Embryonic Stem Cell Research: A New Paradigm in Medical Technology

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Modern medicine has made a remarkable impact on people’s health across the globe. The treatments that scientists have discovered are astounding, without a doubt. Despite all of these amazing discoveries, many of these innovations are, in fact, treatments, and not cures (O’Brien para 5). Now, why is this a predicament? Imagine waking up every day and enduring grueling treatments for blindness, hearing-loss, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, or any other known incurable disease; Modern medicine is beginning to limit itself to treating diseases or illnesses temporarily, rather than eliminating them completely (O’Brien para 4; Durant 192). There is reason to hope that stem cell research will be the future of medicine (Durant 1). Research on embryonic stem cells is probably one of the most globally debated issues today (Thomas 4). Both scientists and anti-stem cell research groups can agree that there is reason for debate because on one hand this type of research is halting the life of an embryo, but is also helping develop a cure that could help save many lives in return (Thomas 15; O’Brien para 6). Because of their promising research results, embryonic stem cell research should be widely accepted and the law should allow researchers to study them more in-depth in order to implement their use in medicine today. Stem cells can be used to treat and cure human tissue that has been damaged or diseased (Thomas 17). Doctors around the world are already successfully using adult stem cells to treat diseases. Adult stem cell use is not often considered controversial because the adult stem cells are donated voluntarily from the bone marrow and other tissues from adult donors (Thomas 18). Embryonic stem cells, however, are much more valuable to re... ... middle of paper ... ...rch (Voters 1). Figure 2 (Voters 1) The graph in figure 2 clearly displays that the majority of people polled supported funding research of embryonic stem cells (Voters 1). Works Cited O'Brien, Jeffery M. "The Great Stem Cell Dilemma." Fortune 166.6 (2012): 186-195. Business Source Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. . 25 March 2014. Thomas, Isabel. What Is The Controversy Over Stem Cell Research?. Chicago, Ill: Raintree, 2012. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 25 Mar. 2014. . >.

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