The Pros And Cons Of Stem Cell Research

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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).

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