...that the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research should be continued since if this research is successful, it can be beneficial for all human beings and encourage further development. Because hESC is pluripotent, it can transform to any other types of cell. Thus, it can be used to cure many diseases that are incurable, such as type-1 diabetes and genetic disorders. Many people will gain from the hESC research. Moreover, the research also encourages many further developments. For instance, Shinya Yamanaka has successfully transformed human skin cells into induced pluripotent (iPS) cells, which function exactly like human embryonic stem cells. Thus, I think the hESC research should be continued. I think that scientists should not use discarded embryos from fertility clinics to conduct human embryonic stem cell research since this source of embryos addresses the concerns of those who do not want to see embryos destroyed for research purposes. Scientists can use induced pluripotent stem cells instead. In this way, they can avoid many controversies of using discarded embryos from fertility clinics, and the iPS cells act exactly like the hESC. Although the embryonic cells are going to be destroyed, many people still think that destroying embryos for research is violating sanctity of life. Therefore, using iPS cells can solve the ethical problems that bring from using hESC for research, and the iPS cells are easier to obtain than...
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...made cell by cell—and put it into a patient, a child whose own bladder was congenitally deformed. Since that breakthrough a decade ago, the 50-year-old pediatric urologist, director of Wake Forest University's Institute for Regenerative Medicine, has moved on to cobbling up bones, heart valves, muscles, and some 20 other body parts -Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire, a collaboration that has yielded one of the first successful demonstrations of gene therapy in humans. The partners have restored much of the vision in patients who have a rare genetic form of severely impaired eyesight called Leber's congenital amaurosis, in which a mutated gene prevents the retina from manufacturing a nutrient vital to eye health. The technique eventually could be tried to treat macular degeneration. -Wayne Marasco was discovered a human antibody that attacks a newfound vulnerability in flu viruses. His finding could be the key to a single, perennial vaccine against all forms of influenza, including swine flu. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2009/06/30/14-medical-pioneers-who-arent-holding-back Important advances -Human Genome Project In April 2003, scientists annouced they completed a draft sequencing of the human genome. This establihed the order of the more than 3 billion letters in what's called "The book of life" Gene sequencing has helped researchers identify single genes that cause diseases and helped to creating better treatments. -Stem cell research Stem cells can essentially...
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...Stem Cell Therapy Stem cells are virtually limitless. They have the potential to treat a huge range of diseases and conditions that debilitate millions of people around the world. Stem cell research is teaching us more about birth defects and how they can be prevented or possibly reversed. There are three major types of stem cells, embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are derived from undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells found throughout the body that divide to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues, also known as somatic stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult stem cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell like state by being forced to express genes and factors important for maintaining the defining properties of embryonic stem cells. There are so many possible medical uses for stem cells. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injuries, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. We also have a way to safely test new drugs. Stem cell controversy is an ethical debate primarily concerning the creation, treatment, and destruction of human embryos. This controversy has motivated and reinvigorated the pro-life movement. These...
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...Stem cell research and therapy Stephanie Reeves Rasmussen College Author Note This paper is being submitted on August 3, 2014, for Ellen Doyles’ Human Biology course. Stem cell research and therapy Stem cell research has great significance for medical use. They have the ability to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. They can also serve as a repair system to many tissues, by dividing without limitation to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. Stem cells are the body’s raw materials. Stem cell research has created quite the controversy and has been a topic of debate for over a decade. There are 3 types of stem cells that are currently being used in stem cell research and therapies; Embryotic, Adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells. There are a few characteristics that differ between these types of stem cells Embryotic stem cells can become all cell types of the body because they are pluripotent, and can be grown relatively easy in culture. Adult stem cells are thought to be limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue origin, and are rare in mature tissues which makes it difficult to isolate these cells in adult tissue, and methods to expand their numbers in cell culture has not been worked out as of today. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been genetically altered to have properties of embryonic stem cells. ...
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...Stem Cell Research Agree or Disagree Cynthia Lane Ultimate Medical Academy BC1020: Medical Basics and the Healthcare Claim Cycle (2-08-2016) Section 07 March 11, 2016 Patricia Smith Instructor Stem cell research is relatively a new technology. Stem cells have the ability to develop into other 220 varieties of cells present in body. Human Embryonic stem cells are derived from early stage embryos that are 5-7 days old. Embryonic stem cell research is among the most controversial researches of the time. Adult Stem cells in itself are uncontentious but research on human subjects makes it controversial as some experiments could harm patients. This is an important research as it is expected that it would enable the mankind to cure diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer, birth defects etc. First, consider the pros and cons of stem cell research. According to (Stem Cell Research, 2008) there are two main issues for stem cell research: a) Usage of the knowledge b) Concerns regarding the methods The first issue is not limited to stem cell research; every single research has faced this issue. Stem cell research can help in curing various diseases. Some argue that it can in future lead to cloning humans. But the possibility of misuse of information is always there. According to (What is stem cell research) human cloning can help in repairing lost body parts and organs. The concerns regarding the methods of stem cell research are intense. Embryonic stem cell research is considered...
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...Stem cells are unspecialized cell, they are cells that have the potential to develop into any type of cells in the body. Stem cells are served as sort of a repair and replace system. Our bodies create stem cells to repair or replace damaged or worn out tissues in the bodies, this is why stem cells are very important to all living organisms as they are the cure for our bodies. Stem cells have a potential to renew themselves through division systems. It can be divided with no limits to create new cells for the body to use. When a stem cell divides, each stem cell can either remain as a stem cell or becomes specialized function cells such as a red blood cell, a brain cell or a muscle cells. Because stem cells have unique ability scientists are very interested in doing the research and hopefully will develop the research into medical treatments. My question to this issue is should stem cell research be carried out in New Zealand for medical treatments. Scientists are now working on two kinds of stem cells from human and animals which are embryonic and adult stem cells. A major difference between embryonic stem cell and adult stem cell is their abilities in the numbers of different types of cells they can become. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to...
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...Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Its Pros and Cons Because of its concept, embryonic stem cell research has become a hot topic in debates among scientific researchers, moral activists, religious groups and governments. It is a relatively a new science that holds medical treatments for many debilitating diseases and disorders affecting people today. But like other new scientific technologies, it is also believed to potentially do harm. To get a good insight about this type of research, let us take a look at some of its pros and cons. List of Pros of Embryonic Stem Cell Research 1. It can help treat many diseases. As scientists direct the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into specific cell types, they will be able to use the resulting differentiated cells to treat certain diseases, which include diabetes, traumatic spinal cord injury, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, heart diseases, and vision and hearing loss. It is also claimed to have the potential...
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...Stem cell research is a massive topic of discussion within many groups of people around the world. Whether it is right or wrong is the question, however in stem cell research there is no such thing as wrong. People are usually against stem cell research because they are also against abortion and there are horror stories of the experiences patients and pathologists have had with abortion. People believe that stem cell research gets embryonic stem cells from an abortion clinic what an abortion clinic does with the fetuses is either send them to a pathology facility or they just throw them away in the trash. Stem cell research does not use aborted fetuses or embryos for collection of embryonic stem cells. The People against the idea of Embryonic...
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...According to the National Institutes of Health, human embryonic stem cells are derived from an embryo, a fertilized egg. Shortly after an egg is fertilized, it begins to divide until eventually it becomes a ball-like shape called a blastocyst that consists of roughly one thousand cells. The blastocyst is made up of three parts: outer cells that keep everything together, an inner mass of cells that will eventually develop into an organism, and fluid that disperses itself within the blastocyst (4). At this stage, the inner mass of cells are not specialized yet meaning they have the potential to turn into anything in the body. These cells are what are known as human embryonic stem cells. Currently, embryonic stem cells are apart of a clinical trial to treat patients with Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy, a disease inherited at an early age that ultimately results in legal blindness (5). To correct the disease, embryonic stem cells are injected into the eyes of patients in the hopes they will eventually replace the cells that are altering the vision. Mdsupport.org reports that the embryonic stem cells have shown encouraging signs of hope. In addition to embryonic stem cells there are also adult stem cells. Similarly to embryonic stem cells, they are able to transform into more than one type of cell, but adult stem cells are much more limited in what they can become (1). Adult stem cells have been found in numerous regions of the body in different organs and tissues. For example...
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...always going to be aborted or non-viable embryos. Gathering stem cells from these non-viable or aborted embryos, does no additional harm and provides a way for scientists to continue research for the greater good (Master and Crozier 56). Furthermore, only allowing the use of excess embryos in research means that no embryos will be created and destroyed for the specific research purposes alone (Master and Crozier 59). Likewise, working towards a viable replacement for embryonic stem cells will allow for all moral concerns to one...
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... Stem Cell Research There are three stem cell procedures I agree with Adult stem cells, amniotic stem cells and induce pluripotent stem cells because they do not involve human embryos. Adult or somatic stem cells “exist throughout the body after embryonic development and are found inside of different types of tissue. These stem cells have been found in tissues such as the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin, and the liver. They remain in a quiescent or non-dividing state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury “(MNT, 2013).The benefits of Adult stem cell transplants (bone marrow transplants) have been used for over 40 years in successfully treating cancers such as leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphomas, and research has now opened the doors to regenerative and reparative therapeutics. Adult stem cell treatment is widely used in the medical field and I will always support it. Amniotic stem cells “are multipotent stem cells of mesenchymal origin extracted from amniotic fluid. They are able to differentiate into various tissue type, such as skin, cartilage, cardiac tissue, nerves, muscle, and bone and have potential medical applications, especially in organ regeneration (MNT,2013) Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell–like state by being forced to express genes and factors important for maintaining the defining properties of embryonic stem cells (National...
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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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...Stem Cells as a Treatment Overview: Stem cell research is a highly promising field of study. Its most important applications include medicine and therapy. These will be the focus of this paper. To begin: an overview of stem cells, alternatives to embryonic stem cells, and recent advances. Stem cells are amazing for their capacity for self-renewal and, most of all, the ability to become any of millions of cell types in the human body. There are various types of stem cells, each with different potential. This includes embryonic stem cells. These totipotent cell lines come from the inside of the cell mass of a human embryo. These embryos are taken specifically from fertilized eggs not used by in-vitro fertilization (1). At this point, they are just a blastocyst, meaning an embryo composed of approximately one hundred cells. The cells on the inside of the blastocyst are undifferentiated but eventually will multiply and differentiate extensively to make all of the different required cells. Adult stem cells cells also have this same ability. They are found throughout the body and are able to dived to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues (1). Adult stem cells are able to renew themselves and create a variety of cells, but are usually multipotent, meaning that they only are able to specialize into a small selection of cells. ‘Totipotent’ stem cells can be transformed into any type of cell in the human body, however, there is a great amount of controversy...
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...Cancer Stem Cells: Distinct Entities or Dynamically Regulated Phenotypes? Yunqing Li and John Laterra Cancer Res 2012;72:576-580. Updated version Access the most recent version of this article at: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/72/3/576 Cited Articles Citing articles This article cites by 32 articles, 10 of which you can access for free at: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/72/3/576.full.html#ref-list-1 This article has been cited by 2 HighWire-hosted articles. Access the articles at: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/72/3/576.full.html#related-urls E-mail alerts Reprints and Subscriptions Permissions Sign up to receive free email-alerts related to this article or journal. To order reprints of this article or to subscribe to the journal, contact the AACR Publications Department at pubs@aacr.org. To request permission to re-use all or part of this article, contact the AACR Publications Department at permissions@aacr.org. Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on February 1, 2014. © 2012 American Association for Cancer Research. Review Cancer Research Cancer Stem Cells: Distinct Entities or Dynamically Regulated Phenotypes? Yunqing Li1,2 and John Laterra1,2,3,4 Abstract The origins of tumor-propagating neoplastic stem-like cells [cancer stem cells (CSC)] and their relationship to the bulk population of tumor cells that lack stem-like tumor-propagating features (i.e., transit-amplifying cancer progenitor cells) remain...
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... what are stem cells? Stem cells have the remarkable ability to possibly develop into numerous different cell types in the body, not only during the early stages of life but throughout the growth of the body as well. Along with that, stem cells can serve as an internal repair system in certain body tissues. A unique factor of stem cells is that when they divide each newly formed cell can potentially reform into a new type of specialized cell such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, etc. By doing this, the body can become stronger or gain back important cells that it has lost. Another unique characteristic of stem cells is that under certain physiological conditions they can be induced a tissue or organ specified cell with special...
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