...ABSTRACT Stem cells have offered much hope by promising to greatly extend the numbers and range of patients who could benefit from transplants, and to provide cell replacement therapy to treat debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. The issue of stem cell research is politically charged, prompting biologists to begin engaging in ethical debates, Stem cell research offers great promise for understanding basic mechanisms of human development and differentiation, as well as the hope for new treatments. However, human stem cell research also raises sharp ethical and political controversies. This paper will discuss the types of stem cells as well as some of the controversies involved in stem cell research. Introduction According to Wikipedia, stem cell can be defined as “biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide (through mitosis) and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells.” A stem cell could be regarded as one of the basic building blocks of the human body. Stem cells are important because they have the ability to become different cell types, and scientists are working on developing ways to use stem cells to repair or regenerate damaged organs or tissues. This could lead to therapies for a whole range of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's, although at present it is impossible to tell whether this will happen...
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...A Civil War on Ethics For many years scientists all over the world have been fighting an ethical battle concerning morality of stem cell research. There are various opinions surrounding stem cell research and a vast amount of evidence supporting each side of this controversy. Patrick L. Taylor of children’s hospital Boston describes human embryonic stem cells as the primary cells from which cells in the body ultimately differentiate and develop. Taylor believes that advancements in stem cell research are leading to a medical revolution. Taylor lists a few things it can help with, such as insights into how organs and tissues develop, detailed knowledge of the factors that affect growth and how they interact, and dramatic new research and clinical applications (Taylor). Many people don’t believe that stem cell research is ethical. This opinion is driven mostly because of the destruction of embryos; Society sees this as murder in many cases. President Bush believes the human embryo is understood and valued in terms of its potential to become a gumanbeing. In his words, “Like a snow flake, each of these embryos is unique, with the unique genetic potential of an individual human being”. By comparison, federal policy in the United States is more circumspect insofar as there is no particular attention to the potential of the developing human embryo. If the human embryo was deserving of legal protection on the basis of potentiality, then logically the federal government would have...
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...Stem-ulating Research Michael Eldridge Abstract Stem cell research has the potential to be the next “big thing.” Stem cells have been around for a very long time, however the research is only a little over ten years old. Stem cells are tiny immature cells that can become any kind of cell in a person’s body. Like everything else in society today stem cell research comes with some controversy. Some controversy comes from the fact that aborted fetuses are used to get stem cells. As always there are at least two sides to every issue. Imagine a world where almost every dangerous disease could be cured by a single medicine. This imagination can become reality with a small little stem cell. Stem cells potentially have the ability to cure cancer, birth defects, brain damage, learning disabilities, paralysis; the list goes on and on. A stem cell is a cell that can replicate itself and takes on the function of the cells around it. To understand stem cell research a background of its history is needed, along with a more in-depth explanation of what a stem cell is, and finally ethical issues associated with stem cell research. Although stem cells have been around for a long time, the research of stem cells is relatively new. In 1996 the Dickey-Wicker amendment was created and it prohibits the creation of embryos through government funding. Experiments on stem cells began in 1998 at the University of Wisconsin. “Dr. James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin developed a technique...
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...Research paper on Stem Cell Research Legislation and the related legal issues: What is the history of Stem Cell Research Legislation in the United States? How does it compare to comparable statutes in the rest of the world? In this paper talk about what the current legislative state of affairs is and where the law on stem cells in the United States should go in the future and why. Make sure you use ample research and cited sources to support your arguments but make sure to state your own opinion on the issues as well. Stem Cell Research TJ AS OF: 2/4/2009--Introduced. Stem Cell Research Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo. Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of fertility treatment, and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) prior to donation, it was determined that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) the individuals seeking fertility treatment donated the embryos with written informed consent and received no financial or other inducements. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of...
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...FALFA11 Sec E The history of Stem Cell Research Legislation in the United States Adult stem cell research on humans began in the 1960's, first achieving success in the treatment of a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency disorder in 1968. Since the early 1970's, adult stem cells have been successfully used for treatment of immunodeficiency and leukemia. Many are in support of the scope, nature, necessity and urgency of stem cell research. If the possibility is there to preserve life and cure diseases such as Cancer, Leukemia, Heart Disease AIDS/HIV, the United States Federal Government should issue more funds towards stem cell research. Those very same people that are against stem cell research may someday find themselves in dire need stem cells to save their lives. A German AIDS patient was able to stop drugs he had been taking for 10 years after getting a transplant of stem cells from a donor with a rare gene variant known to resist the deadly disease. The transplant also cured his leukemia, researchers reported. Embryonic stem cell research does not appear to be ethical and it seems as if a life is being taken in the process. One can’t help but pose the question, “when do the actual stages of life begin”? A Blastocyst is a thin-walled hollow structure in early embryonic development that contains a cluster of cells called the inner cell mass from which the embryo arises. The outer layer of cells gives rise to the placenta and other supporting tissues needed for...
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...English 102 Stem Cells: There are 3 main types of stem cells- embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent, that provide great advances to modern medicine (Power). In recent years, the discussion of stem cells has become that of a political and moral debate. There are many misconceptions about stem cell research. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. “Stem cells promise great advances in the treatment of injury and disease, but many problems must be overcome before their potential can be realized.”(qtd. in Power) Before an opinion can be developed on if stem cells should be used, one must know what and how they are used. Stem cells have caught the eye of scientists since the early 1800‘s where cell propagation and differentiation were witnessed for the first time. It was a Russian histologist named Alexander Maksimov who, in 1908, first put forward the existence of the stem cell (and coming up with the term himself) as part of his theory of hematopoiesis (What). According to Maksimov’s hypothesis, all cellular blood components were derived from hematopoietic stem cells(What.). However, there had been no major developments in the field of stem cell research for some 60 years after Maksimov’s theory was proposed In the early 1900‘s European researchers made the discovery that all blood cells and platelets came from a specific ‘stem cell’(What.). However it was not until later in 1963 that the first quantitative descriptions...
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...discovery of stem cell therapy, it has been a controversial topic of long debate of moral ethics and politically. The discovery of stem cells and their ability to generate new cells began in the 1800’s. Today the topic of research therapy makes headlines with its controversy with the use of embryonic stem cells. Historically stem cell research includes plant, animals and human stem cells but today the prominent use of stem cells in humans is bone marrow transplant. This has become a simple one day medical procedure that is one of a lesser debate. Complete strangers can now simply be tested for a compatible match to an awaiting recipient. This type of success has brought stem cell to the forefront of medical researches discovery of other stem cell therapies that are futuristic in nature and have the possible to cure devastating disease and injuries that would otherwise leave someone completely debilitated or worse. Stem cell therapy is on the verge of being a revolutionary medical advancement in history. The discovery that stem cells could generate new healthy cells in the 1800’s had revolutionized the medical profession. Blood marrow transplant are the front runner of the success that stem cells can produce. This is the prominent force that guides researcher to believe that stem cells can be a cure for many diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, immune deficiency disease, certain types of leukemia’s, severe blood disorders and traumatic injuries to the spine and brain. A stem cell...
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...Is Stem Cell Research Ethical? Reginald Lawrence Is it ethical for stem cells for the advancement of medical research? In the 1800s it was discovered certain cells could generate other cells. The 1900s brought upon more research in using stem cells. The ethical issue surrounding embryonic stem cells research arises because human embryos are destroyed in the process. I believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives and that a greater good can come out of using embryonic stem cells. The treatment of diseases and illnesses continually grows and improves. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to help rectify or even cure disease and illnesses that are thought to be incurable. However, the ethical battle over the sanctity of life rages on. Stem cells can be compared to the building blocks of the human body. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, they can develop into any other type of cell in the body. They are extracted from a cell before they differentiate. They have the capacity to make any of the 200 different cells in the body and can also self-renew or reproduce themselves. Currently, there are 89 stem cell lines, a family of constantly dividing cells, registered with the National Institute of Health (NIH). The first line was discovered in 1998. In 1996 Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, which put restrictions on federally funding embryonic stem cell research if the embryo was created to be destroyed. In 2001, President Bush implemented guidelines to...
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...just to humans but is actually all around us. It exists in nature, animals and humans. Cloning is defined as the creation of a genetically identical copy of an existing human or growing cloned tissue from that individual. This term is generally used to refer to artificial cloning; human clones in the form of identical twins are commonplace, with their cloning occurring during the natural process of reproduction. “Human cloning is the asexual production of a human being whose genetic makeup is nearly identical to that of a currently or previously existing individual” (Chesire et al., 2003, p. 1010). To be successful with cloning, scientists utilize and create “generic” cells that that have the ability to make exact duplicates or copies of themselves indefinitely. This process is known as “stem cell research.” Stem cells are a key element of the different types of cloning and will impact advances in helping to cure many different types of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and cancer. Before we can discuss this, I need to explain the different types of cloning. Cloning for the most part, as we know it, began on July 5, 1996 with a sheep named “Dolly.” The creation of Dolly was accomplished after many failed and aborted attempts. Dolly came about by agricultural research scientists who were tasked and funded to create the “perfect sheep.” The reason behind the experiment was to...
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...degenerative diseases, thereby defective genes could be replaced and help improve the lives of millions. However, cloning in the human sense has had a difficult start. DNA cloning has permitted the development of modern biology, in particular within the last forty years. In this time frame the world has passed from theories to actually cloning genes. Subsequently, The University of Utah Health Sciences did a study on the history of cloning: Mitalipov and colleagues were the first to use somatic cell nuclear transfer to create a human embryo. …In this experiment, researchers took a skin cell from a patient and fused it with a donated egg cell. Key to the success of the experiment was the modification to the culture liquid in which the procedure was done and to the series of electrical pulses used to stimulate the egg to begin its division. Following the cloning controversy of 2004–2005, in which South Korean scientists falsely claimed to have used somatic cell nuclear transfer to create embryonic stem cell lines, the scientific community demanded much stronger evidence that the procedure had actually been successful. (Learn. Genetics) Subsequently, many states in the US began to prohibit the use of therapeutic and reproductive cloning. Regardless, cloning should be decriminalized, with the stipulation that serious regulations be put into place. People, often too caught in the moral implications of cloning never take the time to learn the scientific process. Moral implications are thoughts...
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...paper for her which includes the following: • The purpose of human-made genetic recombinations in food. • Whether or not foods that contain genes resulting from artificial genetic recombinations are really safe. • A list of foods in your supermarket that result from genetic recombination. • What types of regulations exist for these foods. • A conclusion of your own opinion on genetically modified foods (For help, you might search the Food and Drug Administration website.) b) Stem cells. Your friend suffered a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that your friend is a good candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your friend has not had a biology course since high school. So you decide to write your friend a paper sharing your knowledge of stem cells. Include in your letter: • A description of the biology of stem cells and how these cells are unique from other cells. • A contrast the different types of stem cells, including pros and...
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...Stem Cell Research Paper Stem Cell Research Paper Human Biology The human body is capable of many miraculous feats. Every hour, every minute, every second, millions of cells are working to maintain homeostasis within the body. This paper is going to focus on one type of cell in particular, the stem cell. The properties of this little cell are amazing. These unique cells self-regenerate through cell division, and in addition to being unspecialized, have the ability to develop into many different specialized cells of the body. Numerous studies have shown the potential of stem cells to cure cancers, as well as slow or reverse the damages of some neurological disorders, yet stem cell researchers have met with both public and legal resistance during their attempts to show the incredible usefulness of these cells. Therefore, the question is, with stem cell research showing the potential to reverse the damage from or slow the progression of neurological disorders, and possible cures for cancer and other diseases and disorders are the possible benefits too much to ignore? The ability to self-regenerate is one the things that makes the stem cell such an appealing area to study. Most cells and organs in the body do not have the ability to self-regenerate, nor self-repair but stem cells can do both. Stem cells themselves are unspecialized, in that they have so special function (Stem Cell Basics, 2009). Part of the beauty of the stem cell is that through cellular...
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...Stem cells are cells that can recreate into any type of cell and can cure diseases and reproduce rapidly. Stem cells are a huge help in the scientific world but the reason why we don’t use them often is because they are hard to get. Stem cells can change into any different kind of cell that they want to. For example, if someone needs brain cells, they will stick the stem cells into the brain and the stem cells will turn into brain cells. Stem cells are a very big assist to help cure diseases. Stem cells are a huge controversy in the science world. The way we get stem cells is from the fertilized eggs or embryos. Many people don’t like this because, for their research, scientists kill babies all so they can get results on how stem cells work....
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...Stem Cell Research One topic or issue that has been and still is considered to be the most controversial not only in the USA but in many other countries across the world is stem cell research. Personally, I have mixed views about stem cell research. Considering the knowledge that I currently have about stem cell research, I can say that I am definitely in support of it. On one hand I can understand the controversy and views associated with those who are opposed to the research and use of stem cells. Many of the anti-stem cell research advocates have more of a major issue with the source of the stem cells rather than the method of research used. Stem cells are found throughout the body and are capable of regeneration and transforming into any one of the body’s numerous cell types. Majority of the stem cells used are from adult tissues and referred to as the adult stem cells, or somatic cells, which are derived mostly from blood, bone marrow, and the skin. The other types of stem cells also being used are the umbilical cord stem cells, amniotic fluid stem cells, and embryonic stem cells. The most versatile and controversial of all the stem cells are the embryonic, which are also believed to be more promising for studying, treating and curing diseases. The controversy associated with embryonic stem cells are the simple fact that they are derived from embryos which were developed and donated for research purposes by a donors who signed consent for the eggs to be fertilized...
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...Jean-Marie Lux Biology 121 Stem Cell Research Paper September 12, 2012 Stem cell research is a relatively new field and has made huge advances in the past fifty years. The idea of stem cells was first made public by a Russian-American Scientist named Alexander Maksimov in 1908. However it was not until 1963 that two Canadian Scientists were able to actually demonstrate the existence of self-renewing cells found in the bone marrow of mice. The Scientists were James E. Till and Ernest A. McCulloch. So although Maksimov was the first person who put the idea of stem cells out there, it is really Till and McCulloch who are credited with proving that stems cells actually existed. Since Till and McCulloch, many Scientist have contributed to the huge advances in stem cell research. In 1968, the first successful bone marrow transplant was conducted on two siblings suffering from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), a primary immune deficiency which typically results in the onset of one or more serious infections within the first few months of life. These infections are usually serious, and may even be life threatening. In 1978, the presence of Haematopoietic stem cells were discovered in human cord blood cells. Haematopoietic stem cells, are multipotent stem cells that give rise to all the blood cell types. In 1981, Scientist were able to derive embryonic stem cells from mice. One of the biggest advancements in all stem cell research came in 1997 when a link between...
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