Throughout centuries, scientists have discovered new and improved ways of curing certain types of diseases with medical treatments that continue to be discovered. When newly discovered, many treatments and cures are controversial. Immediately, society questions whether or not these medical practices are reliable, safe, and ethical procedures. Such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as “electroshock”, a medical procedure where patients who may be victims of schizophrenia or depression are given electric shocks where the “currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses” (Mayo Clinic Staff). When first introduced, society deemed this form of treatment as unsafe, and morally questionable. However, once the treatment gained popularity around the 40s and 50s, it was then looked at as a widely accepted procedure. Once accepted, adjustments were made to make the treatment much more effective and appealing to a larger group of patients (small adjustments such as giving the patient anesthesia before undergoing electroshock). After a medical practice can gain enough support, changes can be made to such a procedure to upgrade the way its used to benefit society. Just like many other new forms of modern medicine, stem cell research has also stirred up quite the controversy amongst not only the medical community, but the average American home as well. Although the idea of regenerating certain parts of the body have been around for about a century, the in depth analysis of stem cell research has only been conducted fairly recently. Stem cells are unspecialized cells (“unspecialized” meaning t... ... middle of paper ... ... the baby otherwise. If that is the case, there should be no ethical concerns between the debates on embryonic stem cells (involving the death of the fetus). Other concerns lie with this relatively new form of treatment. Embryonic stem cells, when placed into a region of necessity, will differentiate into many different types of cells. This will cause an overproduction of cells which may not be needed, leading the patient to develop a tumor (known as a teratoma). Currently, modern science has not identified a way to control the growth of the embryonic stem cells to the point where they create solely the cells needed in the area. Not to mention due to the lack of support, it may be a while before this form of medicine may see any major improvement (insufficient funding will continue to make it difficult for scientists to unravel the true potential of this practice).
Over the past decade scientist and the U.S government have been debating about funds for stem cell research (SCR), the amount spent depends on who is in office. The Democratic Party fully supports SCR, but the Republican Party somewhat opposes the concept of SCR, arfuing it violates the Christian principle of life. As a result, this topic is considered controversial, but also beneficial if allowed. Despite the controversy, SCR should be well funded for medicinal use, because blank stem cells (SC) can be used to regenerate bones and muscle tissue, they can be used to control or even reverse neurodegenerative disease, and because they can be used for therapeutic cloning.
However, I believe the choice is up to the individual receiving treatment to decide the method of their treatment in accordance with their beliefs. I suppose my stance with this is strongly rooted in my acceptance of stem cell research, despite which method is used. While the use of adult cells is less controversial, I do not think they have the capacity to completely replace the use of embryonic stem cells without more testing. Although, I personally am indifferent to where the cells come from, I do not condone effecting an abortion for the sole purpose of stem cell therapy or cloning one child to have the clone just as a lifetime organ donor. I would prefer that the stem cells used for testing be taken from medical waste or otherwise discarded materials. Perhaps one day the stem cells received from adults or the umbilical cord will satisfy all needs and possibly put an end to controversy (NIH,
One of the most heated political battles in the United States in recent years has been over the morality of embryonic stem cell research. The embryonic stem cell debate has polarized the country into those who argue that such research holds promises of ending a great deal of human suffering and others who condemn such research as involving the abortion of a potential human life. If any answer to the ethical debate surrounding this particular aspect of stem cell research exists, it is a hazy one at best. The question facing many scientists and policymakers involved in embryonic stem cell research is, which is more valuable – the life of a human suffering from a potentially fatal illness or injury, or the life of human at one week of development? While many argue that embryonic stem cell research holds the potential of developing cures for a number of illnesses that affect many individuals, such research is performed at the cost of destroying a life and should therefore not be pursued.
Most people are against Embryonic Stem Cell research mainly because they consider it unethical to use aborted fetuses for research. The two main issues concerning the research are the ethics (Cons) and the benefits (Pros). In any scientific case, ethics must always be considered. But the use of fetuses is something that is of the utmost importance. The costs are generally measured based off of people’s feelings, morals, and knowledge about the subject up for debate. The use of aborted fetuses for stem cell research may have many positive outcomes that can come of it, but many negative outcomes as well; If using aborted fetuses for research can, in the near future, save lives, then it is a research that should be supported, even though some people may see this type of research as something on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from the way they view abortion.
This report does a fairly comprehensive job on educating the public to the definition of stem cells, describing them as “a diverse group of remarkable multipotent cells that are relatively undifferentiated and unspecialized cells of the body.” Stem cells have the capacity for unlimited self-renewal and the possibility to produce differentiated descendant cell types. The main in...
As technology stem cell research intensifies, so does the controversy about whether such scientific progress is moral. In the past millennium to today the present stem cell research has become a controversial topic across the world. Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have unique regenerative abilities, allowing them to divide into specialized cell types. Understanding why these processes occur is essential to curing disease. Critics of stem cell research argue that the extraction of embryonic stem cells involves destroying an early embryo, equating the act of killing a human. Although stem cell research is a highly controversial topic, it is compulsory to continue stem cell research within ethical boundaries for the benefit of mankind.
There have been many types of medical advances, but one in particular that has been said that it can help on the treatment of different type of diseases. Stem cells are multicellular organisms that can develop many more of their kind and then give birth to new kind of cells. This types of cells come from the umbilical cord of a new born. This became a huge dilemma where there’s a competing with moral and ethical values. The rumor is a never ending debate. This dilemma is not just in the U.S.A, but all around the world since this stem cell are so effective even though there’s some places where stem cells is ether no restriction or restricted .
In 2013 about 580,350 Americans were projected to die of cancer, almost 1,600 people a day. Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths (Cancer Facts). Doctors and scientists are always trying to discover new ways to help battle cancer as well as other diseases. Doctors have tried everything from plants to radiation to try and destroy cancerous cells. Instead of destroying them Scientists and doctors are now trying to replace the old cancerous cells. In order to replace these cells they will need new cells. Stem cell research is the newest way doctors are trying to help with diseases. There are different types of stem cells. Stem cells are cells found primarily in embryos, and they have not yet taken on the characteristics of any particular type of cell, such as bone, muscle tissue or brain matter. The newest research being done is with embryotic stem cells. Embryotic Stem cells have been used in medical therapies to aid patients with many types of diseases; that being said it is imperative that we continue researching, practicing, and funding these medical advancements.
Experimentation with embryonic stem cells has become an important breakthrough in current medical research. Why is this? According to Medical News Today, these embryonic stem cells are considered the most useful for research due to their pluripotent nature (MNT, July 2013). What this means according the National Institutes of Health Stem Cell Information Center, is that embryonic stem cells are considered to be unspecialized or master cells. Being unspecialized or “undifferentiated” in sci...
What can one day cure diseases such as cancer? Stem cells. Stem cells are the future in medical technology. In this paper I will discuss what stem cells are, the history behind stem cell research, how stem cells might help treat diseases, and what diseases stem cells could potentially treat. I will also discuss the positives of stem cell research, the negatives of stem cell research, and what the hope for stem cell research is.
Those who favour stem cell research are optimistic about the continued developments in stem cell research will open doors to many breakthrough discoveries in biomedical science. The scientific and ethical questions arise as rapidly as the reaching of milestones in stem cell research. There are two main types of stem cells, namely embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells in our body. But they have restricted-range of cells that they can further differentiate. On the contrary, embryonic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into nearly two hundred cell types in the human body, called pluripotency. The process of harvesting embryonic stem cells involves destruction of embryos (Mooney, 2009).
Stem cell research is becoming an issue that is one of the most profound of our time. The issue of research involving stem cells derived from human embryos is increasingly the subject of dinner table discussions and a national debate. The issue is confronted every day in laboratories as scientists ponder the ethical consequences of their work. It is agonized over by parents and many couples as they try to have children, or save children already born. The issue is debated within the church, with people of different faiths, even many of the same faith coming to different conclusions. Many people are finding that the more they know about stem cell research, the less certain they are about the right ethical and moral conclusions.
Within the past few years, scientist have made several breakthroughs with human stem cells. These breakthroughs have catapulted the issue of stem cell research into the middle of a national debate. Most people have no problem with the research itself, however the source of the stem cells (adult or human embryos) used in research is the primary cause of the debate. Some people feel that destroying an embryo is comparable to murder, even if the research it promotes may help people with serious illnesses. Other believe that an embryo is not a person and therefore research on an embryo is the same as research on any other group of cells.
Stem cell research should be allowed on adults but not on humans. Only allowed on humans who are willing to be a part of the stem cell research but no one should be used against their own will. Embryos should not be used for embryonic stem cell research. An embryo being used for their stem cells and then discarded devalues that human life. This follows along the same unethical issue as abortion. When stem cells are removed from human embryos, a unique individual dies. However, if abortion is legal in the state that this research is conducted than research may be conducted on only aborted fetuses. That would be an...
“Stem Cells: The Future of Medicine.” Medschool.umaryland.edu. University of Maryland School of Medicine Web 14 Nov 2013