is in need of.
• An embryo of 4-5 says of age is extracted from its stem cell, which can go up to 30. Then the embryo is destroyed, Bush's former policy limited funding and did not allow the destruction of human embryos.
  
• Latest issue is the whether lift the ban on funding stem cell research.
• This is in correspondence with our Cell unit because of the controversy over stem cell research. We know that stem cells can be used for anything needed in the body and is very valuable. Cancer cells can be treated if stem cells are implemented.

Despite the articles age, I am surprised that stem cell research was capped by the Bush administration. I was unaware of the fact that federal funding was limited and human embryos could not be destroyed. I personally think that destroying an embryo doesn't matter if the stem cells are taken out because without the stem cells, there can be no growth for organs. I'm happy that Obama overturned Bush's policy because medical research is essential for the future, to help people in any way. With the aid of stem cells, newer treatments can be implemented to decrease recovery times, and possible cure certain diseases that plague our world.

• ACT was made for three purposes, cloning stem cells for medicine, cloning cows for making medicine through milk, and cloning animals for cell and tissue transplants.
• The ACT's intentions are not to clone a human being, but to find cures for diseases such as AIDs and Alzheimer's.
• When cloning 30 cows, 24 turned out to be "normal" and these results have stirred up a controversy for some time.
  
• ACT claims that the 24 cows were clinically normal, being that the had no genetic defects or immune deficiencies.
  
• ACT released another statement telling the public their goals and interests which were; gene manipulation in animals for the purpose of genetic therapy of humans.
• This relates to our Cell Unit because it talks of cloning which to my knowledge would require stem cells. Stem cell research is a hot topic for cell research and I find it relevant to our units because of the vast capabilities of stem cells, which has lead to successful cloning.

Seeing this article makes me realize how long cloning has been going on. I thought for a long period of time that cloning was not existent. Hearing news of cloning makes me very intrigued in the matter, especially with all the protests that occur during these times in science research. This article tells me that ACT is using genetically engineered cows for the benefit of man kind, and I find that appropriate. However I feel doubtful because if we are cloning one cow, how do we know it is the best one? What if the host falls ill and all clones are susceptible? I do not think that cloning a single cow is very smart and I am positive that animal rights activists would step in and protest every way possible. If this cloning does work out and it does help cure terminal diseases, I will be sure to support its research if there are hard evidence of success.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/725000/images/_726693_cows300.jpg