preview

Stem Cell Paper . Framework. No Medical Advancement Has

Better Essays

STEM CELL PAPER
FRAMEWORK
No medical advancement has ever been met with unanimous acceptance because it is in the nature of man to not only question the present but the future. Stem cell research currently presents itself as the nearest medical advancement in time of strong contentious social and political climate. The debates on the scientific, political, and ethical implications are intertwined in a discourse that practically leaves the United States at a standstill in amidst this scientific revolution. Some of the questions that seem to permeate this intersecting debates include what is a stem cell and what are the implications of the different type that exist? Also, how will stem cell research and use might affect the scientific and …show more content…

This is because of the marker molecules that has to be adjusted to the recipient of the stem cells (Okarma,2011. p. 10). On the other hand, as Rader explains, unlike embryonic stem cells which require a somatic nuclear transplant to control against rejection, fetal stem cells have no antigenicity (Rader,). As earlier noted, most of the sources heavily focused on distinguishing adult stem cells from embryonic stem cells while indirectly categorizing fetal stem cells under the latter category. Due to this fact and in light of the differences outline above, this paper will draw on the debates surrounding embryonic stem cells in terms of science, politics and ethics in speaking on fetal stem cell research.
THE INTERTWINED DEBATES
The scientific debate surrounding stem cell research, whether embryonic or fetal, rest primarily on the question of motive. Rader takes the pro position, arguing that stem (fetal) cell research and application has shown in its observations and through his results that it has undoubtable potential. He argues this by giving an anecdote of a fellow doctor, Dr. Deniss Nigro, whose stage four cancer practically left him without a choice. As the story goes, Dr. Deniss Nigro, an equally reputable doctor came to learn the benefits of fetal stem cells (Rader, 2010). However, the opposing position argues that the results that Rader’s patient attributed to the fetal stem cell therapy

Get Access