Treatment of Embryos

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Treatment of Embryos
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What is an EMBRYO?
"Life is present from the moment of conception."
Dr. Jerome Lejeune, late professor and world
renowned geneticist, University of Descarte,
Paris
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Different approaches to how we view the embryo
No special status whatsoever
A gradualist approach
Full respect as a human being
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What ideas drive this lack of respect for the
embryo?
A right to a child
Potentially unlimited cures
Pursuit of knowledge without boundaries
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3 Topics Covered
IVF Treatment
Stem Cell Research
Cloning
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What is IVF treatment?
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IVF explained
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Between 1 and 2 newly-fertilised embryos are
placed into the womb of the woman
The woman is injected with fertility drugs to
stimulate the ovaries
Multiple eggs are produced (usually between 10-12)
The eggs are fertilised in vitro
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Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) 2) IVF
(in vitro fertilisation)
Number of individuals
ESHRE Report 2001
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What happens to the other embryos?
Destroyed
Frozen
Research
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Embryo Screening
What is it all about?
Deciding whether an IVF embryo will be healthy
Creating a Saviour Sibling
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What if the Embryo Isnt Perfect?
It is Destroyed!
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It works like this
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What do they test for?
Genetic Medical Problems
Like
Downs Syndrome Haemophilia Muscular Dystrophy
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What could they test for if it were legal to do
so?
Things that our Genes can predict about us
Like
Intelligence
Female/Male
Risk of getting Cancer
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What could be wrong with Screening Embryos?
Many lives are ended in the search for the
perfect one.
This does not cure disability/health problems, it
makes sure that no one with them is born.
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The Whittakers

• Charlie had a rare form of anaemia called
  Diamond-Black Fan Anaemia.
• Applied to screen embryos for perfect blood match
  for an umbilical cord blood cell transfusion

Charlie with saviour sibling Jamie
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The Whittakers

• They were refused treatment, but went to
  America. Recently the Whittakers announced that
  the treatment was successful and that by using
  Jamies umbilical cord blood, Charlie has been
  cured.

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What are Stem Cells?
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Where do Stem Cells come from?
Two Types Adult and Embryonic
Adult Stem Cells
Embryo Stem Cells
From Developing Human Embryos
From Bone, Muscle, Blood, Fat, Nerves
Over 75 Types of Treatments and Cures
No Treatments or Cures
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How do they harvest Embryo Stem Cells?
The human embryo is allowed to grow for 5-7 days.
Scientists remove its cells and the embryo is
killed.
Every human being started as an embryo. Saying
Embryo is no different than saying Foetus, Baby,
Toddler, Child, Teenager, or Adult.
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Stem cells EMBRYONIC vs ADULT

• EMBRYOS AS A TOOL FOR RESEARCH
• From IVF
• From elective abortion (not
  miscarriage)

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How do they harvest Adult Stem Cells?

• From
• Fat Cells
• Bone Marrow
• Brain Cells
• Blood
• Umbilical Cord

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Stem cells EMBRYONIC vs ADULT
2) STEM CELLS FROM ADULT TISSUES
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Why do scientists want to harvest Stem Cells?
Many scientists believe that stem cells hold much
promise for treating patients with serious
diseases because stem cells might be "programmed"
or coaxed into becoming many different kinds of
tissues in the body. 
So in theory, for example, if scientists could
discover how to program stem cells to become
spinal cord tissue, then stem cells could be
prepared and injected into patients with spinal
cord injuries and the stem cells could effect a
repair of the damaged area.
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Why do Embryo Stem Cells have no results?
They are rejected by the patients body
They can cause tumours to grow
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Why is Embryo Stem Cell Research Controversial?
Destruction of Life
Humans Used as Resource Material
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What Kind of Cures have there been from Adult
Stem Cells?
Leukaemia
Diabetes
Heart Disease
Kidney Failure
Parkinsons Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
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How Do Adult Stem Cells Work?
Heart tissue
Neural Tissue
Neurons
Pancreas Cells
Scientists have grown Adult cells in a lab and
has stimulated them to change into nerve, heart
and pancreas cells.  
If other scientists can duplicate the process on
a larger scale, it could reduce the need for
embryonic stem cells in research and eliminate
rejection problems associated with using stem
cells from an outside donor."
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What is Cloning?
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What is Cloning?
Reproductive Cloning An embryo is cloned,
implanted into a host mother and allowed to
grow and be born.
Therapeutic Cloning An embryo is cloned, the
stem cells are taken out to be used for research,
and the embryo is destroyed.
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Is it legal to clone humans?
It is not legal to Reproductively clone humans.
Reproductive Cloning can only be used on
animals.
It is legal to Therapeutically clone humans.
Researchers clone human embryos and use their
stem cells, then destroy the embryo before it can
grow and be born.
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The History of Cloning
1996 - Dolly is cloned
2001 Theraputic Cloning legalised by UK
Government
2004 UK gives research license to clone human
embryos for stem cells
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Cloning process
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Is Reproductive Cloning Successful?
NO

• Over 90 of attempts fail
• More health problems
• Mysterious deaths

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Would it be OK to Reproductively Clone
Humans?
NO

• A child created for a scientific purpose
• The need for many attempts and terminations of
  attempts, resulting in loss of life
• Putting the clone at risk of poor health, and
  mysterious death

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Is it OK to Therapeutically Clone Humans
Embryos?
NO