Embryo Stem Cell Research example essay topic

Stem cells show potential for many different areas of health and medical research, and studying them can help us understand how they transform into the dazzling array of specialized cells that make us what we are. Some of the most serious medical conditions, such as cancer and birth defects, are caused by problems that occur somewhere in this process. A better understanding of normal cell development will allow us to understand and perhaps correct the errors that cause these medical conditions. A stem cell is a primitive type of cell that can be coaxed into developing into most of the 220 types of cells found in the human body (e.g. blood cells, heart cells, brain cells, etc).

Some researchers regard them as offering the greatest potential for the alleviation of human suffering since the development of antibiotics. Over 100 million Americans suffer from diseases that may eventually be treated more effectively with stem cells or even cured. As science and technology continue to advance, so do ethical viewpoints surrounding these developments. The human body is a stem cell 'gold mine', providing an almost unlimited source of stem cells.

There are over 4,000 registered diseases specifically linked to genetic abnormalities, as well as a host of others which are thought to have a genetic component. Yet, although stem cells are unlikely to provide fast-track miracle cures for these conditions - and are even less likely to lead to a cure for all known human disease, as certain commentators have speculated - they are unique in their potential application to a large number of these diseases. As tiny factories that have an ability to 're-stock' themselves when required and develop a wide range of specialisms, stem cells meet the technical specifications for use in gene therapy. Indeed, in many pioneering research projects, completed since the turn of the Millennium, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells can be used to replenish or rejuvenate damaged cells within the immune system of the human body and that damaged stem cells can miraculously repair themselves and their neighbors.

Over the past year, adult stem cells have been used either exclusively or in combination with other treatments to achieve significant 'healthcare benefits' for sufferers of the following conditions: Brain Tumors Blindness Stroke Breast Cancer Ovarian Cancer Immune-deficiency Rheumatoid Arthritis Solid Tumors Systematic Lupus Multiple Sclerosis Multiple Myeloma Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Anemia Furthermore, the future application of adult stem cells to treatment therapies, where clinical trials have already indicated significant potential benefit, include: Parkinson's Heart Valve Replacement Alzheimer's Diabetes / Pancreatic Disorders Nerve Damage Muscle Regeneration Organ Transplantation / Growth Blood Production " In 1998, More than 50 disease advocates and scientific societies, representing such concerns as diabetes, blindness, Parkinson's disease, glaucoma, AIDS, Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, stroke, lymphoma, infertility and cancer -- as well as professional groups that focus on such issues as cell biology, aging, microbiology, ophthalmology, cardiology, pediatrics and reproductive medicine -- ... sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to support federal funding for... [Stem cell] research. "If researchers can decode how cells develop into tissue and organs, then they will begin to understand the mechanisms of 'abnormal growth and development which, in turn, could lead to the discovery of new ways to prevent and treat birth defects and even cancer. ' Researchers might be able to develop specific cell types, tissues, organs, etc. from stem cells. The former could then be used to study the effects of new drugs. This should reduce the numbers of animal studies and human clinical trials that are required before new drugs are approved.

It is important to realize that stem cells derived from bone marrow and neural tissue has very limited potential for differentiation. 'Embryonic stems cells... appear to be able to give rise to many more, possibly all, cell types and tissues. It is this potentiality that makes the embryonic cell so promising for both a basic understanding of differentiation and for the development of cell therapies. ' This information is rarely published in articles which condemn embryo stem cell research, but is important to remember (Connolly)."Research using embryo stem cells had been authorized in Britain, but was initially halted in the U.S. by President George W. Bush. He decided in 2001 to allow research to resume in government labs with limited funding, but restricted researchers to use only 72 existing lines of stem cells. By 2003, most of these lines had become useless; some of the lines are genetically identical to others; only 11 remain available for research.

Research continues in U.S. private labs and in both government and private labs in the UK, Japan, France, Australia, and other countries. In 2002, Governor Davis of California signed bill SB 253 into law. It is the first law in the U.S. that permits stem cell research. Davis simultaneously signed a bill that permanently bans all human cloning in the state for reproduction purposes -- i.e. any effort to create a cloned individual (Elias)". Following former president Ronald Reagan's death due to Alzheimer's in 2004, a slow, lingering disease that took a decade to kill him Nancy Reagan and all of her family, except for Michael Reagan, have mounted a campaign to encourage President Bush to relax restrictions on embryo stem cell research. Fifty-eight senators, almost all Democrats, sent a letter to President Bush, urging the same action.

Science, medicine in particular, exists to serve the human person; a balance can and must be achieved between the great promise of stem cell research and respect for human life. This is precisely what stem cell research accomplishes. The prospect of curing many debilitating conditions such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and paralysis, or at least significantly lessening the suffering they cause. Stem cell research has captured the ethical and political attention of the world.

The fact that there is so much at stake in stem cell research makes the issue a defining one for America. It is important that we understand the whole story behind stem cell research, and as a result understand that we must support stem cell research through federal tax dollars to enhance the future of Americans.