Is it right to allow suffering to continue when it might be alleviated? At the end of 1998, two groups of scientists developed a technique for culturing embryonic stem cells. They were able to reproduce them successfully in cultures in the laboratory without them mutating for up to eight months. Changing the conditions persuaded the cells to differentiate into different types of adult cells. Biology – Ann Fullick Heinemann 2000 The medical benefits from this experiment are astronomical because it is hoped that this technique will allow us to grow nerve cells, heart cells etc and the possibilities are almost endless!
The middle ground, on which the present research uses are based, recognises that special status of an embryo as a prospective human being but accepts that it is justified to use early embryos for serious research purposes which may advantage others. Labnotes – stem cells: potent research January 2003
It is thought that embryonic stem cells can cause cancer as they are versatile but they can also become malignant. Their potential for causing cancer is a real concern for researchers. Most cells lose their ability to divide over time. Leonard Hayflick discovered that “cells can only divide a maximum of 50 times”. Edexcel 360 science 2006 He called this the Hayflick limit. Both cancer cells and stem cells do not have a Hayflick limit. Unlike cancer cells where mutations occur in the genes of a cell to keep it dividing over again without limit, developing into a tumour; stem cells do continue replicating but are naturally present in an embryo and perform an important job.
If scientists were able to locate and use stem cells from adults, there would be fewer ethical questions raised than in the use of embryonic stem cells. “In the right environment, adult stem cells from neutral tissue can be made to produce blood cells – liver tissue.” Labnotes – stem cells: potent research January 2003 The only problem with adult stem cells as present is that scientists do not know how versatile various kinds are and whether they could be made more ‘potent’. Even if adult stem cells can be used for some research purposes, the stem cells of the embryo are uniquely suited for other types of research. AS Biology Longman, P Bradfield, J Podots, N Taylor 2001
People who have had heart attacks are being given their own adult stem cells which are taken from their bone marrow and injected into the vessel feeding the heart. Out of ten human trials of the marrow to heart approach all but one had positive results. Issue 2 March 2006 In fact, adult stem cells are currently being used to treat over one hundred different ailments and their potential benefits and applications continue to be explored at dramatic pace. www.ukscf.org
Embryonic stem cell research is not driven by hope for cure, but lust for profit as many of the cell lines are in the hands of private companies. The amounted of vested financial interests in the west is staggering. More and more companies are eager to move to clinics. The UK-based company ReNeuron is using embryonic stem cells, which it hopes to turn into a stable, off-the-shelf product, with all the practical advantages of a pharmaceutical drug. Issue 2 March 2006
The House of Lords report concluded that research should continue into both adult and embryonic stem cells, for maximum medical benefit. The report said that adult stem cells could potentially be taken from the person being treated, avoiding immune rejection if transplanted. However, this is unlikely to be possible for some conditions. www.alzscot.org Also, it is difficult to isolate stem cells from other types of cell, and it is not clear how they produce other types of cell, how good they are at doing this when transplanted, how long they might continue to divide in order to replace diseased cells, and how effectively and safely they can be made to produce particular cell types.
The report said that more research is needed on embryonic stem cells, because they are pluripotent and easier to isolate and keep. Although much of this work would be on animal embryonic stem cells, it will also be necessary to compare what happens in human embryonic stem cells. The report said that at some point in the future, if it becomes possible to make adult stem cells pluripotent, embryonic stem cells might no longer be needed, but that is not yet the case. www.alzscot.org
Bibliography
Websites
Articles
Labnotes – stem cells: potent research January 2003
Issue 2 March 2006
Textbooks
Biology – Ann Fullick Heinemann 2000
Edexcel 360 science 2006
AS Biology Longman, P Bradfield, J Podots, N Taylor 2001
