Expert: Walter Hintz - 4/11/2009

Question
Hello Sir,
I am Vinit and I am conducting a survey on stem cell research for my college news paper. I would love it if you could answer a few questions for me. Yous answer each question as concisely or as elaborately as you wish.

My aim is to write an article based on personal interviews on field experts expressing the current temperament on the academic community on stem cell research.

1. Are you with/against stem cell research?
2. Have human embryonic cells been used successfully to treat any human diseases yet?
3. what are the obstacles that must be overcome before the potential uses of this research will be realized?
4. Are stem cells used in therapies today?
5. Beside curing diseases, can stem cells be used for other things?
6. What is the ethical debate over this issue?
7. Some stem cell research involve the destruction of a human embryo, Is a human embryo a human life?
8. There are prominent pro-life public figures that support this research, why would pro-life advocates support this research?
9. Could there ever be a way to obtain embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo?
10. If there is a way to do so, how does this finding influence would affect the ethical debate?
11. Do you with Obama's Policy on stem cell research? why?
12. Which country gets the most important stem cell research?
13. Does the free market decide who gets therapies developed from stem cells, or do the poor get preferential treatment?
14. any additional comments about the ethics of stem cell research?
15. For the purpose of a record, could you please state your name and qualifications? If possible also attach a website link and email address.


I would be grateful if you could reply as quickly as you can.

Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
Vinit

Answer
1. I support it
2. not that I am aware of
3.opposition on religious grounds
4.Only in a research capacity
5 Treating birth defects and tissue regeneration
6. Whether embryos are alive and the belief that it is immoral
7.All cells involve human life every single cells
8.I am not sure why I suspect they are thinking about saving lives
9.I do not believe so
10.It most likely stop the debate
11.Yes because they make sense to me
12.I do not know
13.There are no treatments so far
14. From a biologists standpoint the guiding factor is species survival and everything must be geared to this end.  Stem cell research leads to this end. Destruction of embryos occurs naturally in some cases in spontaneous abortions to protect the mother.
15.Walter Hintz
  Professor of Biology
waltjh@sbcglobal.net