Stem Cell Research Arguments

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Stem cell research holds massive potential for the field of medicine. Stem cells are being used to test new medicine and treatments for diseases that seemed to have no cure. Even damaged organs can be repaired by stem cells. However, in order for all of this to be achieved, stem cell research has to be fully supported by the medical field and by legislation. At the moment, stem cell research is being debated and hasn’t fully been accepted. Stem cell research is ethical because of alternatives to embryos and the potential in medicine. First and foremost, alternatives to embryonic stem cells have developed and have been consistently utilized by researchers. The induced pluripotent stem cell has combated the ethical issues many people have had …show more content…

Stem cells possess the ability to grow into any cell type, so they could serve as replacement cells or tissue. They could serve as effective treatments for multiple diseases, but not necessarily direct cures (Liou). These cells can help with damaged tissue and even organs. In order for stem cells to completely fix damage in a person’s body, more research has to be done. Similarly, stem cells can contribute to genetics and neuroscience. Creating induced pluripotent stem cells from people with genetic diseases allows researchers to see what genes go wrong, as well as how and when they go wrong (Jha). More stem cell research allows for more understanding of genetic diseases, which can potentially contribute to a cure for these diseases. Most importantly, stem cells have the potential to treat one of the most lamented diseases: cancer. Paul Fairchild of the Oxford Stem Cell Institute has been working on stem cells that recognize tumours (Jha). “His experiments have shown that the dendritic cells do indeed stimulate the body's T-cells to respond robustly. The T-cells are then programmed to find the tumour and destroy it. That means a better natural response to cancer, all without the need for toxic chemotherapy.” (Jha). Fairchild is stimulating the immune system’s T-cells, which attacks virus-infected cells and tumours cells, and programming them to find the tumour. Safer and more effective treatments are being introduced and tested because of stem

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