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US Stem Cells Contaminated

Croaking Toad writes "According to The Register, US-based scientists using stem cells has hit a brick wall. The stem cells apparently have been contaminated for quite a while with animal proteins rendering them useless in the treatment of human illnesses. New stem cell harvesting was outlawed in the USA by a 2001 Executive Order from President Bush." To be precise, stem cell harvesting wasn't outlawed; the usage of federal funding was outlawed. Several states and research institutions have been using their own money to undertake research. The AP coverage is up as well. Update: 01/24 19:40 GMT by J : Carl Zimmer has a fascinating description of the sugars we humans lack that contaminated the stem cell lines. What a curious genetic heritage we have...

19 of 758 comments (clear)

  1. Republican Response by kin_korn_karn · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    "Good! Now all the unholy poor will die faster!"

    1. Re:Republican Response by ackthpt · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      "Good! Now all the unholy poor will die faster!"

      NeoCon response:

      "At least the weren't exposed to Stem Cells of Mass Destruction."
      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    2. Re:Republican Response by kin_korn_karn · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      gee, you'd think it was personal or something.
      how's that dick cheney fuckdoll working out for you?

  2. A neocon plot to kill repblicans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    Nancy Reagan had an interesting plea for how stem cells could benefit those suffering from illnesses like the one our last Real Republican president died of.

    Seems the neocons and religious-zealot-conservatives are just using this as a way of stealing the party away from the original republicans who wanted government out of these issues.

  3. Bush is an Asshat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Hmmmmf.

    It's too bad conservative america voted this moron back into office.

    It's nice to know that aside from the huge debt we're racking up in Iraq, that we'll also be behind by 8 years on federally funded stem cell research.

    Private grants only go so far. The idiocy of a president goes a lot farther. /hopes Bush takes a header off a horse like Reeves.

  4. Liberal Liars posting on /. ? Can't be? by dbretton · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    But it's true.

    Bush's law prohibits federal funding for stem cell research, nothing else. Private firms may do as they wish. In addition, as far I can determine, the law does not prohibit state funding for stem cell research. This would be a great way for some states to attract biotech business.

  5. Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    So, it all boils down to money? Those with it can continue? Those we trust? The big companies? Great!

  6. Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    The point is that to say that Bush *cut* stem cell funding isn't accurate, since he was the first president to fund it at all, dipshit.

    And your last sentence is curious, as if it's an impossibility to find out whether or not stem cell research existed before Bush became president. It did, albeit in a less mature form, but it didn't just sprout up during the Bush presidency.

    Moral of the story: about 95% of what people say about Bush and stem cells is wrong.

  7. Re:"New stem cell harvesting was outlawed in the U by RailGunner · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    It doesn't matter - Embryonic Stem Cells don't work. Stem Cells harvested from Umbilical Cords, on the other hand, *do* work, and there's no restriction of Federal Money to harvest stem cells from what would otherwise just be medical waste.

    Also - your sig is wrong. He doesn't say "I Am the New #2" - just "The New Number 2"

    And now I want to go listen to that song.

  8. Stop apologizing . . by puppetluva · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    People keep acting as apologists for Bush saying that human embryonic stem-cell research wasn't really outlawed by the federal government. . . he just stopped funding.

    How was it supposed to happen without funding? _My_ tax dollars go into those research coffers and it makes me _really_ angry that they can't be used for this research to better the survival chances of our species because of some phony pseudo-morality political pandering.

    I wish people would top being "technically correct" and discuss the real issue at hand . . stem cell research outside of the current lines of embyronic stem cells. was seriously hindered by the actions of this government - and the current stem-cell lines may be tainted.

  9. Re:Aborted Fetuses = Murdered Children by ShieldW0lf · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I mean, the Germans during the holocaust had no idea what they were doing was terrible. The slaveowners actually thought they were doing a service by beating their slaves and forcing them to labor.

    That is quite possibly the stupidist thing I've read in weeks.

    --
    -1 Uncomfortable Truth
  10. Re:"New stem cell harvesting was outlawed in the U by anagama · · Score: 0, Flamebait


    You demonstrate a few dozen cells have human consiousness, and I'll concede your point about "precious" lifeforms.

    Hmmm .... precious .... more like disgusting. Childfree now and forever. Sadly though, my business partner is infested meaning I'll have to pick up the slack for a while. Don't see anything precious about that either!

    --
    What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
  11. Re:Now Californias by sfjoe · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    On the bright side, at least Callifornia has a huge new government jobs program.


    Yes, and now the gap between the wealth-producing states and the wealth-consuming states will be even larger. We Californians will be forced to send even more of our federal tax monies to the backwards-assed states (i.e. "red") states.

    --
    It's simple: I demand prosecution for torture.
  12. Re:This is news? by freemacmini · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Yes but he was going to let the homosexuals get married and probably teach evolution in schools. We can't have that can we?

  13. Re:Why does it have to be the US gov? by Brew+Bird · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It HAS to be the US government, because GW MUST be the scape goat to all that is evil in the world, in order for the bunch that didn't vote for him to feel important and 'validated'.

    The same folks that are all for democracy, as long as they win? Poor loosers... sad, really.

  14. Re:"New stem cell harvesting was outlawed in the U by nemesisj · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    While I agree with you that the religious right constituency is misinformed with regards to many things, abortion related or ortherwise, you are equally misinformed.

    The religious right position on life is that life begins at conception (when a sperm and egg unite). Under this definition, any embryo destroyed is most certainly an abortion.

    This is the crux of the entire stem cell issue (from the religious right standpoint), and I'm amazed you don't understand this concept, yet choose to talk about this issue as if you are well informed.

  15. Re:"New stem cell harvesting was outlawed in the U by TheMeuge · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Your utter ignorance is the reason why America is falling behind in terms of scientific progress. I hope a terrible degenerative disease claims your life. And as it slowly turns you into a vegetable, you can ponder how nice it would be, if you didn't project your ignorance about stem cells onto the rest of the population and allowed the research to proceed to save hundreds of thousands of lives, including yours. Embryonic cells are the only absolutely pluripotent cells. The umbilical cord cells are partially differentiated, and some pathways have already been closed for them. And before you reply with an equally dumb statement, please refer me to where you got your M.D. or your Ph.D. Frankly, unless you have or are at least in the process of getting a degree in life sciences, your "opinion" about what works and what doesn't is nothing more than hot air, with a heavy stench of bullshit and christian right propaganda.

  16. Re:Aborted Fetuses = Murdered Children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Until then it's just a lump of flesh.... ...
    Only those who believed their own lies. Just because you keep up a front doesn't make it the truth....

    hello pot, that was kettle.

    there is measurable brain activity very early on in the incubation process. Most of the time anti-abortionists are aginst the most evil of abortions, partial birth, late trimester and other when it is obvious that the child is a living thinking being.

    maybe if you got a clue you would not be doing the EXACT SAME THING.

    you are guilty of what you condemn, it must be nice to be a do as I say not as I do type.

    Pieces of shit support current abortion laws. you all can lie to yourselves all you want, you are baby and child murderers plain and simple.

    not matter what lies you tell yourselves, it does not change thast fact.

  17. Does anybody read executive orders? Apparently NOT by mrbrown1602 · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    You obviously haven't even read the text of that 2001 Executive Order because you're too busy with your head shoved up that ass full of Democratic rhetoric.

    In your comment, you suggested that if a group, college, or organization is receiving federal funding of ANY kind for ANY kind of research, they cannot do embryonic stem cell research unless they want to lose their federal funding. BZZZZT!!! Wrong.

    From that same page I linked you to:

    No federal funds will be used for: (1) the derivation or use of stem cell lines derived from newly destroyed embryos; (2) the creation of any human embryos for research purposes; or (3) the cloning of human embryos for any purpose. Today's decision relates only to the use of federal funds for research on existing stem cell lines derived in accordance with the criteria set forth above.

    In other words, federal funds cannot be used for embryonic stem cell research (with the exception of the 60 stem cell lines that had already existed as of 2001). No need to repost your comment because the "right-wing" modded you down... you were modded down because you were WRONG.