The Debate on Stem Cell Research

The Debate on Stem Cell Research

Grantham University

The Debate on Stem Cell Research

The most significant and controversial advancement in bioscience during the past few decades has been stem cell research. With so many possibilities coming from the cell’s ability to generate new tissue, some believe they may be the answer to treating or possibly curing some of humanities most baffling diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s (O’Brien, 2012, para. 6). With such a tremendous potential, stem cell research has ushered in a new age of regenerative medicine. But along with this great new potential comes great controversy. The key issue being where stem cells are produced: the human embryo.

Embryonic stem cells are cells harvested from a four day old embryo that can self-renew, meaning they create more stem cells. Each of these cells is also pluripotent, meaning they have the ability to differentiate into every kind of cell needed to develop a human adult. By culturing these cells scientists have been able to create healthy tissue to replace damaged or diseased tissue. In clinical trials on rodents, scientists successfully used stem cells to replace neural, cardiac, liver, and bone marrow tissues (Filomeno, Dayan, & Touriño, 2012, p.204). Once the growth factors that induce specific forms of cell differentiation are understood, it would be possible to produce different types of tissue from the patient’s own stem cells, minimizing rejection. This means it would be possible to cure type I diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, replace damaged heart tissue after a heart attack, grow new skin for burn victims, and replace blood cells and bone marrow in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatments (Green).

Even with so much life-saving potential in the field of stem cells, there are ethical factors involved. The human embryo, even in the first week of development before implantation, is a human being according to Richard...