Is Stem Cell Research ethnically correct?

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Introduction - Stem Cell Research

But like many expanding fields of scientific inquiry, research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new discoveries. There exists a widespread controversy over human embryonic stem cell research that emanates from the techniques used in the creation and usage of stem cells. Although debates around stem cell research come from varying perspectives, emphasizing differing points of contention, it seems that the controversy surrounding stem cell research comes at the intersection of two primary opposing viewpoints: the high esteem for human life and the right to it, on the one hand; and the desire to alleviate human suffering on the other. And while these two ideas are not in themselves contradictory, in this particular case it is impossible to satisfy one without violating the other. Human embryonic stem cell research is controversial because, with the present state of technology, starting a stem cell line requires the destruction of a human embryo and/or therapeutic cloning. However, recently, it has been shown in principle that adult stem cell lines can be manipulated to generate embryonic-like stem cell lines using a single-cell biopsy similar to that used in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis that may allow stem cell creation without embryonic destruction. It is not the entire field of stem cell research, but the specific field of human embryonic stem cell research that is at the centre of an ethical debate. Some people argue that embryonic stem cell technologies are a slippery slope to reproductive cloning and can fundamentally devalue human life. Those in the pro-life movement argue that a human embryo is a human life and is therefore entitled to protection.

(Source: Wikipedia)

The Science behind Stem Cell Research

Stem cells are cells found in most, if not all, multi-cellular organisms. A stem cell could be regarded as one of the basic building blocks of the human body. Stem cells are important because they have the ability to become different cell types, and scientists are working on developing ways to use stem cells to repair or regenerate damaged organs or tissues. 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 which could be used to cure diseases such as; diabetes, Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's, and also heart related diseases, although at present it is impossible to tell whether this will happen within a few years or even within our lifetimes. Research in the stem cell field grew out of findings by Canadian scientists Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Stem cells are one of the most fascinating areas of biology today. Till in the 1960s the two broad types of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem cells that are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells that are found in adult tissues. But now, scientists have found a new type of stem cell. That is the foetal stem cell.

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  • Embryonic stem cells – These stem cells have the potential to become anything from skin cells to brain cells. They are usually produced from donated embryos (fertilised eggs) from couples undergoing IVF treatment.
  • Adult stem cells – Although they are found in children as well as adults, they are referred to as adult stem cells to distinguish them from those derived from embryos. Adult stem cells can be found all over the human body, but scientists are finding them difficult to isolate and identify. Unlike embryonic stem cells, it is not yet known whether adult ...

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