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Bioethics

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Texas Politics, Bias and Bioethics

“All politics is local,” is a quote attributed to – and the title of a book co-authored by – the late, former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill. The lesson seems to be one that Texas State Representative Juan Garcia, D-Corpus Christi, learned well. It doesn’t hurt to stack the deck in your favor, either. … Continue reading

Umbilical Cord Blood Saves Lives

Today, the Texas House State Affairs Committee heard from a young man who was born with sickle cell disease. Young Joseph, Jr. told the Representatives that his baby brother saved his life. And now, he doesn’t have to take medicine or get shots any more. (The oblivious hero slept through the hearing.) And of course, … Continue reading

>Truly transplantable lung stem cells

>Researchers at The University of Michigan have proven that mesenchymal stem cells are present in the lungs, and that these cells have transplanted along with the rest of the lung. In the past, it was believed that the mesenchymal stem cells ( a versatile group of stem cells – see the information in the quote … Continue reading

>Stem cell review, March 2007

>It’s time to write an updated review on the status of stem cell therapy. For one thing, I wrote about the lung cells from two different labs and sources, yesterday. Next, Richard Doerflinger has written his “75 new reasons” to support non embryonic stem cell therapy over on “DO NO HARM.” And then, there’s the … Continue reading

Follow-up: HPV Testing, Men, and Prevalence

I did a little research on testing for HPV, especially in men. The CDC site on HPV is here and it’s up to date. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm Digene, http://www.digene.com/labs/labs_hpv_01.html is a swab test for women. Negatives are true negatives for current risk of cancerous changes at the cervix. If negative, then 99.5% accurate – no HPV present … Continue reading

Umbilical Cord vs. Embryonic Stem Cells

The Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS) has published the article that was the subject of this blog last week, and which claims that researchers at the University of Texas at Houston have produced the “first transplantable source of lung epithelial cells.” There is no evidence that these cells are “transplantable,” and they … Continue reading

“Back Alley Death” (“Physician Assisted Suicide” )

Oregon and Vermont – extremes on the map and extremes on medical ethics. But this is the first time that I’ve heard that doctors should give patients a deadly prescription to prevent a “back alley” death. How many of us really want our Family Doctor to be proficient in killing? Or, in over-riding his or … Continue reading

MIT adult stem cell research soap opera?

Yesterday’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology press release (“MIT bioengineer advances survival, promise of adult stem cells”)led to the story behind the story and and maybe more. Behind them all, of course is the truth that human embryos are, indeed human, and that there is not any difference between the embryo in the petri dish and … Continue reading

Do not look behind the curtain! (again, with the magic tricks)

I’d say the man who said this needs both a heart and a brain: “Ultimately, human hearts, human brains, and human kidneys and human pancreas will be re-created in their entirety from human embryonic stem cells or some combination of adult and embryonic stem cells,” Willerson said. He’s certainly got enough nerve. Tell me what … Continue reading

Jesus, embryos, research, and IVF protesters

Newsday printed an op ed by Michael D. Kerlin, “Where faith and stem cells meet: Jesus might have us use embryos – otherwise destined to be discarded – to aid the sick and dying.” (That’s pretty much it, except to testify to his Christianity, his alma mater, and to lay the fate of all sick … Continue reading

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