Issues in animal research
There are many strong feelings on both sides of the argument over using animals in research. There are many people who accept animal research as necessary for furthering knowledge that is capable of saving lives and helping us understand more about human psychology and evolution. Recently, there has been more work done to provide animals used in research with the more natural and stimulating environments to minimize the negative effects of life in captivity.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Stem cells
Two Universities in the United Kingdom have been authorized to proceed with research that involves using animal embryos to develop human stem cells.
Researchers in the United States are pushing for more flexibility to study stem cells. In the U.S, there are only a few existing lines that can be studied with government funding. Many researchers would like to expand their options to include new adult lines and embryonic stem cells.
Sean Morrison, director of the center for stem cell biology at the Life Sciences Institute, wrote “My laboratory studies umbilical cord blood. It is useful for replacing blood-forming cells in children that have been treated for cancer. However, it cannot do the same things as embryonic stem cells. That is why there is near universal agreement among respected scientists and patient advocacy groups that current restrictions should be relaxed,” in an opinion piece for the Detroit Free Press.
The website offers a tutorial explaining how stem cells work.
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