Stem Cells

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Stem Cells
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• Agree or Disagree?????
• 1. A couple was going through IVF (in vitro
  fertilization) at a clinic. They successfully
  fertilized 15 eggs. Twice, 3 zygotes were
  implanted and failed to produce a pregnancy. Now
  they are in court for a divorce and the woman in
  trying to get custody of the remaining 9 frozen
  embryos. She still hopes to have a child. The
  husband wants them to be destroyed because he
  does not want to be a father. The court ruled in
  favor of the wife (and, incidentally, the husband
  will likely have to pay child support!).

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2. Is it OK to destroy the excess embryos as
medical waste?
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Agree or Disagree????? 3. Your neighbor
had a car accident and was charged with driving
while intoxicated. In the accident he killed a
woman who was walking on the sidewalk. After the
autopsy, it was determined that she was 6 weeks
pregnant. He is then charged with killing both
the mother and unborn child.
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4. Your mom has a bad car accident that
leaves her with an amputated right hand. If stem
cells could be used to regenerate her hand, would
it be OK?

5. What if those embryonic stem cells came from
excess frozen IVF embryos?
6. What if those embryonic stem cell came from
aborted fetuses?
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7. You and your spouse have a baby and are asked
if you would like to donate the umbilical cord
for stem cell research. Would you?
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• How should government handle the funding of stem
  cell research?
• Should it be fully funded by the government?
• Should the government give partial funding?
• Should it only be allowed with private funding?
• Should it never be allow no matter where the
  funding comes from?

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WHAT IS A STEM CELL???

• Can continuously divide and differentiate
  (develop) into many different types of
  cells/tissues. ESC can become 220 different types
  of cells.
• Can replace cells that have died.
• Used to replace defective cells/tissues in
  patients who have certain diseases or defects.

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KINDS OF STEM CELLS
Stem cell type Description Examples
Totipotent Can create every cell of body placental tissues. They have telomerase and are immortal. Cells from early embryos (1-5 days)
Pluripotent Cells can form any (over 200) cell types, but not placenta Some cells of blastocyst (5 to 14 days and up to 6 weeks)
Multipotent Cells differentiated, but can form a limited number of other tissues Fetal tissue, cord blood, and adult stem cells
Embryonic
Adult
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WHERE DO STEM CELLS COME FROM?
1. Embryonic - in vitro fertilization (IVF)
embryos that were not used.
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Stages of Embryogenesis
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How to Culture Embryonic Stem Cell Lines
Outer cells (forms placenta)
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1. Adult Stem Cells come from a variety of sources

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Also found in mature organs
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HOW ARE STEM CELLS USED?
Regeneration- Planaria
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Regenerative Medicine
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• AIDS vaccine
• Skin grafts
• Replacement Organs for transplant (without
  rejection)
• Personalized medicine
• Cures for
• Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease
• Diabetes
• Cystic fibrosis
• Sickle cell anemia
• Osteogenesis imperfecta (and thousands of other
  genetic diseases)
• Cancers like leukemia, lymphomas, ovarian, etc.
• Autoimmune diseases like Multiple sclerosis,
  rheumatoid arthritis, Crohns, etc.
• Testing on animals would be minimized

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WHY THE CONTROVERSY??

• Is an embryo a person? Is this murder?
• Is it morally acceptable to use embryos for
  research?
• Could this lead to the exploitation of women for
  their embryos/umbilical cords/aborted fetuses?
• Cost is high.
• Religious.
• We may not do evil so that good will result
  (Romans 38)
• Humans are created in the image of God before
  birth
• The human soul begins before birth
• 6. Patent law.
• Consent.
• Politics

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