Many of us have all heard the saying that a “lizard can lose its tail,” and bizarrely enough it will grow back. This was always considered impossible for humans, an idea belonging in the realm of science fiction, but now the regeneration of tissue is an extremely realistic possibility. Despite some opinions, this process does not happen naturally, or take place as cinematically as one might imagine. Over the past decade, there have been major advances in regenerative medicine, commonly known as stem cell research. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells within the body that have the capability to specialize into any tissue. They are most commonly found in cord blood, bone marrow, organ donations, placenta, and embryos . Stem cells are seen by some as a new miracle treatment, encouraging many countries to invest in their research.
P2 Understand ethical issues relating to research in health and social care Ethical principles Protection from harm- In any health care setting it is always important to make sure that all the individuals in all the aspects of the area are being protected from harm. In any organization the most important policy is the protection policy this enables the staff to make sure that all the individuals feel safe. Protection from harm does not only mean being protected from abuse It could be protecting people's health and wellbeing and enabling them to live free from harm, neglect and abuse.
Discoveries from stem cells have been substantial within the last 20 years, with breakthrough treatments for diseases and conditions previously thought to be incurable. For instance, the case of Portuguese patient Silvio, who, due to an accident, suffered Grade A spinal cord injury, and “was left with no movement of his legs and minimal
"I think this marks the beginning of a new era for stem cell research," Robert Lanza, the company's chief scientific officer, wrote in an email. "After a decade of intense controversy, the field is finally ready to prove itself--and to actually start helping patients suffering from a range of horrific diseases. It also shows the new readiness of the FDA to work with researchers to move exciting new stem cell therapies out of the laboratory and into the clinic." Later this month they plan on cluding and gathering the result of the
Here's the scoop: As originally reported late last year in the medical journal Blood, Dr. Catherine M. Verfaillie and other researchers at the Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, have discovered a way to coax an adult cell found in the bone marrow to exhibit many of the attributes that supposedly make embryonic stem cells irreplaceable to the development future "miracle" medical therapies(Catherine).
One of the most heated political battles in the United States in recent years has been over the morality of embryonic stem cell research. The embryonic stem cell debate has polarized the country into those who argue that such research holds promises of ending a great deal of human suffering and others who condemn such research as involving the abortion of a potential human life. If any answer to the ethical debate surrounding this particular aspect of stem cell research exists, it is a hazy one at best. The question facing many scientists and policymakers involved in embryonic stem cell research is, which is more valuable – the life of a human suffering from a potentially fatal illness or injury, or the life of human at one week of
Throughout the course of history, healthcare advancements have been some of the most important events to happen to the human race. Whether it was the invention of the first stethoscope or the first vaccine for polio, these findings have helped lengthen and improve human life, as well as aid scientists in better understanding humans as a species. In recent years, embryonic stem cells have been discovered to offer a variety of benefits to many different diseases and disorders. However, despite their amazing potential, the source of these lifesaving cells have brought up the question of ethics and morals in the scientific and medical communities as well as mainstream media. Is stem cell research worth the dangers and moral controversies in
Researchers successfully attained embryonic stem cells from the embryos of mice in 1981, which led to the discovery of this process in human beings in 1998 (National Institutes of Health, 2001). Embryonic stem cells are derived from an in vitro embryo between five days and seven weeks. Regenerative medicine can benefit greatly from the characteristics of embryonic stem cells. This process enables damaged organs and tissues to heal themselves with the help of implanted stem cells matching the organ (Hunziker, 2010, p. 1). There are two traits
For example, scientists at the Texas Heart Institute extracted stem cells and anti-inflammitory from fat tissue from a patient that had had a myocardial infarction. Scientists then injected the stem cells into the damaged area of the heart. They then studied patients with stem cell injections and without stem cell injections. From baseline to six months, they noticed patients without stem cells damage area increased by 5.1%, and patients with stem cells damage area decreased by 3% (Texas Heart). This study had positive affects, as did a similar one. Other scientists induced rats to have myocardial infarctions. They then extracted cardiac stem cells from the rats themselves and injected them back into the damaged area of the heart. Mortality rates decreased, and scientists noticed the aortic and myocardial walls became thicker to protect themselves from future problems (Beltrami, Barlucchi, Torella). From the use of stem cells, cardiovascular repair can greatly decrease mortality rates and increase quality of life for survivors.
Lo, B., & Parham, L. (2009). Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research. Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726839/
The society has evolved over the decades. Medical advances, greater technologies, better understanding of the world around us, the sky is the limit! The progression of a society is astounding from where it was just twenty years ago. One is able to do things that the forefathers would have never dreamed! Science has discovered ways to travel to the moon and back, reach some of the deepest depths of the oceans and discover new species, and drive hybrid cars. The achievements of today’s society have reached a new high; however, with great achievement comes great questions of ethics.
Once injected or ingested, the cells circulate throughout the body until they "locate" the organ in need of repair. Types of cells that have been isolated and used in cellular therapy thus far include those from the: brain, pituitary, thyroid, adrenal glands, thymus, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, heart, ovary, testis and parotid. In one round of therapy, numerous cell types can be injected simultaneously (Barrett, 2003).The magic behind this technology according to www.youngeryounger.com occurs because the "young cells, which are organ specific but not species specific, imprint their vigor upon old, tired and degenerating cells, stimulating them to function with renewed efficiency. The organ itself then retains its vigor and vitality" (www.youngeryounger.com, 2003).
“Through the isolation and manipulation of cells, scientists are finding ways to identify young, regenerating ones that can be used to replace damaged of dead cells in diseased organs. This therapy is similar to the process of organ transplant, only the treatment consists of the transplantation of cells rather than organs. The cells that have shown by far the most promise of supplying diseased organs with healthy cells are called stem cells.” (Chapter Preface)
Science has gone where no one has ever been before, and on the way it has interfered with some important ethical beliefs. Stem cell research is one of the leading ethical problems in the world today. It is the most talked about issue, and it has even made its way to the White House for the president to voice his opinion. The debate lies on whether it is ethical or unethical to destroy an embryo for the purpose of research.
Embryonic stem cell research is a highly controversial topic in today's society, this kind of stem cell commits to regenerate any type of tissue. Unfortunately, Embryonic Stem Cell Research has a dark side. To obtain these cells will kill the embryo automatically. In other words, the acquirement of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell includes performing an abortion. To obtain these cells, it would kill the embryo. This has created controversy since abortion is such a divisive topic. Politicians are uneasy to take sides. The Human Embryonic Stem Cell issue is today's Pandora's Box due to all the unwittingly chaos that it can bring to our lives. By having this new option available in the medical world,