Stem Cells Failure

Stem Cells: Future of Failure?
When does a sperm and egg begin to resemble what we call a fetus? Research has shown that at four weeks, the embryo is the size of an seasame seed (New Health Advisor). The cells that make up this sesame seed could be the future of regenerative medicine. Stem cells are the cells made during the process of fertilization. They are the first traces of humans, making them basically a blank slate for all types of cells. They can become essentially any type of cell in the human, thus giving them immense value to our society. They could be able to replenish the cells needed for patients with diabetes and maybe even cancer. Stem cells have the capability to better the population. The issue is that to recover stem cells,
Stem cells are the future of medicine, but for them to actually be useful, other research must be done on additional relevant topics which make stem cells more applicable. For instance, human genetics would have to be researched deeply as it is closely related to stem cells and how they function. An example of how stem cells have opened doors is the chimera. The chimera is a human-pig embryo that has been constructed. An author from National Geographic wrote, “”In the past, human-animal chimeras have been beyond reach. Such experiments are currently ineligible for public funding in the United States”. (Blakemore). This research has still yet to be funded by the United States, although they do have private donators. Without stem cells, this research and discovery would have never been made! However, this human-pig embryo should still be closely observed as to not infuriate the more conservative public with the “ demeaning of human life” (Blackwell) . It also gives perspective on the religious beliefs being used as the border for what is deemed unethical. If a research subject is deemed disreputable or immoral by groups whose beliefs are established from their religion then it gets shut down. Many religious groups, such as the Center for Bioethics and Culture and Family Research Council, have used their religious beliefs to strictly regulate stem cells research and use. This happens
Stem cells offer a solution to this conundrum. The FDA states, “For medical devices, the focus of animal testing is on the device’s ability to function with living tissue without harming the tissue (biocompatibility)” (FDA Basics). These cells are essentially blank slates that can grow into all types of cells. This means that scientists can use these cells to test upon instead of using actual animals by fulfilling the needs usually accomplished by helpless animals. This helps other animal organizations like PETA achieve their goals and gives more purpose to embryonic stem cells. Also, even when these medical drugs are tested, they still can be dangerous to the population. A writer from Technology Review writes, “often compounds that appear safe in the rodents prove to be toxic in humans”(Chu). It seems blatantly obvious that a new drug testing method needs to be put into action.The same author wrote, “Studying how potential drugs affect embryonic stem cells could provide a far more accurate prediction of a drug’s potential toxicity than conventional animal models can” (Chu). There have been many drugs that have been tested on animals, but have had negative effects on humans. A prime example of this is the linkage between antiepileptic drugs that mothers have taken and autism in their children. This could have possibly