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Non-Tech : Binary Hodgepodge -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ~digs who wrote (207)	7/27/2001 10:15:03 PM
From: ~digs	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6763

Stem Cell Research: An NPR Special Report -Audio- Hear the radio segment aired today on NPR: npr.org July 27, 2001 -- Researchers have successfully transplanted human neural stem cells into the brains of laboratory monkeys still in their mothers’ wombs, opening up the possibility down the road to treat human brain disorders with stem cells. The report, published Friday in the journal, Science, is another benchmark in the fast-moving field of stem cell research and comes as President Bush deliberates over a federal policy for embryonic stem cell research. The fact that human stem cells followed the marching orders of a different species without rejection leads researchers to believe that perhaps human stem cells might also be accepted by developing human fetuses. Dr. Curt Freed, who co-authored the paper, is excited about the possibility of treating children who “would otherwise be looking forward to problems with brain function after birth.” Hear Richard Knox report for Morning Edition. Freed, a University of Colorado researcher, and his colleagues at Children’s Hospital in Boston used neural stem cells derived from an aborted human fetus. While opponents of stem cell research see the use of aborted human fetuses for research as unethical, the current debate focuses on different concerns: the use of human embryonic stem cells. These cells are derived from an embryo that is from zero to four days old. Opponents find the use of embyonic stem cells equally unethical and want this research banned. Supporters of embryonic stem cell research focus on the cells unique ability to become any of the other types of cells in the body. They argue this research must be permitted to seek treatments for a variety of debilitating and possibly life-threatening diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Lou Gherig’s disease and ALS. The question before President Bush is whether the federal government should fund embryonic stem cell research. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson along with the National Institutes of Health and a growing number of Republican lawmakers have all urged the president to pay for this research, which they say could save millions of lives. Mr. Bush has not yet announced when he will make a decision. npr.org