Stem Cells Offer Great Promise

3029 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Advantages and disadvantages of stem cell research

Stem cells offer great promise for success in future medical treatments. However, there still remains to be biased opinions on whether or not the use of stem cell for research is the most appropriate and effective tool for medical research. This topic is especially important for people who are suffering from disease that is capable of being treated through stem cell use. For these people, the treatment has the potential to change their outlook on life to a positive one. The advancements are diverse and have the potential to help cure numerous diseases and illnesses. Scientists are striving to find even more ways than they have already to repair damaged tissue in the human body and cure these diseases entirely through the usage of stem cells, and scientists believe that this will lead to further medical advancements for researchers. The issue of stem cell research first began on the scientific scene in November of 1998 when researchers first reported the isolation of human embryonic stem cells. The discovery, made by Dr. James A. Thomson, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, offered great promise for new ways of treating diseases through stem cell use. The stem cells, which are derived from several-day-old embryos, can theoretically differentiate into virtually any type of human cell, ranging from blood cells to skin cells (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2011). According to the American Medical Association (2013), a stem cell is an immature cell that has the potential to become specialized into different types of cells throughout the body. There are two basic types of stem cells: adult stems cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are produced when a newly fertilized egg begins... ... middle of paper ... ...he advancement of science (Aug. 12, 2011). AAAS Policy Brief: Stem Cell Research. Retrieved from http://www.aaas.org American medical association (2013). Basics of Stem Cell Research. Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org California institute for regenerative medicine (Jan. 11, 2013). Myths and Misconceptions About Stem Cell Research. Retrieved from http://www.cirm.ca.gov Maxmen, Amy. (June 13, 2013). Personalized Medicine Enters A New Era. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org. Murnaghan, Ian. (Oct. 30, 2011). Pluripotent Stem Cells. Retrieved from http://www.explorestemcells.co National human genome research institute (Apr. 2006). Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells. Retrieved from http://www.genome.gov National institutes of health, U.S. department of health and human services (Apr. 28, 2009). Stem Cell Information. Retrieved from http://stemcells.nih.gov

Show More
Related

  • Federal Funds Should Be Used for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.  Stems cells can possibly treat afflictions including “Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis” (“Stem Cell Basics”).  Another important use is in drug testing. Drugs can be tested on stem cells that develop into the target tissue before using it on human test subjects, which improves safety.  Finally, transplantation of organs created from stem cells could eliminate the need for human...

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research:The Cure of Tomorrow

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Stem Cells: What How and Why?

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research: Beneficial or Dangerous?

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the past decade scientist and the U.S government have been debating about funds for stem cell research (SCR), the amount spent depends on who is in office. The Democratic Party fully supports SCR, but the Republican Party somewhat opposes the concept of SCR, arfuing it violates the Christian principle of life. As a result, this topic is considered controversial, but also beneficial if allowed. Despite the controversy, SCR should be well funded for medicinal use, because blank stem cells (SC) can be used to regenerate bones and muscle tissue, they can be used to control or even reverse neurodegenerative disease, and because they can be used for therapeutic cloning.

    Read More

  • The Government Should Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research

    2402 Words  | 5 Pages

    Stem cell research began in 1956 when Dr. E Donnall Thomas performed the first bone marrow transplant (“Adult stem cells are not more promising,” 2007). Since that time, research has evolved into obtaining cells from a variety of tissues. According to stem cell research professors, Ariff Bongso and Eng Hin Lee (2005), “Stem cells are unspecialized cells in the human body that are capable of becoming cells, each with new specialized functions” (p. 2). Stem cells are in various adult tissues, such as bone marrow, the liver, the epidermis layer of skin, the central nervous system, and eyes. They are also in other sources, such as fetuses, umbilical cords, placentas, embryos, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are cells from adult tissues that have been reprogrammed to pluripotency. Most stem cells offer multipotent cells, which are sparse...

    Read More

  • Politics and Stem Cell Research

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    This report does a fairly comprehensive job on educating the public to the definition of stem cells, describing them as “a diverse group of remarkable multipotent cells that are relatively undifferentiated and unspecialized cells of the body.” Stem cells have the capacity for unlimited self-renewal and the possibility to produce differentiated descendant cell types. The main in...

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Therapy

    1269 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Ethical Issues Surrounding Stem Cell Research

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stem cells are mother cells that have potential to develop into a new different cell in the body. It can self-renew or multiply while developing into other types of cells, for example they can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin, muscles and brain. Stem cells were discovered in human cord blood in 1978, and in 1998, Thompson, from the University of Wisconsin, isolated cells from the inner cell mass of early embryos (early stage of an animal or person before it is born) and developed t...

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research - Embryonic Stem Cells Save Lives

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research Essay

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many different types of stem cells that are being looked at for research. These include embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent cells. Embryonic stem cells are cells that have the potential to produce many different cells in the body. They are cells that are tak...

    Read More

  • Stem Cells: The Future of Medicine

    3294 Words  | 7 Pages

    “Stem Cells: The Future of Medicine.” Medschool.umaryland.edu. University of Maryland School of Medicine Web 14 Nov 2013

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    Those who favour stem cell research are optimistic about the continued developments in stem cell research will open doors to many breakthrough discoveries in biomedical science. The scientific and ethical questions arise as rapidly as the reaching of milestones in stem cell research. There are two main types of stem cells, namely embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells in our body. But they have restricted-range of cells that they can further differentiate. On the contrary, embryonic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into nearly two hundred cell types in the human body, called pluripotency. The process of harvesting embryonic stem cells involves destruction of embryos (Mooney, 2009).

    Read More

  • stem cell research for diabetes

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eggleson, K. E. (2012). Stem Cell-Based Therapies: Promises, Obstacles, Discordance, and the Agora. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 55(1), 1-25.

    Read More

  • The Advantages and Disadvantages of Stem Cell Research

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    For the past few years, there has been a continuous controversy regarding the bioethical issues of stem cells and the pros/cons of its research. In order to understand the clash of opposing opinions on stem cells, it is important to know the root of stem cells, as well as their functions and scientific findings. “Stem Cells are very essential to develop organisms. They are non-specialized cells which have the potential to create other types of specific cells, such as blood, brain, tissue or muscle cells” (Experiment Resources, 2008). In addition, injuries or illnesses that cause dead cells can be replaced with new healthy cells via steam cells (Houdmann, 2010). It has been shown that, “stem cell research strives to achieve the cultivation and nutriment of stem cells, the basic cell of the body, enabling it to be reproduced to other specific parts of the body” (Ganesh, 2010).

    Read More

  • Stem Cells: Leading Innovation In Medicine

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stem cells are the leading innovation in medicine. Currently these cells are being tested to treat a wide range of diseases, injuries, and even cancers. The scope of stem cell based treatment has expanded in recent years due to advances in stem cell research and technologies. Stem cells are generally known for two things, their ability to produce new cells and their ethical controversy. Those who oppose stem cells are typically referring to the collection and use of embryonic stem cells and feel it violates the Catholic value on the right to life. Despite these controversies, the funding for stem cell research is a vital aspect to the growth of medicine, cursing modern disease and providing treatment to those in need and should not be limited

    Read More

More about Stem Cells Offer Great Promise

Open Document