To add on, stem cell research has been going on for over sixty years and while there have been advancements, little progress has actually been made. This is primarily due to the scientific and ethical objections towards the research. Even if it was allowed with no limitations, who knows how long it will take to find a cure for
Imagine a future where Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are looked at in the same regard as polio. Imagine a different and truly personal kind of medicine that avoids the use of potentially risky and invasive procedures. Regenerative medicine has the promise to be just that. Using injection therapy which involve the injection of stem cells which undergo differentiation that will repair damaged tissues. This process happens when one parent (stem) cell divides into two daughter cells. One of the two daughter cell will remain a stem cell, the other daughter cell will specialize into a specific type of tissue cell.
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.
How far are we willing to go to save a life? Regenerative medicine is a newer innovation that is highly controversial. This controversy is typically brought on by religious groups with the concern of whether or not the practice is moral. The use of regenerative medicine has the potential to treat previously incurable diseases and disorders. Despite the moral complications, regenerative medicine should become regular practice as it has the potential to treat diseases at the source and improve the quality of life for millions of people.
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
The cell suspension in PBS was taken and mixed with an equal volume of 0.5% Trypan blue (Biosciences). A drop (10l) of the Trypan blue/cell mix was applied to a hemocytometer. The unstained cells (viable) and stained cells (nonviable) were counted.
The goal of this process is strictly to harvest stem cells, resulting in the creation of “cloned organs”, which can be used to treat heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
The recovery period after large scale injuries could be shortened. The effects are analyzed in an article that states, “True healing could occur thanks to the cloning of their own cells to help the recovery process” (“Pros and Cons” 5). Basically, the process of cloning healthy cells could be used as an aid in replenishing damage of unhealthy cells. This process, if it were to be actualized, could help recovery progress in anything from pulled muscles to the paralysis of an entire limb. In theory, the same research can be applied in other areas. If this technology is paired with stem cell research, it could result in a method of repairing physical damage. An article that focused on advances in biotechnology stated that “Another use of cloned stem cells could be the growth of replacement tissues in the laboratory” (LaPensee 15). Necrosis, apoptosis, and lymphocyte diapedesis all cause tissue damage or death. These tissues could be replaced by cloned cells of healthy tissues. This shortens recovery periods and leads to healthier tissue growth.
Why are humans stuck how they are? Why do some have lethal flaws? Why do theses flaws exist? The correct answer is they don’t have to: Human genetic engineering can solve some of theses lethal issues now and can solve more in the future. It can help the next generation experience what everyone strives to achieve. Human genetic engineering research should continue because it can save people's lives, improve human’s lives and improve the lives of the next generation of children.
In Brazil 2009, there was an 18 year old boy that had half of his jaw and teeth removed because of a tumor. Scientists took some of his bone marrow and extracted the adult stem cells from it and formed an osteoblast, which is a bone forming cell. Six months after the osteoblast was injected, it started forming new bone material which filled the gaps (NIH Stem Cells). Stem cells could be a genius way to treat many diseases and disorders and it should be supported by everyone.
Adult stem cells have already proven to be successful in treating diseases and have helped hundreds of thousands of patients, and new clinical uses expand almost weekly. Adult stem cells can be obtained from cord blood, fat, neural tissue, muscle, bone marrow, placental and skin cells. Adult stem cells are increasingly being shown to have a similar and perhaps an identical capacity to become cells of other types. There is a possibility that adult stem cells may function more efficiently and more safely than embryonic cells. Treena Arinzeh, a young professor who last year won a Presidential Award, the nation's highest scientific honor, is bringing the promise of stem cell research one step closer to reality. Adult stem cells also have a unique trait that lends them their magic: Under the right conditions, or given the proper signals, they have the ability to turn into different cell types. Arinzeh is doing exactly that: developing signals, in the form of biomaterials, that will help adult stem cells turn into cells that, if injected into a diseased area of the human body, could regenerate damaged tissue. Her research has also led to two major stem-cell discoveries: One showing that stem cells, when mixed with biomaterials known as scaffolds, can help regenerate bone growth; and another proving that stem cells taken from one person can be successfully implanted into another. A list of conditions for which stem-cell treatment holds promise grows almost daily: It now
However, despite this, it should be known that most scientists are not trying to change the human race, but instead are trying to fix the biological hiccups in DNA such as genetic diseases and cancer. Stem Cell research is the future of healthcare and has already led to several medical advancements such as the invention of synthetic insulin. “Scientists have discovered that embryonic stem cells have the potential to cure spinal cord injuries, as well as diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson's” (Mendez, “Stem Cell Research,” 18). There are literally endless possibilities of stem cells hidden behind a metaphorical locked door and in order to better understand them, we first need to unlock that door, and the key is hidden somewhere within embryonic stem
The BioPen allows surgeons to repair damaged bone and cartilage by “drawing” new cells directly onto bone in the middle of surgery. The pen has a bio-ink comprised of stem cells inside a biopolymer such as alginate (a seaweed extract) which is in turn protected by a second layer of hydrogel. Once on the bone surface, the ink is hardened using a UV light embedded in the pen. Once they are drawn onto the bone, they will proliferate in the patient’s body, differentiating into nerve, muscle and bone cells and eventually being established as tissue. The technique could reform how surgeons repair cartilage. For certain types of injuries, it’s difficult for surgeons to discern the exact shape of the area requiring an implant, making it tricky to design an artificial cartilage implant before surgery. With the BioPen, surgeons could simply use the hydrogel solution to fill in the damaged area. The cell solution could also be further customized by adding drugs to boost healing and regrowth. Hopefully, these type of innovations can change patients from being defined by their pain to being able to live healthier lives.
Research on stem cells is knowledge constantly being explored about how an organism evolves from a single cell and how cells in good condition are put in place of cells that no longer work. The outcome that is anticipated from doing this research is that if scientist can fine tune stem cells into regular cells like blood or heart muscles and put it back into the body, then possibly they may find a cure for some of the widespread diseases that exist in our world today such as diabetes, leukemia, and many more by replacing those weak cells with youthful cells. Eventually this research might lead to realistic, reasonably priced ways to get rid of many diseases through DNA engineering but is it really worth
While some people might say that stem cell research is immoral and unethical, others believe that it is a magical solution for almost any problem, thus leading to a very controversial issue. Scientists have been searching for years for ways to eradicate incurable diseases and perform other medical procedures that yesterday's technology would not fix. With the rapidly arising, positive research on stem cell technology, the potential that exists to restore any deficiency is in the same way, likely to destroy humanity. America is suffering from its inability to choose who holds precedence over this issue. Too many of us find it impossible to reach a basis for which our differing opinions can be shared and formed into a universal and