Scots stem cell centre gives hope to millions hit by disease

[cal04]

£59 million stem-cell research centre set for Edinburgh
Funding coming from Executive, University and Scottish Enterprise
Unit is expected to be completed by 2010

"There are real opportunities using stem cells in research to understand human disease and bring forward new treatment. Very often when talking about stem cells people think about transplanting stem cells, but that isn't the only way of creating new treatments. Understanding diseases may enable us to identify the first drugs that will prevent the disease" - PROF IAN WILMUT

SCOTLAND is set to lead the world in ground-breaking stem-cell research with the creation of a dedicated £59 million centre.

The new Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine will be the only one of its kind in Europe or the United States and is expected to create thousands of jobs over the coming years.

Scientists hope discoveries made at the unit, on the site of the Centre for Biomedical Research next to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, will help millions of people with serious illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.



http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=60132007

[KatieW]

1. The thing I don't understand about the whole stupid stem cell debate is

why are those who are so opposed to using embryonic stem cells for research not putting up a fuss over in vitro fertilization? Leftover fertilized eggs used in the in vitro fertilization process are being destroyed every day. Yet we don't hear any outcry about that from the far right!!

[Igel]

4. Some do object, strenuously.

But they don't bomb or vandalize the clinics that engage in fertility treatments, so they don't get reported. They're also not just real common in major media centers.

Some aren't against the production of fertilized eggs, but are adamant in their opposition to disposing of them.

Others think destroying them is wrong, but that wrong is outweighed by the greater good that could come from the research. Others have at best only a small problem with destroying the embryos, but believe that benefiting from their destruction is equivalent to profiting from the results of Nazi experimentation on concentration camp inmates, with all the ambiguity that belief holds.

Remember, the inmates were going to die anyway, but there was nonetheless international revulsion at the idea of using the resulting data, which sometimes couldn't be obtained any other way.... See http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/313/7070/1422 for discussion of possible Nazi drawings used in an anatomy textbook, a debate that included calls for avoiding the textbook, a very few others for completely ignoring the origins of the drawings, with the intermediate position holding that "to the extent they're useful for saving lives, we're stuck with it ... for now." This trichotomy mirrors the embryonic stem-cell debate, for about the same kinds of reasons.

[Monkeyman]

2. Again Pro-lifers prove they do not support the wounded troops

VA researchers could help 1000:s of wounded kids and veterans But Dubba will veto just so he keeps his pro-life base.

[JoFerret]

3. Brain drain

Used to be that the US drew the top researchers. Stuff like this could reverse that trend with a vengeance. if this were you field - wouldn't you want to be in on this ground breaking, life enhancing cutting edge stuff. Here's to the culture of life!