Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Embryonic stem cells
The term "stem cell" in Websters dictionary defines it as "An unspecialized cell that gives rise to differentiated cells", which is a fancy way of saying "stem cells can be used to copy and turn into any other type of cell".
To understand Embryonic stem cells, we must go back to the Discovery of stem cells in general. Stem cell research first dates back to the late 1800's, when scientist first observed evidence of cells able to produce other cell types. There was a gap in the research of stem cells due to technological accessibility. The first truly recorded study of stem cells was an accident, by two men named James Till and Earnest McCulloch. Researchers soon discovered that additional stem cells also reside in the …show more content…
brain, muscles, and skin and they dubbed these Adult stem cells. Meanwhile, in 1981 scientists isolated Embryonic stem cells from the inner cell mass of mouse embryos, they soon discovered that these cells could give rise to all of the tissues that make up a mouse such as blood, brain, liver, kidney, bone and even brain cells. Eventually in the mid 1990's they went on to isolate the embryos of primates and showed the same type of regenerative and recovery properties. As well as the first documentation of stem cell research history called "Stem cell research history" and all of these findings together suggested that it could cure and repair many damaged cells and tissues. In November of 1998 two research teams led by a man named James Thomson of Wisconsin university and another named John Gearheart of John Hopkins School of medicine announced the isolation of human stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells currently have many uses or rather, they could. In 2011, one case of Embryonic stem cells is about a two year old girl named Hannah Warren who was born without a windpipe. She couldn't even breathe until she was brought to the US for surgery because Hannah's parents had learned of a doctor named Paolo Macchiarini who had experience in making trachea's out of stem cells and scaffolds and then surgically implanting them into adult patients. The operation was a success and Hannah is expected to have a normal life. Another project incorporating Embryonic stem cells is a program called the "London Project to cure blindness", started in 2007, it is a five year project to cure "AMD" or "Age related macular degenration". The transplanted stem cells would replace damaged natural cells and restore sight. Phase two of the project is about creating new methods and surgeries as well as something to successfully transplant the newly created retinal pigment cell. This program was one of the first using Embryonic stem cell therapy.
The ethical debates of Embryonic stem cell research are probably the most questionable of any type of research there is, this is because while the stem cells are incredibly useful the embryo has to be destroyed in the process of retrieving the stem cells.
The people who are against the embryonic stem cell argue that even though it is an embryo it will eventually still be a person, christian belief states that human existence begins with conception rather than the actual form as stated in psalm 139:13-16,even though it doesn't have any human characteristics so far but should still be given the respect and dignity of a person. The counter argument of how it should be used is all about how the embryo has not been implanted into the uterus and does not have the emotional, psychological, and physical attributes of an actual person and therefore is not human. How the process of removal happens is when they remove the inner cell mass from a cultured blastocyst, which is like a sphere made up of outer layers of cells much like a cell membrane. I personally agree with the use of embryonic stem cells, as it is the only type of stem cell that is totipotent which means that it can transform into any type of cell that's needed, and is the only type of stem cell that can turn into neurons, or brain cells. As well as their ideals of what a person is, it can be a new life yes, but it would be better to save an already existing life for it has emotional, physical and psychological capabilities more than a mass of cells. But there are other means of creating embryonic stem cells that do not require the full destruction of an embryo. There is therapeutic cloning, which is where scientist create an embryonic clone of the patient and then harvest the embryo, thus killing the clone, to cure the "original". Another technique is from donations either from people who are having abortions or the left over cells of an umbilical cord after it is cut has embryonic stem cell remnants. The
last type is called stem cells that are "in vitro" which means "in glass" or "in tube", when an initial embryonic stem cell is harvested it can be manipulated to where it can multiply into more embryonic cells.
The most important part of embryonic stem cells right now is its future, America, if not the entire world, can cure most any sickness or disease. Many of the examples of what they can cure are like spinal cord injury,diabetes,heart disease,Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,lung disease, and even arthritis and sickle cell anemia. There are only two options with embryonic stem cell research.
The term "stem cell" in Websters dictionary defines it as "An unspecialized cell that gives rise to differentiated cells", which is a fancy way of saying "stem cells can be used to copy and turn into any other type of cell".
To understand Embryonic stem cells, we must go back to the Discovery of stem cells in general. Stem cell research first dates back to the late 1800's, when scientist first observed evidence of cells able to produce other cell types. There was a gap in the research of stem cells due to technological accessibility. The first truly recorded study of stem cells was an accident, by two men named James Till and Earnest McCulloch. Researchers soon discovered that additional stem cells also reside in the …show more content…
brain, muscles, and skin and they dubbed these Adult stem cells. Meanwhile, in 1981 scientists isolated Embryonic stem cells from the inner cell mass of mouse embryos, they soon discovered that these cells could give rise to all of the tissues that make up a mouse such as blood, brain, liver, kidney, bone and even brain cells. Eventually in the mid 1990's they went on to isolate the embryos of primates and showed the same type of regenerative and recovery properties. As well as the first documentation of stem cell research history called "Stem cell research history" and all of these findings together suggested that it could cure and repair many damaged cells and tissues. In November of 1998 two research teams led by a man named James Thomson of Wisconsin university and another named John Gearheart of John Hopkins School of medicine announced the isolation of human stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells currently have many uses or rather, they could. In 2011, one case of Embryonic stem cells is about a two year old girl named Hannah Warren who was born without a windpipe. She couldn't even breathe until she was brought to the US for surgery because Hannah's parents had learned of a doctor named Paolo Macchiarini who had experience in making trachea's out of stem cells and scaffolds and then surgically implanting them into adult patients. The operation was a success and Hannah is expected to have a normal life. Another project incorporating Embryonic stem cells is a program called the "London Project to cure blindness", started in 2007, it is a five year project to cure "AMD" or "Age related macular degenration". The transplanted stem cells would replace damaged natural cells and restore sight. Phase two of the project is about creating new methods and surgeries as well as something to successfully transplant the newly created retinal pigment cell. This program was one of the first using Embryonic stem cell therapy.
The ethical debates of Embryonic stem cell research are probably the most questionable of any type of research there is, this is because while the stem cells are incredibly useful the embryo has to be destroyed in the process of retrieving the stem cells.
The people who are against the embryonic stem cell argue that even though it is an embryo it will eventually still be a person, christian belief states that human existence begins with conception rather than the actual form as stated in psalm 139:13-16,even though it doesn't have any human characteristics so far but should still be given the respect and dignity of a person. The counter argument of how it should be used is all about how the embryo has not been implanted into the uterus and does not have the emotional, psychological, and physical attributes of an actual person and therefore is not human. How the process of removal happens is when they remove the inner cell mass from a cultured blastocyst, which is like a sphere made up of outer layers of cells much like a cell membrane. I personally agree with the use of embryonic stem cells, as it is the only type of stem cell that is totipotent which means that it can transform into any type of cell that's needed, and is the only type of stem cell that can turn into neurons, or brain cells. As well as their ideals of what a person is, it can be a new life yes, but it would be better to save an already existing life for it has emotional, physical and psychological capabilities more than a mass of cells. But there are other means of creating embryonic stem cells that do not require the full destruction of an embryo. There is therapeutic cloning, which is where scientist create an embryonic clone of the patient and then harvest the embryo, thus killing the clone, to cure the "original". Another technique is from donations either from people who are having abortions or the left over cells of an umbilical cord after it is cut has embryonic stem cell remnants. The
last type is called stem cells that are "in vitro" which means "in glass" or "in tube", when an initial embryonic stem cell is harvested it can be manipulated to where it can multiply into more embryonic cells.
The most important part of embryonic stem cells right now is its future, America, if not the entire world, can cure most any sickness or disease. Many of the examples of what they can cure are like spinal cord injury,diabetes,heart disease,Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,lung disease, and even arthritis and sickle cell anemia. There are only two options with embryonic stem cell research.