Stem Cell Ethics The study of stem cells have brought about many recent ethical questions and been a topic in many recent ethical debates. What is all the talk about? What exactly is stem cell research and why does it raise so many ethical questions? Stem cell research is on the forefront of regenerative medicine and biological science. It is the study of certain cells in the inner mass of the embryo that are produced a few days after the embryo forms during the blastocyst stage. They are the most primitive of all human cells. They are undifferentiated cells, which mean the cells are not designated to be any special type of cell, such as a nerve, muscle, or skin cell. The cell's specialization is later influenced by the molecules, which are usually proteins that surround the cell (Marshak 220-223). The proteins are typically produced by the mother, but under certain laboratory conditions, distinctive proteins can be introduced and a definite, mature cell type is produced. The cells that are produced could be implanted into a subject to replace worn out cells, or cells that have been destroyed due to disease or injury. There are a few problems with the process. The most common being is the same as any other transplant, the body doesn't accept the new cell stem cells if the cells aren't exactly the same as the patients; instead the body's immune system recognizes them as unwanted cells and rejects or destroys them often causing more damage to the body. The most common use of stem cells is bone marrow transplant. Some adult stem cells are usually found in bone marrow, when the marrow is transplanted the cells regenerate and help replace the failing surrounding marrow. However, this type of procedure doesn't involv... ... middle of paper ... ...it also must be closely guarded to make sure it doesn't lead to simply breeding humans just to harvest their organs and making human life immortal. As technology increases and more about stem cells is known more ethical debates will undoubtedly rise. Stem cell research will almost indefinitely continue to attract public attention for many years to come. Works Cited National Research Council. "Stem Cells" Washington, D.C. National Academy Press, 2002. Marshak, Daniel R., Richard L. Gardner, David Gottlieb. ed. "Stem Cell Biology." Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2001. Holland, Suzanne, Karen Lebaqz, Laurie Zoloth. "The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate." Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2001. Alhous, Peter. "Can They Rebuild Us?" Nature April 2001: 622-625. Badge, Robin L. "The Future for Stem Cell Research." Nature Nov. 2001: 88-91.
Holm, Soren. The Ethical Case Against Stem Cell Research. Vol. 1. The Stem Cell Controversy. Ser. 15. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2006. 1 vols.
Reaves, J. (2001, July 11). The great debate over stem cell research. Time, Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,167245,00.html
As technology stem cell research intensifies, so does the controversy about whether such scientific progress is moral. In the past millennium to today the present stem cell research has become a controversial topic across the world. Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have unique regenerative abilities, allowing them to divide into specialized cell types. Understanding why these processes occur is essential to curing disease. Critics of stem cell research argue that the extraction of embryonic stem cells involves destroying an early embryo, equating the act of killing a human. Although stem cell research is a highly controversial topic, it is compulsory to continue stem cell research within ethical boundaries for the benefit of mankind.
When Marry Shelley says, “…how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge…” she is correct to an extent. A perfect example of this is stem cell research. It is amazing, stem cells can grow new organs, repair old ones, and cure conditions that were thought to be incurable before; however, at the current moment, the most convenient way to harvest stem cells is by harvesting the cells from an embryo, which is destroyed in the process. Although stem cells from embryos are the main focus right now, there are new alternatives that are being researched that will avoid the ethical issues with embryonic stem cells, which include stem cells from bone marrow, placentas, teeth, and umbilical cords.
Snow, Nancy. “Stem Cell Research New Frontiers in Sciences and Ethics”. Houston Community College Library. 2004. Print. 10 Nov 2011.
Robertson, J. (2010). Embryo stem cell research: ten years of controversy. Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 38(2), 191-203. doi:10.1111/j.1748-720X.2010.00479.x
Within the past few years, scientist have made several breakthroughs with human stem cells. These breakthroughs have catapulted the issue of stem cell research into the middle of a national debate. Most people have no problem with the research itself, however the source of the stem cells (adult or human embryos) used in research is the primary cause of the debate. Some people feel that destroying an embryo is comparable to murder, even if the research it promotes may help people with serious illnesses. Other believe that an embryo is not a person and therefore research on an embryo is the same as research on any other group of cells.
Over the past couple years, scientist have continued research on embryonic stem cells, but there is still lots of controversy that accompanies this research. While research has grown to be more successful, it has also become more difficult to face controversies. These controversies mostly consist of funding and issues of differing moralities. There have been projects where funding was pulled because of people’s believing in different moralities and not having money to support the research. For example, the California-based biotechnology lab, Geron, did not have support and therefore “After many false starts… firm Geron pulled the plug on all of it’s embryonic stem cell research” (Cook).
Embryonic stem cell research is, perhaps, one of the most divisive ethical issues of the millennium. These cells are thought by many to hold the cures for such diseases as diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease and even cancer. Some researchers believe that these cells could heal spinal cord injuries, allowing a once paralyzed man to walk again. Despite the numerous potential benefits, the issue is exceedingly controversial and has sparked much debate, primarily over one sole reason: embryonic stem cell research causes the destruction of an embryo. This debate can be epitomized into two questions: when does human life begin and what makes an organism human. The answers to these questions are usually opinionated and not backed
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
What do you know about stem cell research? If you know anything at all, it’s most likely that you know that it is a heavily debated topic. But, what exactly is stem cell research, and what is the issue with it? Stem cells are cells in organisms (more specifically humans) that can develop into any type of cell that an organism needs, and stem cell research is simply the study and analysis of these cells. The main controversy caused by this lays with how these cells are required for research. Some people do not agree with the methods they are obtained and the sources they are obtained from, more specifically those that are taken from human embryo’s.
Stem Cells are the building blocks of life and all living matter and organisms. Shortly after fertilization of the embryo, these very young and premature specialized cells start to form into the cells that make up our genetic structure, to include the bodies organs, nerves, blood, muscle, brain and skin tissue. When there is
The Canadian Stem Cell Foundation claims that, “Bone marrow stem cell transplantation has been curing some kinds of cancer for decades, but in other potential areas we’ve barely begun scratching the surface” Currently there are several clinical trials being done involving stem cells. One current clinical trial is working towards healing hearts, or using stem cells to grow new hearts that are made specifically for transplant patients. This research could be very helpful in the future. Every year 70,000 Canadians have heart attacks, and 23,000 of them could greatly benefit from this medical advancement. Scientists are currently working extremely hard to find an absolute solution to this problem. As of right now they think that the solution will be found in the next three years. Another new clinical trial wants to use stem cells to cure spinal cord injuries by injecting stem cells. As of right now this is more of an idea than a plan, but it could definitely be available in the future. Doctors have injected neural stem cells, in hopes of them developing paths to connect the nerve fibers, and stimulating regrowth. So far patients have only shown small improvements, but with more research there could be a great impact. Regardless, the future of stem cells, and what they're capable of is looking
In discussing stem cell research and its importance, it is imperative there is an understanding into the controlled ethics that can be put in place to reduce the possible misuse and moral dilemmas that are faced with this type of research.
To be able to comprehend the importance of the discovery of stem cells, it is crucial to understand the terms and definitions that go along with the topic of stem cells. A stem cell is derived from a human embryo, scientists are able to keep these stem cells alive and have them replicate after extraction. A human embryo comes into existence from the joining of one sperm and one egg, after the embryo is formed it begins to replicate itself. After ab...