Stem Cell Research What if there was a more efficient way to cure non-communicable diseases other than surgery. Stem cell research could be answer to this. Although, the benefits of this research are high there is controversy when it comes to this topic. Mostly, ethical issues such as the use of embryonic stem cells and cloning. There are many different stem cells used in stem cell research: embryonic stem (ES) cells, induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells, and adult or somatic stem cells. “Embryonic stem cells are grown in the laboratory from cells found in the early embryo” ("Types Of Stem Cells And Their Current Uses"). Somatic stem cells found in our bodies and are maintained and repaired throughout life by stem cells are there all our lives. Induced pluripotent stem cells also known as “reprogrammed” stem cells ("Types Of Stem Cells And Their Current Uses"). These cells are the similar to embryonic stem cells but there are made from adult specialized cells. “With the capability of self-renewal, pluripotency and differentiation, stem cells have been believed to be useful for treatment of a wide variety of diseases in the future, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, baldness, blindness, deafness, wound healing, amyotrophic lateral-sclerosis, myocardial infarction, muscular dystrophy, osteoarthritis rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and diabetes” ("Benefits Of Stem Cells", Avior, Sagi and Benvenisty). Since stem cells have limitless potential to produce specialized cells of the body, this suggests massive possibilities for disease research and for providing new therapies. Stem cells can be used to regenerate organs and tissues, cure many diseases, and aid in n... ... middle of paper ... ...donor, unlike reproductive cloning. This could lead to safer alternative to transplants. Also, it is illegal to attempted to clone humans and stem cell researchers mostly practices therapeutic cloning. Therefore, there should be no worry about human cloning in stem cell research. In conclusion, by continuing to support stem cell research the benefits for the health and medical field would likely succeed. Less cells severe methods are used to treat diseases such as heart disease and wound healing. This research can solve many medical issues such as the low organ donations. Therefore, the medical field would be more efficient if stem cell research was more supported. Fewer people would die awaiting transplants, potentially reduce the morbidity and mortality for those awaiting transplants, more people would be cured for from diseases, new and more effective treatments.
Despite the significant portion of Americans that do not support embryonic stem cell research, it should be federally funded because of the potential health benefits, the definition of human, and the opportunity to clearly define regulations for ethical research. The wide range of prospective uses for stem cells could greatly improve the health and wellbeing of many people. In stem cell treatments, undifferentiated cells are programmed to form specific cells, which can then be transplanted to the afflicted area. Stem cells can possibly treat afflictions including “Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis” (“Stem Cell Basics”). Another important use is drug testing.
When one thinks of fatal diseases, what comes to mind? Cancer? Organ failure? Brain damage? All of those things and more could be a thing of the past with the incredible potential of stem cell research. Stem cells are like blank cells that can take the form of other kinds of cells. This gives them the ability to heal damaged areas, or grow replacement tissue for tissue that has been diseased. Stem cells can come from several different places, some of which cause lots of controversy and ethical debate. Because of this, stem cell research is not federally funded by the United States government. But, stem cell research has tons of potential and should get more attention for the greater good of our future.
There is a lesser chance of developing graft versus host disease because it is much easier to find a match (Waller-Wise, 2011). Research in stem cell technology has plentiful possibilities for future development. Emerging indications are being researched to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus and some neurological injuries such as cerebral palsy.
Stem Cells: What, How and Why? Stem cells are infinitely valuable when considering their potential applications in the medical profession. While current legislative restrictions have halted the development of new ?stem cell lines? to any agency or company that receives any form of governmental grants, there is no question that the medical profession is standing at the brink of a new era of technological advancements in healthcare and research.
Benefits of stem cell research can be overwhelming. Today, millions of people around the world suffer from incurable diseases. Stem cell research could help the scientific community find a breakthrough in developing a cure. By observing stem cells develop into mature human tissue, scientists can better understand how embryos develop. “Normal” human development can be recorded. This knowledge can be used to help prevent birth defects, for instance.
Imagine that there is a cure for nearly every ailment that affects the human race. Imagine that you could help the terminally ill, put those you love out of pain, and cut the healing time of an enormous number of serious illnesses in half. Imagine a world in which pain and suffering would be nearly nonexistent, and the people you love can live safe from the fear of crippling injury. Now what if I told you that this utopia was a fast approaching reality? Everything from serious life threatening burns to lymphoma, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson’s Disease, Spinal Cord Injury, and Strokes could, in the very near future, be eliminated through the simple culturing and implementation of stem cell therapy . These diseases are no small component of the myriad of conditions that plagues the human race, and yet, the end for these horrible maladies could very well be in sight. Man has always sought to end suffering, largely without success, until now. the promise that stem cell therapy holds could completely change our world for the better. Already, stem cell therapy is being used to treat leukemia, immune disorders, hodgkins and non-hodgkins lymphoma, anemia and a profusion of other ailments. As you all know, this is no small accomplishment. One day i believe that we may look at alzheimer's and diabetes and other major illnesses much like we look at polio today, as a treatable illness. Right now, our research with stem cells is providing us with new light into how we look at and model disease, our ability to understand why we get sick and even to develop new drugs. In 2008, a researcher from the New York Stem Cell Foundation Laborato...
Special cells that are taken from human embryos, called embryonic stem cells (ES cells), actually possess the power to save your life. These cells can serve many medical purposes and have the ability to benefit people in infinite ways.
By applying research from cloning normal cells to cloning stem cells, a wider range of people can be helped, and the cost of procedures will be lowered. Scientific research into cloning will allow doctors study how to safely replicate
Stem cell research has been around for some time, and many people have been cured from certain diseases because of it. Many scientists observe that embryonic stem cells are easier and flexible to use than adult stem cells Adult cells are diseased curable cells as well to a certain extent because they are taken from certain tissues that are already established in an area of the body. Stem cell research has long ways to go for scientists to be able to use them to cure all cancers, infectious diseases, and other health problems however stem cells are on the path of changing the world.
This paper focuses on the benefits of stem cell research in the medical and nursing field. New technology is always being created to help us understand the way the human body works, as well as ways to help us improve diseased states in the body. Our bodies have the ability to proliferate or regrow cells when damage is done to the cells. Take for example the skin, when an abrasion or puncture to the skin causes loss of our skin cells, the body has its own way of causing those cells to regrow. The liver, bone marrow, heart, brain, and muscle all have cells that are capable of differentiating into cells of that same type. These are called stem cells, and are a new medical tool that is helping regrow vital organs in our body to help us survive. Stem cells can come from adult cells, or the blastocyst of the embryo. The cells that come from these are undifferentiated, and can be specialized into certain cell types, making them available for many damaged tissues in the body. While using stem cells in the body is a main use, they are also being used to help doctors understand how disease processes start. By culturing these cells in the lab and watching them develop into muscles, nerve cells, or other tissues, researchers are able to see how diseases affect these cells and possibly discover ways to correct these diseases. While researchers have come very far in using stem cells, there are still many controversies to overcome when using these cells.
This article is quite old, I noticed it was from 1995, almost 9 years ago, and I can't believe how much further technology has taken us. There have been many advancements in the stem cell study. It is an even bigger controversy now, however. Scientists have found that the highest concentration of stem cells in a persons body comes from their umbilical cord after they are born. They want to create embryo's and use the stem cells from them to help someone else. To me, this is like the cloning issue. I don't think that we should be cloning people pretty much for spare parts like livers, kidneys, etc. It would be like a factory of torso's. It would be gruesome to go into a place that is full of partial bodies, with no heads or souls, and go harvest organs when the time or need arises. That is just too much. The article was pretty informative, and I did learn many things that I did not know previously.
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.
Stem cell research is not necessarily bad and this research can lead to a positive breakthrough in the medical field. Researchers and consumers have a mutual interest in distinguishing the good research from the bad.
Human cloning is also unethical. Cloning, especially therapeutic cloning, requires the use of human embryos. Using these embryos would mean killing unborn children. Therapeutic cloning begins by removing the stem cells from an embryo (Human Cloning). The stem cells are used to grow bone, nerve, and muscle tissue. In the process of therapeutic cloning, an embryo, or a baby in the early stages of development, is taken and parts of it are grown to develop parts of the body including organs and limbs (Human Cloning). Removing these stem cells would kill the embryo. The embryo, which would result in a child if left in the mother’s womb, is separated into parts, which are used for science.
One of the most beneficial aspects to cloning is the ability to duplicate organs. Many patients in hospitals are waiting for transplants and many of them are dying because they are not receiving a needed organ. To solve this problem, scientists have been using embryonic stem cells to produce organs or tissues to repair or replace damaged ones (Human Cloning). Skin for burn victims, brain cells for the brain damaged, hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys can all be produced. By combining the technology of stem cell research and human cloning, it will be possible to produce the needed tissues and organs for patients in desperate need for a transplant (Human Cloning). The waiting list for transplants will become a lot shorter and a lot less people will have to suff...