While we all do understand that we can’t progress in science, engineering, economics, mathematics, nursing, medicine and in life as human beings without the need for research. There is the need to do research for good purposes but not for the making of nuclear weapons and toxic chemicals to destroy our environment. Break through in science and engineering has lead the United States and Russia to be at the fore front of Space Science. Scientific research has lead major companies to discover vaccines and drugs for diseases such as Polo, TB.There is also now the talk about the moral and ethical concerns about stem cell research especially the cloning of human parts and animals.Currently most medical and scientific research is done using mice. Researches have found a gene, Par-4, in the prostate of mice, which actually suppresses the growth of tumors. The study found that mice born with this gene do not develop tumors. They grow normally, have no defects and actually live a few months longer than the control animals. The gene can also be found in other cells within mice. Scientists injected the gene into eggs, and then implanted them into surrogate mothers. With this after sometime there is a mice offspring, which possess enough carbon copy of the gene to resist cancer growth. How nice it will be if we develop treatment through this technique to cure people with the various forms of cancer. However, it is not yet known if this same gene exists in humans, or if another version from mice can be transplanted into humans to create the same cancer-resistant behavior.This will greatly be a cure for traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy. This will therefore need an extensive animal as well as human testing to fully observe the benefits and side effects of the gene. This is basically genetic engineering or gene splicing. With all these research activities comes with the ethical debate and concerns again? In this vein some animal and human subjects have to die in the process of researching a cure. This has given rise to the sale of human parts and the abduction of humans or human trafficking in certain countries, though this practice is cruel and evil.If we can save the lives of millions of people on our planet especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Stroke, Alzheimer’s, Spinal Cord Injuries and others at the cost of just a relatively few, then that would indeed be the greatest benefit for civilization and mankind.
Posted By: Benjamin Yaw Atsem
Sources:
Myers, Lauren“Animal testing necessary in medical research”Issue date: 11/6/07
Section.http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2007/11/06/Opinions/Animal.Testing.Necessary.In.Medical.Research-3080864.shtml
“Researchers Say They Have Created Cancer-Resistant 'Super Mouse”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313461,00.html
“Animal testing a necessary research tool, for now”
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/0903poste0903.html
Sunday, January 27, 2008
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