What can one day cure diseases such as cancer? Stem cells. Stem cells are the future in medical technology. In this paper I will discuss what stem cells are, the history behind stem cell research, how stem cells might help treat diseases, and what diseases stem cells could potentially treat. I will also discuss the positives of stem cell research, the negatives of stem cell research, and what the hope for stem cell research is. First of all, what are stem cells? Stem cells are immature cells that can become specialized into different types of cells, such as a muscle cell or a red blood cell. There are two types of stem cells, adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. An adult stem cell is a stem cell that is found in already developed tissue …show more content…
Stem cells can help cure diseases, repair damaged organs, and replace the need for organ donors. Stem cells may play a major role in cancer research, treatment, and maybe even a cure. Using stem cells in better treatments for diseases can give economic gains for society. According to the Mayo Clinic, over 100 million suffer from diseases that eventually may be treated more effectively or even cured with embryonic stem cell research (“Stem Cell Transplant”). This may be the greatest opportunity to alleviate the suffering of humans. Stem cell research has a lot of potential; there is a long list of diseases and other conditions that stem cells may be able to treat and possibly one day …show more content…
If stem cells can cure a bunch of diseases, then it can help the entire human race. Cures are far in the future though, but stem cells will be able to treat diseases before there is a cure. All in all, I discussed that there are two types of stem cells, the history behind stem cell research, how stem cells can help treat diseases, what diseases stem cells can potentially treat, the pros and cons of stem cell research, and the hopes for the future in stem cell research. Works Cited "Basics of Stem Cell Research." Basis of Stem Cell Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. "Boston Children 's Hospital." Boston Childrens Hospital. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014. Scott, Christopher Thomas. Stem Cell Now: From the Experiment That Shook the World to the New Politics of Life. New York: Pi, 2006. Print. "Stem Cell Basics." What Are the Unique Properties of All Stem Cells? [Stem Cell Information]. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. "Stem Cell Transplant." Stem Cells: What They Are and What They Do. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. "What Are Stem Cells?" University of Nebraska Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec.
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...
Stem cell research: Stem cells are cells that are at an early stage of development. This means they have the ability to turn into any type of cell in the body. Some research is currently focusing on whether stem cells can be turned into muscle cells and used to regenerate damaged muscle tissue (American Thoracic Society Consensus Statement, 2004).
“Stem Cell Research: Guide to Critical Analysis.” Points Of View: Stem Cell Research [serial online]. January 2013;:4. Available from: Points of View Reference Center, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 26, 2013.
National Institutes for Health. (2009). Stem cell basics: What are the potential uses of human stem cells and the obstacles that must be overcome before these potential uses will be realized?. Stem Cell Information,1. Retrieved from http://stemcells.nih.gov/
Stem cell research must be performed in order for scientists to develop a method full capable of repairing cells. The benefits of stem cell research greatly outweigh the controversies. In the long term, increased ability to cure diseases would decrease the cost of healthcare globally. In the short term, a lot of money is needed to obtain the knowledge required to save lives. In the long run, stem cell research is worth the money spent. This is only achievable if stem cell stu
"Stem Cell Transplant." Stem Cells: What They Are and What They Do. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.
"What are stem cells and what are they used for?." 24 April 2001. HowStuffWorks.com. 22 July 2008.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – National Institutes of Health (2009) Stem Cell Basics [ONLINE] Available http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics6.aspx (Accessed 30 March 2014)
Stem Cells in medicine date back to the early 19th century. Many physicians have conducted studies on stem cells and the use of stem cells in treating diseases. From the start of its discovery until today, stem cell research has progressed a lot. In fact, the use of stem cells to treat patients has already begun in hospitals like The Boston Children’s Hospital. You’re probably wondering what I’m talking about. In this article, I’ll help you understand: what are stem cells? Why are they important? What kinds of diseases can they treat? And Finally, I’ll reference you to a few websites that can help you better understand stem cells.
Research on stem cells is advancing knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. This promising area of science is also leading scientists to investigate the possibility of cell-based therapies to treat disease, which is often referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine. There is genuine scientific excitement over the concept of using the body's own cellular building blocks to regenerate damaged or ageing organs. Stem cells are one of the most fascinating areas of biology today. But like ...
Experiment Resources. (2008). Stem cell research: Pros and cons. Retrieved on August 29, 2011, from http://www.experiment-resources.com/stem-cell-pros-and-cons.html#ixzz1WSjumU9E
Stem cells offer exciting promise for future therapies, but significant technical hurdles remain that will only be overcome through years of intensive research. Stem Cells have the incredible potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. Scientists primarily work with two kinds of stem cells from animals and humans. The embryonic stem cells and the non-embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are the cells from which all other cells originate. In a human embryo, a large portion of the embryo’s cells are stem cells. These stem cells can be used for cell-based therapies. Cell-Based therapies are treatments in which stem cells are induced to differentiate into the specific cell type required to repair damaged or destroyed cells or tissues. Stem cells are versatile and offer the possibility to treat a number of diseases including Alzheimer’s, stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. The problem is that for the process of embryonic stem cell research and embryo will be destroyed if used. This raises a moral issue and questions of whether stem cell research is unethical or not.
...nowles, Lori P. “What Are Stem Cells and Where Do They Come From?” Stem Cell Network.2010. Retrieved 21 April 2011 < http://www.stemcellnetwork.ca/uploads/File/whitepapers/What-are-Stem-Cells-and-Where-do-They-Come-from.pdf>
Using an undifferentiated cell and specializing it to repair tissues, cure terminal diseases and disorders in the body is known as Stem Cell Research. Stem Cell Research has the potential to turn the medical field around in many ways; these cells have the potential to save people who suffer from terminal illnesses. Forms of stem cell research began in the 1950’s. Since then, many forms of Stem Cell research began to emerge. Stem Cell Research isn’t limited to any certain area; people around the world are researching Stem Cells, hoping that they can be used for the greater good of the people. With financial help, scientists are able to do more research than ever before, resulting in more discoveries to help maintain the human
"What Are Stem Cells?" University of Nebraska Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2014.