The Pros And Cons Of Stem Cell Research

Peer Review Paper
Stem Cell Research has been one of the most hotly debated ethical scientific dilemmas of the past twenty years. The basic arguments have been based around the idea of which life is more important, that of the unborn embryo or that of the potential human life that stem cell research and the application from that embryo might save. In recent years though this concern has dwindled a considerable amount as scientists have begun to experiment with adult somatic cells in place of embryos and have found a high correlation factor that seems to bode well for future application and study. There are still those who believe that embryonic research is necessary to find cells that will interact positively in the human body, but seemingly the most pressing ethical issues now lie in the application of the stem cell research and what sort of challenges, physically, the body will have to endure as well as the issue of using these cells for human cloning down the line. Stem cell research is an extremely positive and effective scientific field of study that should be supported thoroughly in the years to come due to its potential in curing or aiding diseases that modern medicine has had trouble figuring out.
The main difference to explore in the divisive issue of these stem cells is the pros and cons of utilizing adult stem cells versus those of using embryonic stem cells. In recent years, adult stem cells have been used more frequently due to scientific techniques having evolved that make their use more reliable and the method of obtaining them significantly more humane than that of their embryonic counterpart. In addition to wider experimentation and production of these adult stem cells, the reason they are flourishing currently is that clinical trials have already taken place that demonstrate their perceived greater ability to withstand rejection from transplantation as that human host’s immune system is already acquainted with those cells and has less of an urge to fight back than if a foreign embryonic stem cell were to be introduced. The con side of the adult somatic stem cells though is that so far it seems as though these cells can only separate into cells that are structurally similar to that of the organ that it originated from. The embryonic stem cells on the other hand are pluripotent which is a term that means that they can be turned into any cell types that a body may need. Of course, the argument against obtaining and performing clinical trials with these embryonic cells is that of an ethical nature in that these cells are seen by some as being living organisms and therefore they should not be experimented on. Knowing those points, the question turns to: what is the right answer for the present and what does our future entail and require when it comes to scientific utilization of these stem cells?
The answer to this question is key to extending and bettering human health and well-being as the years go on. For starters, adult stem cells are easier to access than those of embryonic stem cells for legal reasons and therefore can be studied in the interim far more easily and treatments can be determined that help out the masses as transplanting these cells is a far less risky proposition at this point. The articles involved in the writing of this paper provide different points as to legitimacy of one form of stem cell over the other, but what seems to be clear is that the uses and potential medical research and practicality possible with the exploration and experimentation with these cells in the future is immense. They can be used to regenerate failing organs and tissues, test new drugs that fight against previously hard to fight afflictions like cancer, and provides clues into the process of cellular reproduction and human cells early on that could lead to a better understanding of human growth and ways to help nurture it better. For those reasons, the most basic of consensuses is that stem cell research is important and should be continued as well as having its funding increased due to the potential health benefits that may be discovered through it.
Works Cited
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