Stem Cell Research

The National Bioethics Advisory Commission was charged with the task of reviewing all of the issues pertaining to stem cell research by President Clinton in 1998. President Clinton was aware of arguments being made for and against stem cell research which displayed hopeful clinical and scientific prospects but also brought about many ethical controversies, many of which dealt with federal sponsorships of research in this field of study.

Stem cells are found in all animals, they are generic cells that are able to mature into other kinds of cells throughout the body and are used to repair damage to our bodies. Stem cells can be found in adult animals, hematopoietic stem cells, as well as in early embryonic stages of animals, embryonic stem cells. There is another type of stem cell called the embryonic germ cell which is very similar to other embryonic stem cells. These embryonic stem cells, when harvested, allow scientists to grow newer complex cells such as liver cells from a culture of stem cells. Scientists regard them as a key pathway into understanding many diseases that plague our society today such as Parkinson's Disease, but also as a way to understand the development of human beings.

Sources of stem cells are:

Embryonic germ cells from a human fetus after abortion

Embryonic stem cells from a human embryo created by In Vitro Fertilization for couples with infertility problems

Embryonic stem cells from a human embryo created by In Vitro Fertilization only for research purposes

Embryonic stem cells derived from a human embryo created by somatic cell nuclear transfer where a nucleus from an adult cell is implanted in an empty(enucleated) ovum

Also research is now showing promising results from obtaining adult stem cells from adult organisms but is limited, often due to the type of animal being used to harvest the cells. This type of stem cell research poses no immediate ethical threats and should be pressed, but due to its limitations is not an active...