SCI/TECH: Stem-cell Breakthroughs May Allow Two Males to Have Offspring

Stem-cell researchers have discovered how to create sperm cells by applying certain chemicals to stem-cells. The technology appears close to accomplishing the same for egg cells, theoretically making it possible for members of the same sex to produce genetic offspring .



Leaving aside any religious considerations, there is no question that the implications for this technology are quite profound. While stem-cell research may garner many medical and scientific benefits, there are in my view an equal number of potential risks associated with this technology.

It appears Pandora's box has been opened. The only questions are by how much and to what end?



[edit on 14-11-2005 by loam]

[edit on 14-11-2005 by loam]

That's we are doomed......

for crumbs sake why don't they use the stem cells for research into fixing diseases in people instead of stuffing around with the genetic makeup of humanity.

No guys, this is interesting. We are not doomed. Maybe the turn of the century? We could grow back arms and stuff. Stem Cells should promise the following:

A cure of cancer

A cure for everything almost (the cure will come after years of research)

Being able to regain sight. (just punture your eye with a knife and using stem cells you should be able to regrow your eye, and if you were blind, be able to see again.)

Being able to grow aliens (mess around with stem cells and what do ya get?)


Everything here is good except that last one.

This is getting to be like X-Files.

I think this is a repeat of my story here:

SCI/TECH: Scientists Close to Creating Eggs and Sperm from Stem Cells

This appears to be the same group, the material difference being of course that they are now in fact confirming that they have succeeded in producing human sperm cells. That is a significant development.

[edit on 14-11-2005 by loam]

use the stem cells for research into fixing diseases in people instead of stuffing around with the genetic makeup

You can't use this stuff properly without doing basic research with it. Also, this research, its not like its directed from the top on down, its people in labs and universities that pick and choose what they want to do.

Mayet

for crumbs sake why don't they use the stem cells for research into fixing diseases in people instead of stuffing around with the genetic makeup of humanity.

Because there is NO intention of fixing disease. The primary goal is to replace humanity - with GM products.

FYI - stem cell therapy was well developed as a treatment of disease by the 1950's. It's also recognized as the most effective treatment for ALL modern disease, including bird flu.

Stem cell therapy is not available to most people because it is not covered by insurance. Stem cell therapy is not covered by insurance because mass treatments - and mass survival - is not part of the plan in population reduction and control strategies.


.

While I'm all for gay people 'having' children (surrogate, adoption), I believe this technology should not be used to create more people where there are plenty already. It should be used to help the population that's already here with disease cures and organ and limb creation and so on.

I also have some of the same concerns that have been mentioned here already. The control of the environment in which these tests are being done. The decisions being made. It could get pretty strange...

Anyone remember the movie GATACA! Or how the minitor or Pan were created. How about Demolition Man...........reproduction without 'ew" fluid exchange".

It's also recognized as the most effective treatment for ALL modern disease, including bird flu.

Umm, waitaminute. What? I've never even heard of anything remotely approaching a stem cell based therapy for the flu, letalone the recently appeared h5n1 type bird flu. Is there a specific study for this or am I misunderstanding?

Nygdan

Umm, waitaminute. What? I've never even heard of anything remotely approaching a stem cell based therapy for the flu, letalone the recently appeared h5n1 type bird flu. Is there a specific study for this or am I misunderstanding?

It's not publicized, but the info is out there. Just takes a bit of awareness, and a little digging.



Bird flu now is publicly acknowledged as causing an "immune system over reaction" - an allergic asthmatic response, also similar to the molecular processes that occur in hantavirus. See here: www.abovetopsecret.com...

A molecular biologist might describe the allergic asthma response found in bird flu and hantavirus this way, "A disease-causing misfolded protein, or prion, takes over normal stem cell proteins, turns them into replicas of itself, and so, creates mutated stem cells. The mutated stem cells, called myofibroblasts, multiply and block the airways."

The infectious prion common to asthma, bird flu, and hantavirus is called "a-smooth muscle actin" (ASMA) - and is responsible for the takeover of actin-related proteins in stem cells for connective tissue and smooth muscle in the lungs.

RE: stem cell therapy for allergic asthma response:

As in bird flu - Lungs of patients who die from hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) exhibit cytokine-producing mononuclear infiltrates and pronounced pulmonary inflammation. This article provides a 2004 update on using bone marrow derived stem cells to provide correctly folded protein in healthy stem cells for transplant, to cure hantavirus and similar diseases.

The real significance of new diseases like bird flu and hantavirus is they provide clear evidence that infectious prions now are airborne, and are transmitted by the respiratory route.

Stem cell therapy is very effective in treating prion-related diseases like bird flu and hantavirus. Its main drawback is economic: it treats disease at the source, cures it, and prevents it from spreading through the body to create other chronic disease and secondary symptoms affecting different organs or body systems. So stem cell therapy is not nearly as profitable to industry as drug therapies - it destroys the pharmaceutical market by curing underlying disease, and preventing the appearance of chronic secondary symptoms.

If stem cell therapy were widely available and covered by insurance, it would a) destroy the drug industry, and b) interfere with current population reduction and control measures.


MORE on cytokines and the allergic asthma response, RE: antihistamines:

The reported "immune system over reaction" describes an allergic and inflammatory response typical of allergic asthma - and common in prion-related diseases. Much research over the past few years has looked at appropriate treatment, and antihistamines are known to inhibit prion replication and multiplication.


Cytokines in Allergic Disease

Cytokines regulate immune responses.

Partners Asthma Center

Allergic asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by eosinophilic inflammation and airway hyper-reactivity. Cytokines and chemokines specific for Th2-type inflammation predominate in asthma and in animal models of this disease. The role of Th1-type inflammatory mediators in asthma remains controversial. IFN-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10; CXCL10) is an IFN-gamma-inducible chemokine that preferentially attracts activated Th1 lymphocytes. IP-10 is up-regulated in the airways of asthmatics, but its function in asthma is unclear. To investigate the role of IP-10 in allergic airway disease, we examined the expression of IP-10 in a murine model of asthma and the effects of overexpression and deletion of IP-10 in this model using IP-10-transgenic and IP-10-deficient mice. Our experiments demonstrate that IP-10 is up-regulated in the lung after allergen challenge. Mice that overexpress IP-10 in the lung exhibited significantly increased airway hyperreactivity, eosinophilia, IL-4 levels, and CD8(+) lymphocyte recruitment compared with wild-type controls. In addition, there was an increase in the percentage of IL-4-secreting T lymphocytes in the lungs of IP-10-transgenic mice. In contrast, mice deficient in IP-10 demonstrated the opposite results compared with wild-type controls, with a significant reduction in these measures of Th2-type allergic airway inflammation. Our results demonstrate that IP-10, a Th1-type chemokine, is up-regulated in allergic pulmonary inflammation and that this contributes to the airway hyperreactivity and Th2-type inflammation seen in this model of asthma.

Medoff, B. D., A. Sauty, et al. (2002). "IFN-gamma-inducible protein 10 (CXCL10) contributes to airway hyperreactivity and airway inflammation in a mouse model of asthma." J Immunol 168(10): 5278-86.

2001: While capable of inhibiting histamine and LTC(4) release by human basophils, desloratadine is more effective at targeting the signals regulating IL-4 and IL-13 generation in these cells. This inhibitory effect on cytokine generation provides additional evidence that this antihistamine exerts anti-inflammatory properties.

2004: Monomeric Recombinant TCR Ligand Reduces Relapse Rate and Severity of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in SJL/J Mice through Cytokine Switch

May, 2005: Herbal Extract inhibits TH1 cytokines and promotes TH2 cytokines in vitro.

NOTE: Above references are listed in PubMed.

Just thought I'd mention it. The high expense of stem cell therapy may prove to be TOTALLY UNNECESSARY:

Male Fish Found with Eggs in their Testes


Ahh. Evolution. And the New World Order. Men in labor. Watta concept. Thus, the real conspiracy is unveiled: it's a divine strategy to teach men compassion.

But maybe the offspring be born without a soul.

Spoooooooookyyyy~~

theoretically making it possible for members of the same sex to produce genetic offspring .

Alright.

That does it.

I'm OUTA HERE.

Where can I catch the next jumpgate to andromeda?

Aaaww, WCP. You skipped right over my joke.

Please? Go back and read it?

Originally posted by soficrow
Men in labor. Watta concept. Thus, the real conspiracy is unveiled: it's a divine strategy to teach men compassion.

Now I'm completely convinced. This thing is a totally bad idea. One half of the species being whiny, emotional and hormonal is bad enough.

Thank you, you're a wonderful crowd. I'm here all week, be sure to tip your waitress.

[edit on 2005-11-16 by wecomeinpeace]

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace

Originally posted by soficrow
Men in labor. Watta concept. Thus, the real conspiracy is unveiled: it's a divine strategy to teach men compassion.

Now I'm completely convinced. This thing is a totally bad idea. One half of the species being whiny, emotional and hormonal is bad enough.

Thank you, you're a wonderful crowd. I'm here all week, be sure to tip your waitress.

[edit on 2005-11-16 by wecomeinpeace]

So God creates Adam right, and God and Adam are sitting in the garden of Eden have a chat. Adam tells God that he's lonely, that all the other animals have a companion but him, being the only human. So God turns to Adam and says, "alright well I'll create you a being that will cook you food, will clean after you, and will have sex with you and give you as many blowjobs as you want. All I need is your left arm."

Then Adam replies "What can I get for a rib?"



Anyways, in all seriousness I think this technology like any other new technology has the potential to change our society based upon how we use it. Maybe some day in the future everyone will be sterilized from birth and in order to create a child you have to pay a visit to the clinic where they extract DNA from you and your partner and recombine it into a fetus. Because we're going to have to address Earth's over-population problem very soon and mass sterilization along with the technology to create a fetus in the lab would be an ideal way to ensure that everyone has 2 kids or less.

Im already getting a queezy feeling about this. Can you imagine the deformeties we are going to have? If the U.S. is set to making clones for war then im packing my bags and moving to the moon. (im sure a few bottlerockets would get me there). But really, that is some messed up stuff right there. Besides, its Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, right?