Persuasive Essay On Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research is known to be a major taboo practice throughout the United States. In

July 2015 Planned Parenthood received a substantial amount of backlash when a representative

was video recorded making an attempt to sell aborted fetuses for research purposes. This video

brought stem cell research into light and received a lot of controversy amongst the United States.

Based on religious values, many individuals in the United States believe that stem cell research is

unethical and morally wrong. Culturally speaking, the United States is a country that has a

melting pot of different cultures and beliefs. Because of this, many people view stem cell

research as a way of mimicking or playing the role of God, the ultimate creator. Although this

may be a valid point, stem cells have the potential to save lives and possibly cure a myriad of

diseases. An argument that can be posed to pro-lifers is, at what point does an individual become

a human? Even if stem cell research may destroy a possible “human” life, future lives can be

gained because of it. Stem cells have the ability to develop into a

variety of cell types in the body
during the early stages of life. Furthermore, stem cell research is important for the development
of cures for degenerative diseases.

Some stem cells even have the ability to repair and replace

damaged tissues. The emerging use of stem cell research is a relatively new concept. Due to the

increasing rate of diseases being more common within our society, and the possibility of

regeneration with organs, stem cell research is imperative. With the possibility of degenerative

diseases being cured and valuable lives being saved, stem cell research is on the path of

becoming the new norm. I believe that the use of stem cell research seems promising towards the

advancement of our society and will provide remedies for diseases and cancers that society could

not even imagine to be curable. This paper will discuss the importance of furthering research into the full scope of stem cell therapy and suggest the benefits of stem cell research to state officials and government

agencies.
Stem cell research has a myriad of benefits. Although stem cell therapy has a multitude of advantages, it has sparked intense condemnation. The amount of criticism that stem cell therapy has receiving is detracting the support of stem cell research. Due to conflicting ethical attitudes surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells in research, numerous barriers have been created for researchers in this field and funding is becoming harder to receive. Funding offers endless possibilities for regulatory oversight of stem cell research. Without public funding, progress towards medical therapies will impede. The more time that scientists spend on collecting data on stem cells, the closer they are to discovering breakthrough cures for chronic and degenerative diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, with about 11 million people dying each year (Source). Regenerative medicine can provide the transplantation of new tissue in patients with damaged or diseased organs (Source).
The biological aspect of stem cell research is important in gaining an understanding of why stem cell research is perceived the way it is in the United States. Unfortunately, the rate of degenerative diseases becoming recurrent within our society is growing at an alarming rate. For example, Parkinson’s is a disease that attacks an individual’s central nervous system causing tremors and difficulty with motor movement. Parkinson’s is a disease that attacks the dopamine cells within the brain, and can lead to memory loss. Parkinson’s does not have a known cure. Stem cell research opens a broad horizon of hope when dealing with degenerative diseases. Stem cell’s ability to replace and repair damaged cells paves way for the use of stem cell research and can provide hope for new solutions. A study that was completed in 2014, found that motor nerves are identical to fetal motor nerves, meaning that patients with Parkinson’s disease may be able to use these stem cells in order to replace damaged nerves. The method these researchers performed was that they, “…transplanted hESC-derived DA (hESC-DA) neurons to the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned athymic, adult rats, allowing for long-term graft survival in the absence of immunosuppressive treatment. The grafted animals were followed up to 6 months after transplantation, the point at which grafts of fetal VM in patients start to become functional” (Parmar). This all means that the researchers injected human embryonic cells, which were from excess in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos, into rats that were bred to have Parkinson’s and allowed six months to progress in order to study the results. Dopamine is essential to the replenishment of motor nerves; therefore, it is imperative that the rats develop normal levels of dopamine in order to sustain motor sensory. The study showed that, after five months, the rats were able to produce normal levels of dopamine. Although these results may only be the initial steps of performing stem cell research on humans, this study could bring new advancements in the cure for Parkinson’s disease as well as other degenerative diseases.
As stated earlier, the United States is known to be a melting pot of different cultures. According to the Pew Research Center, Christians comprise of about 70.6% of the United States population. The Christian view that human life is produced at conception contrasted with the view common amongst Jews is that an embryo is not considered a human until 40 days after conception, and the similar Muslim view that human life begins when the soul enters the developing baby sometime between 40 days and 120 days after conception. The variation of beliefs of when an embryo can be distinguished as a human is what causes the level of acceptance for stem cell research. Stem cell research is supported in the Muslim and Jewish community, yet is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church and Protestant denominations. Many Christians believe that stem cell research tampers with the role of God and that an individual should not have the power to be able to manipulate a human’s life. The less conservative sect of Christianity supports stem cell research as long as it is specifically using adult stem cells, as opposed to embryonic stem cells. The problem that arises with that is, there is a rich source of stem cells in the embryonic and fetal stage. Opposing sides believe that until the government provides ethical guidelines, such as using adult stem cells, then society should not perform any kind of stem cell research.
With the possibility of degenerative diseases being cured and valuable lives being saved, stem cell research is on the path of becoming the new norm. The use of stem cell research seems promising towards the advancement of our society and will provide remedies for diseases and cancers that society could not even imagine to be curable.