- Blastocyst Embryonic Stem Cells
These cells occur when the embryo forms a structure called a blastocyst, which has cells contained in the inner cell mass. Blastocyst Embryonic Stem Cells are multipotent – can become almost any kind of cell in the body.
These cells occur when the embryo is referred to the foetus, and the cells are responsible for the initial development of tissues. Fetal Stem Cells are pluripotent.
- Umbilical Cord Stem Cells
These cells occur when the umbilical cord is removed from the infant, and the cells are found in the blood from the cord. Umbilical Cord Stem Cells are multipotent.
These cells occur in already-developed tissues, directing their growth and maintenance throughout life. Adult Stem Cells are multipotent.
Why are Embryonic Stem Cells particularly useful?
Embryonic Stem Cells have huge therapeutic potential because they can give rise to every cell type in the body by the process of differentiation. Adult Stem Cells, on the other hand, can only give rise to a limited range of cell types.
Embryonic Stem Cells may also provide a useful way to test the effects of experimental drugs. It is also hoped that studying Stem Cells will provide vital clues about how the tissues of the body develop, and how disease occurs in human beings.
What is the evidence and opinions that Embryonic Stem Cells will treat and cure illnesses?
Bone Marrow Transplants
“A research team in Sweden has managed to establish and isolate the tissue-specific Blood Stem Cells by using genetically modified Embryonic Stem Cells. The fact that it is now possible to establish and isolate Blood Stem Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells in a reproducible way will yield key insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate the function of Blood Stem Cells and will thereby lead to enhanced methods of treatment for patients who need bone marrow transplants, such as leukaemia patients.”
Extract from Article on April 29th 2008 from Science Daily
Extensive Burns
Embryonic Stem Cells can be grown to multiply and develop into specialised skin cells.
‘For example, one skin Stem Cell alone can produce enough specialised skin cells to cover the whole body. This produced a breakthrough in the treatment of extensive burns to the body.’
‘We can do any part of the skin today, which means we can do the outer-most layer of the skin. This is very important, because without this layer you would not be able to survive. However, we are not able to reconstruct sweat glands or hair follicles.’
Quotes from Stem Cell Stories: Four Films about Stem Cell Research
What other alternatives could treat and cure these illnesses?
Adult Stem Cells
Adult Stem Cells are undifferentiated cells found throughout the body after embryonic development that divide to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues.
Adult Stem Cell lines isolated from mature tissues are commonly used in Stem Cell research, as are cells isolated from umbilical cord blood. However, these cells have a genetic imprint of the host they were taken from, thus limiting their therapeutic use in genetic disorders. Also, Adult Stem cells are not totipotent or pluripotent like Embryonic Stem Cells, but rather more specialized cells that are multipotent.
Human Somatic Cells
Somatic Cells are any cells forming the body of an organism, as opposed to cells. Internal organs, skin, bones, blood, and connective tissue are all made up of Somatic Cells.
Some researchers believe that human Somatic Cells can be coaxed to “de-differentiate” and revert to an embryonic state. Scientists at Harvard University have attempted to transfer the nucleus of a Somatic Cell into an existing Embryonic Stem Cell, thus creating a new Stem Cell line. Another study published in August 2006 also indicates that differentiated cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state by introducing four specific factors.
Are there any risks to using Embryonic Stem Cells?
- Some researchers fear that it is possible that Stem Cell therapy could unwittingly pass viruses and other disease causing agents to the people who will receive the cell transplants.
- There is particular concern that Stem Cells are currently cultivated using nutrients taken from animal sources, and that these could harbour diseases which could be passed onto humans.
- Some research has also raised the possibility that Stem Cells may turn cancerous or form tumours.
May 19th 2005 on BBC News Channel
Risks to Women
A congressional hearing last Thursday raised awareness on the risks to women’s health and fertility by in vitro fertilization, human cloning, and Embryonic Stem Cell research, where experts testified the techniques and drugs involved posed unacceptable risks to women.
"Current practices follow a historical pattern of exposing women to risks that prove ultimately unacceptable," said Diane Beeson, PhD.
A recent study by scientists at the University of Padua found one in ten women undergoing fertility treatment will suffer milder forms of an adverse reaction to the drugs called ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome, while one percent will be at risk of life-threatening blood disorders. Researchers also analysed doctors' reports since the early 1990s and discovered sixty percent of fertility treatment accidents involved blood clots in the head and neck.
Extracts from
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Embryonic Stem Cells?
Advantages
- Embryonic Stem Cells are flexible – they appear to have the ability to differentiate into any kind of cell
- They are immortal – one Embryonic Stem Cell line can potentially provide an endless supply of cells with defined characteristics
- They are easily available – Embryonic Stem Cells can be retrieved from in-vitro fertilisation clinics
Disadvantages
- Embryonic Stem Cells are difficult to differentiate uniformly and homogenously into a target tissue
- They are immunogenic – Embryonic Stem Cells from a random donor are likely to be rejected after transplantation
- They are tumorigenic – capable of forming tumours or promoting a tumour formation
- Use of Embryonic Stem Cells is the destruction of capable and developing human life
Why do many people object to the use of Embryonic Stem Cells?
Embryonic Stem Cell Line
Embryonic Stem Cell lines are created from embryos. A living single Stem Cell is put in a Petri dish and provided with nutrients and growth factors that simulate those found in the womb. The resulting Embryonic Stem Cell line will continue to divide, provided it receives sufficient chemical messages instructing it to remain undifferentiated.
The status of the human embryo and human Embryonic Stem Cell research is a controversial issue as, with the present state of technology, the creation of a human Embryonic Stem Cell line requires the destruction of a human embryo.
- Some opponents of Embryonic Stem Cell research argue that this practice is a slippery slope to reproductive cloning and fundamentally devalues the worth of a human being.
- Members of the pro-life movement believe that Embryonic Stem Cell research violates the sanctity of life and is tantamount to murder. The fundamental assertion of those who oppose Embryonic Stem Cell research is the belief that human life is inviolable, combined with the opinion that human life begins when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell to form a single cell.
“At the first cell stage, you were everything you are today. You were already male or female. You were alive, not dead. You were certainly human as you had forty six human chromosomes; and most importantly, you were complete. For nothing has been added to the single cell whom you once were, from then until today, except food and oxygen. You were all there then, and to terminate your life at any stage of that can be called nothing other than killing.’
Said by pro-lifer J.C Wilke, MD
- Some people are against Stem Cell research because a lot of the experiments are carried out on animals. This is an extract from the Peta website:
“Unfortunately, the majority of Stem Cell research is done on animals. For example, researchers recently burned holes in the hearts of pigs and then injected Stem Cells to repair the tissue. Because of experiments like this, many people object to Stem Cell research and oppose increasing its scope and funding.
Stem Cell research is, at its heart, an in vitro technology, and animals are used in Stem Cell research largely because of archaic regulations and research habits, as well as a historical unavailability of human Stem Cells. We now have ample sources of human Stem Cells, as well as many established Stem Cell lines in vitro.”
What is the law on the use of Embryonic Stem Cells in different parts of the World?
European Union
EU regulations could seriously limit medical experiments involving Embryonic Stem Cells even though Parliament has approved them.
The Government has passed the most liberal legislation in the World on Stem Cell research, which promises treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Paralysis. Most EU states oppose this because it involves the destruction of human embryos.
Extracts from Article on March 29th 2008 from The Times
Germany
The German Parliament has voted to ease restrictions on Embryonic Stem Cell research, which is controversial on ethical grounds. Under the existing German law, researchers have only been allowed to use Embryonic Stem Cells harvested abroad before January 2002.
Catholic Church leaders have voiced an opposition to experiments involving human embryos, arguing that all such embryos have the potential to go on to become fully-fledged humans.
Extracts from April 11th 2008 on BBC News Channel
China
Embryonic Stem Cell research raises fewer ethical concerns in China and the Chinese government is aggressively supporting research in the field. This policy brief summarises the worldwide policy environment for research before turning in more detail to the Chinese situation.
In China, Embryonic Stem Cell research is regulated by Government guidelines, issued jointly by the Ministry for Science and Technology and the Ministry for Health. This differs from the United States where no national guidelines exist. China’s oversight mechanisms are less formal and there is less attention to licensing and enforcement issues.
Conclusion
Efficiency Viewpoint
If an embryo is going to be destroyed anyway, isn't it more efficient to make practical use of it?
- In vitro fertilisation generates large numbers of unused embryos. Many of these thousands of in vitro fertilisation embryos are slated for destruction. Using them for scientific research utilises a resource that would otherwise be wasted.
- While the destruction of human embryos is required to establish a Stem Cell line, no new embryos have to be destroyed to work with existing Stem Cell lines. It would be wasteful not to continue to make use of these cell lines as a resource.
- Abortions are legal in many countries and jurisdictions. A logical argument follows that if these embryos are being destroyed anyway; why not use them for Embryonic Stem Cell research or treatments?
These are the three main ideas of the Efficiency viewpoint on Embryonic Stem Cell research. After carefully considering and evaluating all the facts, evidence and opinions that I have collected throughout this case study, I have decided that I agree with this point of view. It is more resourceful to use these vacant embryos rather than just discard them, especially as there are potential cures within the Embryonic Stem Cells. I think that embryos, while of value, are not equivalent to human life while they are still incapable of existing outside the womb. They only have potential for human life. I think it is more important to use the embryos to possibly increase the worth of existing life which may be suffering from illnesses, as it is more vital than potential life.
Bibliography
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Page 2: Embryonic Stem Cells – Wikipedia
This encyclopaedia is a reliable in source of information because it is clear and to the point, however it is not very reliable in the sense that the information on the website can be written or changed by anyone.
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Page 3 and 4: About Stem Cells – Institute for Stem Cell Research
This website is not a very reliable source of information because the opinions provided may be biased.
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Page 4: What are some different types of Stem Cells? – Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah
The University of Utah is a reliable source of information because it is a place of education and learning.
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Page 5: Tissue-Specific Blood Stem Cell Line Established From Embryonic Stem Cells – Science Daily
Science Daily is a reliable source of information as the article I’ve provided would’ve had to have undergone peer review.
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Page 5: A Stem Cell Story from Stem Cell Stories
This DVD is a reliable source of information because it is provided as an educational learning device for students.
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Page 6: Stem Cell Controversy – Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a reliable in source of information because it is clear and to the point, however it is not very reliable in the sense that the information on the website can be written or changed by anyone.
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Page 7: Q & A on Stem Cells – BBC News Channel
The BBC News Channel is a reliable source of information because it provides a very neutral opinion and only states facts.
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Page 7: Egg Harvesting And Embryonic Stem Cell Research Pose Serious Threat To Women’s Health, by Peter J Smith – Your Life, Family and Culture Outpost: LifeSite News
This website is a reliable source of information because the facts and evidence given have been proved by scientific studies.
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Page 8: Pros and Cons of Embryonic and Adult Stem Cells – Stem Cell Research Facts
This website is a reliable source of information because it provides both sides of the issue of Embryonic Stem Cell research.
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Page 9: Stem Cell Controversy – Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a reliable in source of information because it is clear and to the point, however it is not very reliable in the sense that the information on the website can be written or changed by anyone.
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Page 9: Stem Cell Research: Moving Beyond Vivisection – Peta UK
Peta is not a very reliable source of information because the opinions provided may be biased.
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Page 10: EU Curbs Threaten British Stem Cell Research – The Times
The Times is a reliable source of information because it provides a very neutral opinion and only states facts.
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Page 10: Germany Eases Law On Stem Cells – BBC News Channel
The BBC News Channel is a reliable source of information because it provides a very neutral opinion and only states facts.
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Page 10: Summary of Embryonic Stem Cell research in China – Law
This website is a reliable source of information because it purely summarises the official Chinese law on Embryonic Stem Cell research.
