Legal Issues Regarding Stem Cell Research

Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into different types of cells in the body. Stem cells also act as a repair system for many tissues in the body by dividing repeatedly to replenish other cells within a person (National Institutes of Health). Stem cell research seeks to further the advancement of the use of stem cells as well as to find an ethical way to study them. In November 1998, researchers found a way to isolate and culture human embryonic stem cells, (Bevington 2005). The ethics of stem cell research has been debated over the years and some people fully support the use of stem cells, whereas others are completely against the use of stem cells. This has been an ongoing battle for scientists over the span of two decades prior to the 1998 finding.

Stem Cell research and its funding have caused a lot of controversy throughout the past years. Stem cells are cells that are present in all living organisms. These cells have the potential to grow into any type of cell, including blood cells, nerves, muscles, and pancreatic cells. Stem cell research is essential because of the beneficial aspects it has to offer. Stem cells could potentially treat conditions such as Alzheimer 's, Parkinson 's, birth defects, strokes, Diabetes, cancer, and help in the reconstruction of severely damaged organs. Although stem cell research withholds great potential for many medical advances, a lot of controversy surrounds the sources and methods of obtaining stem cells and the possibility of improper usage of the knowledge acquired from research and experimentation. It is necessary for scientist to continue research as well as recognizing any ethical issues that may be present.

Stem cell research has been quite a controversial topic since its origin in the 1960s by Gopal Das and Joseph Altman. Of course, anything that uses a human embryo would be. Stem cell research could open a vast number of new doors for modern science, it could let us test new drugs, one of which could be the unfound cure for AIDS or Alzheimer’s disease. However, this branch of science comes at a high price, the price of a human life that is only five to six days

When talking about ethics, we have theoretical ethics and applied ethics. Those these two are different they, are also connected. Theoretical ethics can be defined as the theoretical study of the main concepts and methods of ethics(Ward). This is, basically, studying the ethical language, the concepts, beliefs, and the reasoning of certain ethical theories. Applied ethics are defined as the application and evaluation of the principles that guide practice in particular domains. Applied ethics concerns the issues and problems specific to the field in question(Ward). This is taking ethical theories and applying them to everyday issues, whether private or professional. While they are different, since one looks at understanding ethical principles and the other takes a different approach by applying those principles, they are similar because they really need to go hand in hand to reach the right goal. In order to figure out which ethical theory works, you would need to learn more about it and then look at applying it. Now, we will take a look at rights based ethics and stem cell research.

Controversy surrounding research and therapeutic use of stem cells has been a contentious and socially polarizing matter for a few decades. Arguments lie largely between the scientific community and the general public, although intragroup disagreements also persist today. These disparate views for and against stem cells arise out of the bioethical implications of an inchoate innovation, the general public’s tenuous understanding of the underlying technology itself, and sociopolitical ideologies. Due to the somewhat aged debate, recent revelations and advancements have changed the principle arguments and should be addressed accordingly.

In the past two decades, many technological and scientific advances have been made in order to make life easier for many people who suffer from cancer, disease and sickness. Among these advances there is something revolutionary called stem cells. Stem cells can help restore and regenerate almost all parts of the human body such as the heart, kidney, liver, and many other organs. Although stem cells offer a lot, there are many views against and for stem cells, and among these views lies the debate of whether stem cells should be legalized or not (NIH 2). Stem cells offer exciting new opportunities in the field of science such as regenerating human body parts, but many people are still debating whether or not the use of stem cells is

Recently in the scientific world, the field of embryonic stem cell research has become a popular topic and has been the subject for many heated debates. Experts in the field of stem cell research promise that this will be the future of medicine; that stem cells will be the cure to all the debilitating diseases and afflictions of today, such as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancer and nerve damage. The truth about embryonic stem cell research is that it is not as hopeful and as revolutionary as it seems. Many problems that will negate the use of stem cells will and have already begun to arise, especially in areas concerning health risks to the patient, opportunity costs and human rights (Condic 803). Taking into account all the

Stem cell research is a fairly controversial topic in the United States. Stem cells are cells that have the potential to become certain types of cells throughout a human body. There are a few types of stem cells, which are embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are the most controversial due to the manner from which they are obtained. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells gathered from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, which is an early-stage embryo that contains about 50-150 cells. However, the extraction of these cells causes the blastocyst to be destroyed, which is what raises many flags to people. The controversy of stem cell research began as early as 1996 when congress

When the topic of stem cell research, and/ or treatment, people generally automatically jump to the conclusion of embryonic stem cells, when in retrospect according to Eurostemcell.org, an organization based website that is dedicated to supplying the public with the latest news and information on stem cells. According to the article there a few different types of stem cells. The first type of stem cell is, embryonic. Embryonic stem cells are grown in a laboratory from embryos cells at an early stage. The second type of stem cell is tissue stem cells. Tissue stem cells are found in all different parts of the body. Lastly the third type of stem cell is, Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS), or 'reprogrammed' stem cells. IPSC are similar to embryonic stem cells but they are from adult specialized cells.

“Now science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research, which may provide our scientists with many answers that have for so long been beyond our grasp.” (Nancy Reagan). Most cells within our bodies perform one specialized task. Contrary to these single job cells are stem cells. These cells are unspecialized and can morph and perform any task that is needed within the body. However, the way that stem cells are harvested has caused a lot of controversy. The way that the stem cells are taken destroys the embryo. We should support the recent decision to allow embryonic stem-cell research in the United States and federally fund the work to use these stem cells to cure diseases. Better stem cell research would provide safer procedures and medical practices for everyone.

Stem cells are defined as the population of cells within an organism that retains its ability to divide and differentiate into various cell types. Since the early 1980s, scientists have researched the use of stem cells in the treatment of various human diseases such as cancer and diabetes. The research has sparked a controversial debate worldwide due to the nature of stem cell research and the source of pluripotent stem cells used in research. Stem cell research is a necessity, despite the source of pluripotent stem cells, because the research has led to breakthrough information involving the treatment diseases and injuries and the use of stem cells to replace damaged cells.

Embryonic cell research’s meritable goal is to treat and fix genetic problems before hand; it must not be used to re-engineer a new generation. Nature should not be changed unless for medical purposes. This research can either become a moral benefit to end genetic diseases and mutations or a corrupt, universally available advancement in science that gives human beings the power to construct the traits of their offspring - for reasons other than medical desires.

Stem cell research is one of the most promising and controversial topics is the past few decades. Stem cells were discovered by a group of scientists in 1981 by deriving embryonic stem cells from mouse embryos. The discovery of stem cell derived from mouse embryos then progressed to the discovery of deriving and creating stem cell from a human embryo is 1998. In 1998 when scientists discovered a way of deriving stem cells from a human embryo is when the controversy began. The main controversy of stem cell research is the destruction of an embryo for sceintific and medical purposes. Other controversies are whether federal governments should fund and support research is ban the use of stem cell for medical and research purposes. Various religions

Being one of the most exciting and promising fields of medical research, embryonic stem cell research has progressed over the years going more in depth to discover the key to unlock the cure to many diseases. These unique individuals have the ability to copy themselves an unlimited amount of times and can grow into any cell type in the body. Scientists are seeing infinite value in these cells. They are able to further their research on the understanding of human development and how they can help treat many diseases. These embryonic stem cells give hope for medical advancement having the ability to grow into many different cells and can replace damaged or dead ones, producing new organs in the process. These cells have the ability to prevent or reduce the suffering of many people with many fatal diseases. Continuing stem cell research can further eradicate life-threatening diseases, introduce new medical knowledge, and help improve the health and appearance of burn victims.

A fairly new area of research has emerged in which scientists are looking into using stem cells for various sources. One of the major problems that arose with this new area of research was the ethics of using embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to conduct research. This brought up problems, especially within the Catholic Church, as to when does life first begin. Taking these undeveloped embryos was seen as taking the life of an unborn child. New insights into this area of research have shed light onto alternative methods of studying using stem cells. This includes the reprogramming of various cells into a state that can be programmed into various tissue types in the body. Of course as promising as this area of research sounds, there are many implications that need to be studied further before scientists are ready to administer such treatment to patients on a large scale. This paper will seek to familiarize readers with stem cells, the idea of pluripotency, what cellular reprogramming is, the benefits and drawbacks of cellular reprogramming, and applications of reprogramming.