Why Are Stem Cells Important

Embryonic stem cells are found in human blastocysts (Marcovitz 17). A blastocyst is a very young embryo (just a few days old) that contains around 200 undifferentiated stem cells (Marcovitz 17). German Zoologist Valentin Hacker coined the term “stem cell” after he discovered them in a blastocyst of a crustacean (Marcovitz 18). Embryonic stem cells were collected for the first time in 1988 by Dr. James Thomson of University of Wisconsin and by Dr. John Gearheart of Johns Hopkins (Panno 76). These stem cells are unspecialized; they do not perform a specific function like cells such as muscle and nerve do (“Stem Cells”). They are also pluripotent, meaning they have the ability to divide and become specialized cells (“Stem Cells”). This is why stem cells hold so

Embryonic Stem cells have led to a very long line of discussion. Whether to see it as immoral not to pursue research or immoral to pursue research, it is nonetheless very difficult to discuss. Questions are uncovered during this debate, for example, Is killing possible life (Embryos) lesser or greater than saving the already living, such as people with incurable diseases? The debate goes deeper and deeper into moral judgment and it doesn't matter whether you are religious or not in this argument because in both cases it is a life. But what if it didn't have to be a life? Further forms of research may be used to help save lives both from people who have incurable diseases and the embryos. If such research can be formed without a moral block, performance of such research should not be delayed. The possibility to save loved ones is incredible, to do so without victimizing women for embryos and killing those embryos, which could possibly behold life, only to maybe

Stem cell research is the future of medical and biological research and remedies, and it is fascinating to watch the progression of this new and important science as it unfolds. These cells were discovered in mouse embryos in the 1980s, and are remarkable because of their potential to grow into a variety of different kinds of cells within a body. Common in fetuses, and more rare in adult animals of all kinds, stem cells can be manipulated in useful ways to repair many tissues, dividing limitlessly for therapeutic purposes. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or to differentiate into more specialized tissue, such as nerve, pancreas, bone marrow, or unique blood components. Initially

Many scientists believe that embryonic stem cell (ESC) research is the key to curing diseases such as cancer and HIV. Stem cells are so important to biomedical research because they are primitive cells that are capable of replicating indefinitely producing a multitude of different types of cells. This means that one of these pre-determined cells has to potential of becoming any range of over two hundred tissues with epithelial cells to blood and

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

Patrick Guinan says that the ethical view of embryonic stem cell research needs to be questioned because it kills off something that has the ability to be a human being (Williams). Some people may think that but Catherine Waldby says that the embryo as just an “idea of human life” (Lauritzen) and finds no destructive behavior used in stem cell research. Even though the issue over stem cell research goes on, sixty-seven percent of Americans say they support the use of embryonic stem cell research (Hall).

The first step towards embryonic stem cell research is obtaining the embryos. Currently, most embryos used in stem cell research are spare embryos from In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment (de Wert & Mummery, 2003). This is because using the embryos for research is a better option than discarding them as medical waste. Besides donating or destroying the embryos, couples can also opt to let other couples adopt the embryos or continue to store them, which can get expensive (Fischbach & Fischbach, 2004). Along with treating infertility, the embryos are used for researching potential therapies. While donating embryos to research avoids the wasting of embryos, there are concerns about the quality of spare embryos. Embryos with the highest chance of resulting in a pregnancy will be chosen for the IVF treatment, potentially leaving less durable embryos as spares (de Wert & Mummery, 2003). This leads to researchers preferring to generate new embryos and embryonic cell lines for their own studies. While using spare embryos to further our knowledge in health and science is approved of, knowingly creating an embryo with the intention of destroying it, even for research, is

Stem cell research indicates that these cells can help carry out organ transplants, treat various diseases affecting human beings, and aid in repairing and replacing various body tissues. One reason stem cells, especially embryonic stem cells, are so effective at treating diseases is they are free from genetic disorders. This ensures a significantly high success rate at curing the ailments they are used to treat. Stem cell transplants, if widely adopted, could give lasting solutions to many medical problems facing humanity. This will be possible because the embryonic cells, or the reprogrammed somatic cells, if induced to sick people, can help regenerate, repair or replace worn out, damaged, or diseased tissues. This will help get solutions to organ malfunction, through removing affected organs and then inducing stem cells, which then help to regenerate or repair the affected organs

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to become many different cell types by the process of mitosis and differentiation. Due to this unique property, many scientists are keen to researching and working with these cells. Furthermore, Stem cell is one of the most potential gates to curing diseases and developing new technologies.

“If a life is lost, we tend to feel differently about it depending on the stage of the lost life” (Embryonic Stem Cell Research: an Ethical Dilemma). A fertilized egg that has not reached or has not been implanted in the uterus does not necessarily define that it has life. To be more precise if an embryo certifies to have moral status, then we must look through the stages of development before the life's birthed. It takes six days for an embryo to reach the uterus for implantation. In after fourteen days the start of the nervous system will then develop. Following this stage would be the phase of which the body becomes premature and then birth. According to Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, believed that life did not start after three stages. He defined those stages as vegetative, animated, and intellectual. People started to believe with Aristotle that life of a human being did not begun till after these three stages. This belief concluded for many that “ an embryo did not become human until after birth, and this idea has influenced public perception and dialogue ever since” (Panno). One can argue that if it is not a fact when an embryo is considered a human then why eliminate their chances from having the potential to become one? Blastocysts, from where the embryonic stem cells are derived from, contains a high failure rate of 75 % in which it can be lost through the process of implantation by natural causes. About “more than half of fertilized eggs are lost due to natural causes” (Panno) and so it should not be agonized in the fact that early embryos are used for research. As for embryos that have reach the womb, implanted in the uterus for fertilization, fourteen days or conception, then and there applies the issue when the embryo contains of human characteristics. As blastocysts, embryos do not really have the status of anything as a part of someone’s body, when it has reached

For years, researchers have been studying the biology of stem cells to figure out how development works and to find new ways of treating humans with health problems. Because stem cells can give way to any tissue found in the body, they provide nearly limitless abilities for medical treatments. Current studies on researching how stem cells may be used to prevent or cure diseases and injuries

“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)

Scientists have always been searching for a way to help, cure, and reverse currently incurable, unfixable, or damaging diseases and conditions. In recent years, stem cells have become a strong candidate to solve this long lasting issue, and many with this method. The source of this potential cure alarms many. Despite this, this research is crucial to move modern medicine forward and save lives. With the potential to cure disease and many injuries, reduce the likelihood of rejection after transplantations, and with little to no moral or physical negatives, this research is extremely valuable and right to do.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, or HES cell research, is a very controversial ethical debate. This issues is a dilemma for scientist, religious activist, and many more. HES cell research is being disputed because the practice is morally wrong. The other side of the issue stands with many scientist, being that they see the potential lives it could save in the long run. Religious activist, and many other pro-life leaders stand by the fact of how the scientist obtain the embryonic stem cells is wrong and unethical. To understand this issue we first need to understand what stem cells are. “Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have not yet decided what type of adult cell they are going to be”(What Are). There are different types of cells, including, Adult Stem Cells (ASC), Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC) and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSC).

Steven Weinberg, a famous theoretical physicist, once said, “It does not help that some politicians and journalists assume the public is interested only in those aspects of science that promise immediate practical applications to technology or medicine” (Doc, 2016). Though this refers to many, if not all, fields of science when there are new technological advances, there is one in particular that falls under this assumption. There are two basic fields within stem cell research and the one under the most scrutiny is embryonic stem cell research. To be able to use their stem cells without killing them has not been developed yet, so many articles on ethical concerns of stem cell research are focused on this specific topic. Many areas of