...Stem cell technology overview In order to gain a better understanding of the many benefits as well as the concerns raised by stem cells research, it is important to first have a general idea of what stem cells are, along with the specific properties the different categories of stem cells possess that make them such a valuable commodity to modern medicine today. Stem cells contain human DNA, and as a result make up the basic building blocks of human organisms. This essentially gives them “unique regenerative abilities”. In that sense they are unspecialized cells “capable of dividing and renewing themselves” into most, if not all of the cell types found in the human body. Three different types of stem cells have been identified by scientists. Not necessarily in order of importance, they start from the embryonic group which carries the greatest potential for becoming any other cell types and as a result, the greatest subject of controversy. The other two types of stem cells are the adult stem cells, which are to a degree less useful and can only become one of a few cell types; and the induced pluripotent stem cells which are specially treated cells that can be processed to behave somewhat like embryonic stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells commonly abbreviated as iPS cells or iPSCs are a type of pluripotent stem cell artificially derived from a non-pluripotent cell - typically an adult somatic cell - by inducing a "forced" expression of specific genes. ...
Words: 2887 - Pages: 12
...one of reality. Current research is bringing us closer than ever to cloning humans, but what will happen if we succeed? The word clone is defined as being an exact genetic replica of a molecule, cell, plant, animal or human being. The term cloning refers to the technological process of creating a clone. The use of cloning technologies has been in place for the past 50 years, though it wasn’t until 1996 that the first mammal was cloned from a somatic cell. Dolly, the world’s first cloned lamb, brought cloning and its ethical implications into the spotlight after she was successfully cloned from an udder cell of a six-year-old sheep. Dolly was put to sleep in 2003 after suffering from lung disease, as well as premature arthritis. Having lived only six and a half years instead of the expected 11 – 12, Dolly’s passing also brought to light questions regarding the health and life expectancy of cloned animals. Though her life was short, she left a long lasting imprint in the field of modern biological research. The successful cloning of Dolly led to many other advances in the biological community, however, as of 2014 no human has ever been successfully cloned. Human cloning is a hotly debated topic in the science and religious communities because of the ethical questions and concerns surrounding the process. In 2013, developmental biologist Dr. Shoukhrat Mitalipov successfully cloned human embryos capable of producing embryonic stem cells. Gautam Naik of the Wall...
Words: 783 - Pages: 4
...Stem Cells as a Treatment Overview: Stem cell research is a highly promising field of study. Its most important applications include medicine and therapy. These will be the focus of this paper. To begin: an overview of stem cells, alternatives to embryonic stem cells, and recent advances. Stem cells are amazing for their capacity for self-renewal and, most of all, the ability to become any of millions of cell types in the human body. There are various types of stem cells, each with different potential. This includes embryonic stem cells. These totipotent cell lines come from the inside of the cell mass of a human embryo. These embryos are taken specifically from fertilized eggs not used by in-vitro fertilization (1). At this point, they are just a blastocyst, meaning an embryo composed of approximately one hundred cells. The cells on the inside of the blastocyst are undifferentiated but eventually will multiply and differentiate extensively to make all of the different required cells. Adult stem cells cells also have this same ability. They are found throughout the body and are able to dived to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues (1). Adult stem cells are able to renew themselves and create a variety of cells, but are usually multipotent, meaning that they only are able to specialize into a small selection of cells. ‘Totipotent’ stem cells can be transformed into any type of cell in the human body, however, there is a great amount of controversy...
Words: 1804 - Pages: 8
...Lori Worthy English 101 Evelyn Beck 1 December 2010 Stem Cell Research: Why it should be funded by the Government Before one could discuss the possibility of the federal government funding stem cell research; you must first define what it is and mention the options to get them. Stem cells are cells that have the ability to renew themselves through cell division in a range of cell types. It is like the body’s repairing operation. You can get them from adult stem cells, cord blood, and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells is the most effective and most controversial. There are many who distrust the ethicalness of expending embryonic stem cells because they are considered existing humans, such as the Bush administration. They sensed that the use of these stem cells instituted the slaughter of a human. The government went as far as to not federally fund stem cell research because of this. Our most recent administration has raised these bans on the investigation but not fully (Newsbatch). For years, federal funding of this study was ceased but now those barriers have been elevated and this research will only progress. It is only right that as knowledge advances in the dominion of science and healthcare that stem cell inquiry should also advance. From the beginning of time people have been searching for the fountain of youth and cures for diseases. Everybody dream of living longer and being free of illnesses. Millions are spent on easy cures and products...
Words: 928 - Pages: 4
...A Pluripotent Challenge Recent advances in human stem cell research have generated enormous enthusiasm on the part of researchers and optimistic predictions of revolutionary advances in biomedicine. These same advances have also sparked considerable ethical debate. The main ethical challenges associated with stem cell research have to do with the source of those cells. Although some advances have been made in the use of adult stem cells, the consensus seems to be that the most promising categories of stem cells are embryonic stem (ES) cells (derived from the five- to seven-day-old embryos known as blastocysts) and embryonic germ (EG) cells, derived from immature aborted fetuses. In fact, there are four main sources of (non-adult) stem cells, and each presents its own challenging ethical issues. The first such source (of ES cells) is the surplus embryos that are a by-product of the activities of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) labs. One ethical concern here has to do with the status of the embryo itself. The degree of respect that ought to be granted to a human embryo is highly controversial. Some hold that the embryo - genetically human and a potential person - deserves our full respect and protection. Others hold that while the embryo may be genetically human, it has (particularly at early stages) none of the characteristics of persons. It is not conscious; it is not self-aware. It is a cluster of cells with no independent ethical status. Still others hold an in-between view, arguing...
Words: 1545 - Pages: 7
...In the last 20 years there have been many remarkable scientific advances in healthcare science, which have made a vast difference in the diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses. There are also many potential advances in the field of healthcare science that will improve the quality of life for many people. Firstly, the Human Genome Project, which started in 1990 and was completed in 2003, allowed scientists to read the complete set of human genetic information and begin to understand the roles of our 23,000 genes. Genetic conditions are caused when DNA variants are inherited which results in a change in the functioning of one gene that affects the way the body works or develops. There are over 10,000 different genetic conditions, e.g. cystic...
Words: 1486 - Pages: 6
...pulmonary alveoli. Despite recent advances in new drugs and in the understanding of this disease,...
Words: 1270 - Pages: 6
...Recent advances in human stem cell research have not only generated enormous enthusiasm on the part of researchers and optimistic predictions of revolutionary advances in biomedicine, but have also sparked considerable ethical and emotional public debate. There has been much controversy in the press about pros and cons of stem cell research . The important question to think about is Why the prospect of stem cell therapy has been greeted not as an innovation to be welcomed but as a threat to be resisted? The enormous capabilities of stem cells announce the beginning of an extraordinary advanced field of medicine that can help to cure deadly diseases . The present method , however, destroys human blastocyst that gives rise to intense controversy. (Monroe, Miller, & Tobis , 2008, p. 1) Stem cell controversy is the ethical debate centered on research involving the creation, usage and destruction of human embryonic stem cells. Around the world, many people believe that human embryo research , including the deliberate creation of embryos for valid research or clinical purposes , is wrong . Due to the controversy , some people argues that we should allow stem cell research but some of them are not in favour of stem cell research . According to S Holm , the author of Going to the Roots of Stem Cell Controversy, “A stem cell is a non – differentiated cell that can divide and multiply in its undifferentiated state, but which can also give rise to more specialized...
Words: 1518 - Pages: 7
...December 4, 2011 Stem Cell Research One of the most interesting topics that have proven to be a controversial issue among our nation has been the development of stem cell research. Stem cell research is a relatively new technology that takes undeveloped human cells, and develops them into most of the cells in the human body. Scientists say stem cells may be used to replace or repair damaged cells, and have the potential to drastically change the treatment of conditions like cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and even paralysis. If stem cell research is able to cure so many terrible illnesses that afflict a numerous amount of the different populations on earth, then I am one hundred percent for it. I support stem cell research for multiple reasons, which are the saving of lives, cures for diseases, and the ability of the cells to test the effectiveness of different medications. There are many people that are still alive today due to the use of stem cells. Townsend speaks about a woman who suffered from multiple Myeloma, and that the cancer attacked her bones so severely that they “looked like someone used them for target practice,” (Townsend). The chemotherapy destroyed her cancerous immune system making her extremely weak. Doctors at Syracuse Upstate Medical Hospital resorted into giving the woman cells obtained from her own blood. The cells traveled through her bloodstream into her bone marrow, establishing a new, cancer-free immune system. The stem cells are the reason...
Words: 938 - Pages: 4
...Pushing medicine further Stem cells are cells found in animals and humans. They have the ability to divide and reproduce themselves. They are unspecialized, meaning they do not perform a specific function like muscle cells or nerve cells. But they are also pluripotent, meaning they have the ability to divide and make specialized cells—such as muscle, nerve, or skin cells—and even have the potential to make entire body parts. Some may ask, why haven’t we tried to cultivate this form of medicine? Well, the attention devoted to stem cell research has fluctuated in recent years from being really controversial and not ethical. Well now it’s back and with more evidence and validity. We have progressed recently and found that embryonic stem cells were not the most successful and productive in comparison to adult stem cells, that hold more secrets to be unlocked and more uses. These cells have been proven to have therapeutic benefits, ability to help people with infectious diseases and terminal illnesses and will not be rejected by the body’s defenses. Adult stem cells, not embryonic cells, are the next best form of medicine we have to use to date thanks to much research. Only time can tell where adult stem cells can take us. Adult stem cells can heal the body from ailments with time and apparently, with use of these cells they do the work in enough time. ”In the United States, reports The New England Journal of Medicine, patients suffering from corneal blindness can now see, and...
Words: 1523 - Pages: 7
...Stem Cell Research Legislation Manny Garcia Jr English 135 Ms. Miller February 12, 2010 Abstract This paper explains that the ethical dilemma involved in stem cell research is a rather straight- forward process because to achieve its full potential this type of research requires using stem cells from fetuses. As well the history of Stem Cell Research Legislation in United States and what the current legislature state of affairs is and where the law on stem cell should go in the future. The issue of stem cell research burst on the scientific 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 disease. The cells, which are derived from several day old embryos, can theoretically differentiate into virtually any type of human cell, from blood cells to skim cell. Scientists hope to find ways of using them to repair damaged tissue. Although research is only in the early stages, there is a growing consensus among researchers that many very effective medical treatments can be realized through cloning stem cells. This is because these cells can be made to replicate specific human tissues. These cells offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissue to treat a myriad of diseases, conditions, and disabilities including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal...
Words: 2025 - Pages: 9
...Stem Cell Research One topic or issue that has been and still is considered to be the most controversial not only in the USA but in many other countries across the world is stem cell research. Personally, I have mixed views about stem cell research. Considering the knowledge that I currently have about stem cell research, I can say that I am definitely in support of it. On one hand I can understand the controversy and views associated with those who are opposed to the research and use of stem cells. Many of the anti-stem cell research advocates have more of a major issue with the source of the stem cells rather than the method of research used. Stem cells are found throughout the body and are capable of regeneration and transforming into any one of the body’s numerous cell types. Majority of the stem cells used are from adult tissues and referred to as the adult stem cells, or somatic cells, which are derived mostly from blood, bone marrow, and the skin. The other types of stem cells also being used are the umbilical cord stem cells, amniotic fluid stem cells, and embryonic stem cells. The most versatile and controversial of all the stem cells are the embryonic, which are also believed to be more promising for studying, treating and curing diseases. The controversy associated with embryonic stem cells are the simple fact that they are derived from embryos which were developed and donated for research purposes by a donors who signed consent for the eggs to be fertilized...
Words: 1199 - Pages: 5
...English 102 Stem Cells: There are 3 main types of stem cells- embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent, that provide great advances to modern medicine (Power). In recent years, the discussion of stem cells has become that of a political and moral debate. There are many misconceptions about stem cell research. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. “Stem cells promise great advances in the treatment of injury and disease, but many problems must be overcome before their potential can be realized.”(qtd. in Power) Before an opinion can be developed on if stem cells should be used, one must know what and how they are used. Stem cells have caught the eye of scientists since the early 1800‘s where cell propagation and differentiation were witnessed for the first time. It was a Russian histologist named Alexander Maksimov who, in 1908, first put forward the existence of the stem cell (and coming up with the term himself) as part of his theory of hematopoiesis (What). According to Maksimov’s hypothesis, all cellular blood components were derived from hematopoietic stem cells(What.). However, there had been no major developments in the field of stem cell research for some 60 years after Maksimov’s theory was proposed In the early 1900‘s European researchers made the discovery that all blood cells and platelets came from a specific ‘stem cell’(What.). However it was not until later in 1963 that the first quantitative descriptions...
Words: 1933 - Pages: 8
...Stem Cell Research: A Road to Recovery Lisa Wainwright Kaplan University CM220 Stem Cell Research “Recent studies suggest these cells may hold the secret to treatment — even cures — for some of our most baffling diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.” (Reaves, 2001) With constant development in science and medicine, it was only a matter of time before scientists and doctors would be on the verge of finding cures for diseases that people everywhere have been waiting for. Stem cell research began around 1981, when scientists discovered controllability in the development of mouse embryos; however, it wasn’t until 1998 that scientists discovered how to originate human stem cells from embryos and cultivate them in a lab. (U.S. Department, 2009) President Barak Obama signed Executive Order 135005, “Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells,” on March 9, 2009. Section 1, Policy, reads, “Research involving human embryonic stem cells and human non-embryonic stem cells has the potential to lead to better understanding and treatment of many disabling diseases and conditions. Advances over the past decade in this promising scientific field have been encouraging, leading to broad agreement in the scientific community that the research should be supported by Federal funds…. including human embryonic stem cell research, to the extent permitted by law.” (Obama, 2009) There are those who argue that stem cell research should be limited...
Words: 2368 - Pages: 10
...a whole organism and an individual organ, is a sign of potential for the scientific community. Cloning a whole organism can be done by two methods. The first, artificial embryo twinning, involves separated an embryo into individual cells in a Petri dish. These embryos are placed in a surrogate mother for their development and are identical because they all had the same fertilized egg. The other method of entire organism cloning is called somatic cell nuclear transfer or SCNT. SCNT involves isolating a somatic cell, or any cell that is not a reproductive cell, and removing the nucleus and DNA from an egg cell. The nucleus is then transferred from the somatic cell to the egg cell. Now, the egg cell with a new nucleus develops like...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
