2008 Press Releases
Stem Cell Research and Cloning: Scientific, Medical and Ethical Issues - Public Lecture
07.01.2008
Obesity, stem cell research, stress, alternative medicine, biodiversity and Alzheimer's Disease are among the topics to be discussed during the 2008 Faculty of Science Public Lecture Series at University College Cork (UCC).
07.01.2008
Obesity, stem cell research, stress, alternative medicine, biodiversity and Alzheimer's Disease are among the topics to be discussed during the 2008 Faculty of Science Public Lecture Series at University College Cork (UCC).
Organised by Professor William Reville, Public Awareness of Science Officer and Faculty of Science, UCC, the highly popular lecture series, which commences on Wednesday, January 16th, continues weekly until March 26th 2008.
The series begins with Professor Martin Clynes who will deliver a lecture titled "Stem Cell Research and Cloning: Scientific, Medical and Ethical Issues." Recent developments in technology have opened up exciting new possibilities for research on, and therapeutic application of stem cells from adult, neonatal and embryonic sources. It is also now possible to clone animals. These new developments have important implications for our understanding of life processes and may lead to new treatments for degenerative diseases, but claims on the scope and timescale of new cures have been wildly exaggerated especially in the case of embryonic stem cells. Stem cells from adult sources are easier to control and are more likely to be of therapeutic benefit in the immediate future, whether or not it is right to undertake destructive research on human embryos. Ethical issues in the field include informed consent for recipients and donors, possible exploitation of duress on donors, biosafety issues, the acceptability of reproductive or therapeutic cloning and animal welfare issues.
Martin Clynes is Professor of Biotechnology and Director of the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology at Dublin City University. His research interests are in chemotherapy resistance in cancer, skin cell therapy for diabetes and eye diseases, and the cell and molecular biology of how cells can be used to produce genetically engineered medicines.
The lecture will take place at UCC's Boole Lecture Theatre 4 at 8pm on Wednesday, January 16th.
Admission is free, and as always, members of the public are invited to attend. See http://understandingscience.ucc.ie
592MMcS
The series begins with Professor Martin Clynes who will deliver a lecture titled "Stem Cell Research and Cloning: Scientific, Medical and Ethical Issues." Recent developments in technology have opened up exciting new possibilities for research on, and therapeutic application of stem cells from adult, neonatal and embryonic sources. It is also now possible to clone animals. These new developments have important implications for our understanding of life processes and may lead to new treatments for degenerative diseases, but claims on the scope and timescale of new cures have been wildly exaggerated especially in the case of embryonic stem cells. Stem cells from adult sources are easier to control and are more likely to be of therapeutic benefit in the immediate future, whether or not it is right to undertake destructive research on human embryos. Ethical issues in the field include informed consent for recipients and donors, possible exploitation of duress on donors, biosafety issues, the acceptability of reproductive or therapeutic cloning and animal welfare issues.
Martin Clynes is Professor of Biotechnology and Director of the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology at Dublin City University. His research interests are in chemotherapy resistance in cancer, skin cell therapy for diabetes and eye diseases, and the cell and molecular biology of how cells can be used to produce genetically engineered medicines.
The lecture will take place at UCC's Boole Lecture Theatre 4 at 8pm on Wednesday, January 16th.
Admission is free, and as always, members of the public are invited to attend. See http://understandingscience.ucc.ie
592MMcS