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Stem cell ethical debate
Should government fund embryonic stem cell research
Stem cell ethical debate
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A controversial subject matter of federal funding for stem cell research has been ongoing since 2001 when President George W. Bush prohibited federal funding; however, President Bush did not prohibit the research itself, raising permissible concern. Stem cell research may have the potential to treat and cure cataclysmic medical conditions. The dispute of stem cell research is embryos are eradicated in the process of research, in addition to correlating embryos to an infant life; therefore, commencing a slippery slope of corrupting applications.
Irrefutable aspects of stem cell research pave the way to a consequential practice, in the same instance, it holds promise for life altering implications. The main focus of debate associated with
Are stem cells ethical to use in medical research? The most basic cells in the human body are stem cells. Because doctors use stem cells for medical treatment of chronic ailments, stem cells play an important role in human medical research. However, despite the benefits of stem cells in medical treatment, controversy surrounds the methods employed to obtain them. Should researchers continue to use stem cells?
The Nobel laureates' inaccurate letter to President Bush urging him to feed federal funds to human-embryo stem-cell research has had PR value in the media. It perpetuates a number of misconceptions and misleading statements regarding stem-cell research, particularly embryonic as opposed to adult stem-cell research, and will serve to continue to cloud the issue. Some of these deceptive statements are the subject of this essay.
Have you ever seen a movie or read a book where they can tell what your child will look like or if they have a disease or birth defect. Or have you ever wondered how the world would be shaped if we could have clones or even erase genetic diseases. All of these things are theoretically possible with stem cell research. If we are able to reach this point what would we have to sacrifice in the process. To understand humanity would we have to sacrifice the values that truly make us human? What would the fail rate be if we are able to genetically enhance the human body?
Monroe, Kristen, et al., eds. Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate: The Scientific, Religious, Ethical and Political Issues. Los Angeles/Berkley: University of California Press, 2008. Print
This report aims to investigate the different views held on the pros and cons of development in stem cell research. This report will provide background to the debate, its social significance, parties that are involved and analysis of the arguments related to the topic researched.
Are embryonic stem cells the cure to many of the human body’s ailments, including defective organs and crippling diseases, or is their use a blatant disregard of human rights and the value of life? Thanks to the rapid advancements in this field, the potential benefits of stem cells are slowly becoming a reality. However, embryonic stem cell research is an extremely divisive topic in the United States thanks to the ethical issues surrounding terminating embryos to harvest the stem cells. In response to this debate, Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker amendment in 1995 to prohibit federal funding of research that involved the destruction of embryos. President Bush affirmed this decision, but more recently, President Obama lifted many of these restrictions.
Beyond the complicated science and history of stem cell research, complicated ethical battles wage for those who support embryonic research, and those who oppose it. Since the beginning of embryonic stem cell research, more conservative parties have argued against its morality. The main arguments against using spare IFV embryos are: there’s no use for embryonic stem cell research because adult stem cells already achieved successful results, using an embryo for scientific research constitutes as murder, and “embryonic stem cell research violates sanctity of life” (Dunedin).
Obama, B. (2009). Removing barriers to responsible scientific research involving human stem cells. Federal Register, 74(48).
Could you imagine being able to create new organs, tissues, muscles, and even food? With embryonic stem cell technology, believe it or not, these things are possible. Stem cells are the body's raw materials. Specifically, they are cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated. Under the right conditions in the body or in a laboratory, stem cells can divide to form more cells called daughter cells. These daughter cells either become new stem cells or turn into specialized cells with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, muscle cells or bone cells. The possibilities are almost endless. The debate and main issue with this technology is that the actual stem cells come from embryos. Embryos are an unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development. Although there is controversy surrounding these cells, embryonic stem cells should continue to be researched and used, because they have so much potential.
Stem cell research is a type of medical research. The fundamental element of stem cell research is the stem cell. A stem cell is a type of cell that you have as an embryo and it is capable of turning into any type of cell. In stem cell research you can either use a chemical solution on an adult cell, causing it to revert back into a stem cell, or you can use an embryo to obtain stem cells. Now that you have all of the basic information, you can understand stem cell research better. Stem cell research is when you take these cells and see how they can cure or treat diseases. Stem cell research has a few uses. One of the uses is to create cures and treatment. Another use is to grow new organs for people. Some organs are grown in a petri dish while others are done in an animal.
The use of embryonic stem cell research should be banned all together. To get embryonic stem cells, one has to extract the stem cells directly from the embryo before the embryo begins to mature. These kinds of stem cells can be kept alive when they are grown in cultures. When they are grown in cultures, the stem cells double every 2-3 days. Advocates against embryonic stem cell research believe that human life starts at conception, and this kind of stem cell research requires the killing of the embryo.
Today, 10 million people are diagnosed with a crippling disease known as Parkinson’s. Another 5 million people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, “a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.” Treatments are currently being developed for both diseases; however, the most promising treatment has been surrounded by controversy since its discovery: embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are stem cells derived from a fertilized embryo that has yet to develop into a fetus. Many that are opposed to this treatment claim that the embryo has the same rights that humans have, even though they are not born. While this remains a debatable topic for philosophers, politicians, and scientists to discuss, many supporters of embryonic stem cell research have clung to the ethical theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that favors events that do the greatest good for the most amount of people and the least harm for the fewest amount of
Stem cell therapies, while in their early development stages, hold significant promise for transformative and potentially curative treatment. Recent advances in knowledge, including research taking place at Creighton University, have the potential to revolutionize tendon repair strategy thus improving a patient’s recovery time and overall prognosis. Stem cell therapies have the potential to revolutionize medicine. Stem cell therapy also has the potential to provide alternative treatments and potentially cures for disease and conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes among others. While there may be some risks to genetically engineered tissue, limiting a patient’s access to these treatments is wrong and I believe
Embryonic Stem Cells vs Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Why do they Generate so Much Excitement
In the Bioethics book, the Magisterium of the Church argues against the use of embryonic stem cells and refers to it as “the first ethical problem”. The main argument supporting the claim that its unethical to destroy human embryos goes as follows: (1) It is morally impermissible to intentionally kill innocent human beings; (2) the human embryo is an innocent human being; (3) therefore, it is morally impermissible to intentionally kill the human embryo. While this is a valid argument that follows the form modus ponens, it is not sound, thus I argue that the use of embryonic stem cells is permissible.