The Issue Of Legalizing 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.

Imagine a world free from disease. The idea of a utopian society has been far from reality until the research from embryonic stem cell therapy surfaced. Since former president George W. Bush banned federal funding on embryonic stem cell research in 2001 it has caused a halt in advancements and caused controversy in the public. According to an article by Beau Watts, an accredited physician; embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells (Beau Watts). This means they have not decided what function they perform yet. Since the cells do not know the function, it can be determined by scientists. As described in the “Guidelines for the conduct of human embryonic research” by the international stem cell society; medical professionals can take an embryonic stem cell and “reprogram” it to eliminate the disease. Today 2,200 people died from heart disease (American heart association). Heart disease is only one of many diseases that can be cured by embryonic stem cell research. Religious and/or conservative groups now condemn the research, for multiple reasons. Embryonic stem cells are donated by patients of in-vitro fertilization. After a “round” of IVF, they can choose to donate, freeze, or discard their leftover embryos. Embryos contain two layers, it is the innermost layer that contains the cells used in embryonic stem cell research (Society for stem cell research). It is very important to know that, the embryos that could be used in the research are donated upon request of the patient.

December 20, 1968 David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen would go on their first and last date together. On this fateful day the two would be brutally murdered by an unknown killer, who would become known as the Zodiac Killer. There are as many as 37 other victims that were claimed by the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer’s identity is still unknown today and is the antagonist of one of the most disturbing cases in American history. As the Zodiac Killer took innocent lives as if he was picking candy from a candy store he tested what methods worked, what he liked, and how to not get caught. He took innocent lives of people, and did it in some of the most brutal ways possible (Zodiac). This sounds a lot like a problem we are faced with in today’s society; the destruction of children for the use of stem cell research, the use of embryonic cells, and cloning.

The importance of ethical issues is often understated in public knowledge. Embryonic stem cell research should be of the utmost importance in the American society due to increased federal funding and the promises research in this field hold. As with many other controversies, embryonic stem cell research can be described as a dispute between religion and science due to the destruction of a viable human embryo. Depending on the status an individual grants an embryo will likely determine their stance on the issue. Next, many changes in legality and public acceptance have prompted leaders to increase funding and expand research nationally. Since taxpayers’ dollars are at work, the public should be aware of this prevalent and advancing ethical issue and be informed of its specifics. The public should also be aware of the advancements in healthcare that this research promise. Due to the changes in funding and legality, many discoveries have been made, pushing this science further. Many scientists believe embryonic stem cell research holds the key to curing many bodily injuries and deadly diseases such as spinal cord and brain injuries, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Also, many scientists conceive that, in the future, it will be possible to “grow” human organs from an individual’s stem cells for transplantation. The latter are only a few of the plethora of anticipated and promised treatments research in this field holds. Lastly,

In the United States of America, people have many rights and freedoms that are respected by the Federal Government. As stated in Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau: “There will never be a truly free and enlightened state until the state comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power” (225). In the goal to make America a truly free and enlightened state, laws have been enacted to preserve individual rights. With the furthering of medical science, the issue of individual rights vs. government regulation has been raised many times, and the right of the individual has always been held in the highest regard. This is why our government should both legalize and

The Alliance for Aging Research is a non-profit organization that promotes the use of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. As an agency geared toward improving the health of human beings as they age, some of their responsibilities include lobbying for federal legislation, conducting studies and surveys, and creating and distributing educational materials to health care professionals and the public. With Baby Boomers closely reaching the later stages of life, this group has found themselves focused primarily on research programs for the geriatric.

“Embryonic stem cell research will prolong life, improve life, and give hope for life to millions of people,” said politician Jim Ramstad. This is a very powerful statement, and a very accurate statement. The solution to curing many diseases is just around the corner because of the advancements in embryonic stem cell research. The much needed support of society can speed up the progression of this research so lives can start to be saved. Embryonic stem cell research should be pursued because it has the potential to help or even cure many diseases, shows more promise than adult stem cells, and is morally ethical.

This paper discusses the recent history of stem cell research in the United States, tracking the controversies, politics, and promise of new technology that comes with a moral price. Starting in August of 2001, with President Bush's request that Stem Cell Research not be paid for with federal funding, the battle of science against religion began. (Rosenburg, 2001) Despite extreme pressure from the science community, and the threat of falling behind other nations in this critical research, President Bush never rescinded his ban on federal funding of stem cell research. President Obama, since March 2009, has lifted this ban on federal funding of stem cell research, and for the past three years American scientists have been playing catch up with the rest of the world. The future of stem cell research is promising, but the upcoming presidential field, especially Candidate Rick Santorum, is a threat to the pursuance of this most precious technology. It looks as though the more moderate Mitt Romney will win the Republican nomination, however, and therefore federal funding for stem cells may continue even if Romney wins the general election in November. Stem Cell Research is only seen as a controversial methodology by a small subset of American citizens, yet this subset is extremely vocal. The future of stem cell research looks to be determined by how

Imagine living in a world without cancer, Parkinson 's, or even diabetes. While everyone may wish this is true, people are against a way that researchers can make this possible, which would be by the use of stem cells. There is major controversy on whether or not stem cell research should be allowed, especially when it comes to embryonic stem cell research. Although many consider it to be killing a potential life form, embryonic stem cell research may eventually be acceptable to use because there is consent and a lengthy process to make sure the donor understands what their embryonic stem cells will be used for. That may be viewed as a much better

As modern medicine advances, new techniques such as regenerative medicine can be used to help aid in the treatment of diseases through the use of stem cells ("Stem cells: What they are and what they do" 1). The use of stem cells has been an ongoing debate between whether or not it is actually ethical to use embryonic stem cells, as well as if the embryo has any rights which should be protected. Since it is difficult to place a concrete definition on what exactly makes a person a person, this adds to the controversy surrounding stem cells. The central conflict that is faced when speaking about stem cells is whether or not using the research to help those suffering from diseases is worth using an embryo that possibly could have held life.

The reason stem cells are such a big breakthrough in medical technology is that they are cells that have the remarkable ability to grow into just about any cell in the body (Introduction n. pag). In fact, stem cells that remain in the human body after birth “serve as a sort of internal repair system,” in many tissues and organs (Basics n. pag). This is an extremely efficient way of healing since stem cells can become

Stem cells have become one of the largest and controversial research fields in the Department of Regenerative Medicine. They are often referred to as the “building blocks of nature” due to their ability to transform into any type of cell in the human body. The controversy behind the use of stem cells is the possible chance that stem cells can regenerate organs, and cure life-threatening diseases. This topic has been publicly discussed among scientists and healthcare professionals. There are different types of stem cells, such as regular, cancer, embryonic and adult (Jun Zhang et al. 2). This brings up ethical concerns: whether destroying the embryo is worth stem cell research/ transplantation (Jun Zhang et al. 3). Also, if stem cell research is cost effective. Stem cell research will allow people to gain further knowledge on the benefits on the use of stem cells, and how it can bring new innovations into the medical field. The benefits weight out the cons. Stem cell development continues to rapidly grow through research, which has unraveled its possible benefits in organs, cancer, neurologic and cardiac diseases. The United States government should fund stem cell research because this advance in medical research can create cures to life-threatening diseases.

Stem cell research is full of controversy with a million different opinions on each side of the argument. In this essay, the “pro” side will be viewed and discussed. The background, the pros, the experiments and other information will be deliberated. Hopefully by the end of the composition, one will understand the benefits of stem cell research.

Stem cell research has covered many parts of research today and is growing progressively and becoming more common in research today. These cells have the potential to grow and develop into any other cell type in the body and form or make up the tissues of the body and organs. There are millions of people today who suffer from birth defects or diseases because of damaged cells or tissue. Stem cells give researchers the ability cure and replace almost all the cells in the body and help grow new tissue from the damages done by the disease. Although many oppose research of stem cell research and believe that there are other ways to treat people with illnesses, stem cells will give the information needed to cure many diseases including many form of cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and many more.

Perhaps the most effective of those, however, are embryonic stem cells, which occur in the early development of an embryo, or a baby in the early stages of the womb, and they can change into any different cell type (Stem cell - about).