The Ethics Of Fetal Stem Cell Research

Stem Cell research and its funding have caused a lot of controversy throughout the past years. Stem cells are cells that are present in all living organisms. These cells have the potential to grow into any type of cell, including blood cells, nerves, muscles, and pancreatic cells. Stem cell research is essential because of the beneficial aspects it has to offer. Stem cells could potentially treat conditions such as Alzheimer 's, Parkinson 's, birth defects, strokes, Diabetes, cancer, and help in the reconstruction of severely damaged organs. Although stem cell research withholds great potential for many medical advances, a lot of controversy surrounds the sources and methods of obtaining stem cells and the possibility of improper usage of the knowledge acquired from research and experimentation. It is necessary for scientist to continue research as well as recognizing any ethical issues that may be present.

When talking about the ethical issue surrounding embryonic stem cells their are 2 main moral principles:

These misconceptions include the belief that the use of stem cells in treating conditions is completely effective and without side effects. Also, the article explains the rationale and science behind the belief that life begins at conception. The author, Dr. Kelly Hollowell, has a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology. With the author’s amount of education, the article has credibility. She has the opinion that life begins at conception, therefore embryonic stem cell research is ethically unacceptable.

With the hopes of curing the patient’s afflictions, these newly grown cells would then be transplanted into the patient. With this approach come major problems such as the formation of tumours, which is caused by the distinguishing trait of stem cells. Because stem cells are able to divide for an unlimited amount of time, it has been found that the cells will not know when to stop dividing and they will continue to divide even after being transplanted into the patient (Herold 48). This form of treatment is counterproductive, as uncontrollable cell division will produce tumours and potentially cause cancer, which is one of the ailments that stem cell research promises to cure.

The importance of ethical issues is often understated in public knowledge. Embryonic stem cell research should be of the utmost importance in the American society due to increased federal funding and the promises research in this field hold. As with many other controversies, embryonic stem cell research can be described as a dispute between religion and science due to the destruction of a viable human embryo. Depending on the status an individual grants an embryo will likely determine their stance on the issue. Next, many changes in legality and public acceptance have prompted leaders to increase funding and expand research nationally. Since taxpayers’ dollars are at work, the public should be aware of this prevalent and advancing ethical issue and be informed of its specifics. The public should also be aware of the advancements in healthcare that this research promise. Due to the changes in funding and legality, many discoveries have been made, pushing this science further. Many scientists believe embryonic stem cell research holds the key to curing many bodily injuries and deadly diseases such as spinal cord and brain injuries, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Also, many scientists conceive that, in the future, it will be possible to “grow” human organs from an individual’s stem cells for transplantation. The latter are only a few of the plethora of anticipated and promised treatments research in this field holds. Lastly,

Using Embryonic stem cells, there is a chance that over 80 diseases could be cured. These diseases include diabetes, spinal cord injury, and maybe even cancer. Despite all the possibilities that stem cells offer, some feel that the methods used to obtain embryonic stem cells are unethical; However, there are actually many reasons to continue stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research should be funded because the blastocyst, or embryo, is willingly donated, and can’t feel pain. Although many people say that the

The studying of stem cells is a very controversial issue that has been around since 1998 when the research of the use of embryonic stem cell treatment began. The main issues surrounding the discussion of treating people with life-altering disabilities through the use of these pluripotent cells is the ethicality of the matter and whether or not it is a savage act against a fetus. Many who oppose the use of these stem cells derived from excess embryos use the formerly stated opinion to support their argument, while those who are pro research argue that the destroying of one life could save another. The core complications that arise in studying stem cells lies in many Christian-like ethics and morals, otherwise called Christian bioethics. These are rooted in the modern day controversies arising due to advancements made in biology and medicine, mixed with religious views that argue against it. The conflicting interests of the polar opposites which are scientists and those with religious views have caused many complications along the way to discovering new treatments and cures for diseased cells. This bumpy road which has refrained scientists from making tremendous breakthroughs must smooth itself out, and the only way possible is through coming to an agreement that certain stem cell research should be practiced, such as the IPSC and adult stem cells, and others like the

There are many diseases that have the potential to affect every single person in the world. Some are curable and some are not. However, some cells called stem cells may impact and help many people. Stem cells are what are called undifferentiated cells, which means that they are not specialized cells. However, they can develop into all different kinds of cells within the body. So through this, stem cells control the development of the body by evolving into the cells the body needs to survive, or even replacing worn out or destroyed cells (Levine and Miller 294-297). These cells can reproduce to make more of themselves through cell division. In the long run, stem cells enable the body to continue functioning and to stay healthy (Stem Cell).

Embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into any type of cell in the body, and they are obtained from four or five day old embryos that are in the blastocyst stage of human development. For example, an embryonic stem cell could turn into brain, skin, muscle, and bone cells. Stem cells have the potential to cure a plethora of diseases, but they come at a cost. The researchers that obtain these stem cells destroy the human embryo, therefore killing human life. The use of embryonic stem cells should be eliminated because embryonic stem cells can be unpredictable and can cause tumors, there are more effective stem cells that can be obtained without

For decades, researchers’ use of stem cells has caused a controversy and the consideration of the ethics of research involving the development, usage, and destruction of human embryos. Most commonly, this controversy focuses on embryonic stem cells. Not all stem cell research involves the creation, usage and destruction of human embryos. For example, adult stem cells, amniotic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells do not involve creating, using or destroying human embryos and thus are minimally, if at all, controversial. Many less controversial sources of acquiring stem cells include using cells from the umbilical cord, breast milk, and bone marrow. (Brunt, 2012) In 1998, scientists discovered how to extract stem cells from human embryos. This discovery led to moral ethics questions concerning research involving embryo cells, such as what restrictions should be made on studies using these types of cells? At what point does one consider life to begin? Is it just to destroy an embryo cell if it has the potential to cure countless numbers of patients? Political leaders are debating how to regulate and fund research studies that involve the techniques used to remove the embryo cells. No clear consensus has emerged. Other recent discoveries may extinguish the need for embryonic stem cells. With this in mind, we will discover both sides of the issue from a pros and cons point of view. Stem cell research has expanded at an exponential rate, but its therapeutic

Embryonic stem cells research is a very conflicting subject in the United States. Some people think that it is morally and religiously incorrect as they are killing a human life at the first stage of life. While some think it is ok because the human life to them starts at the fetus or when the fetus can feel pain. In this paper we are going to discuss the total aspect of embryonic stem cell research: how the government takes play in the study of embryonic stem cells, how embryonic stem cells have help out people so far, and what are embryonic stem cells. Hopefully with this research we will have a better understanding of embryonic stem cells and why some people may benefit from it, as it may help to cure some diseases. Maybe we can come

Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into different types of cells in the body. Stem cells also act as a repair system for many tissues in the body by dividing repeatedly to replenish other cells within a person (National Institutes of Health). Stem cell research seeks to further the advancement of the use of stem cells as well as to find an ethical way to study them. In November 1998, researchers found a way to isolate and culture human embryonic stem cells, (Bevington 2005). The ethics of stem cell research has been debated over the years and some people fully support the use of stem cells, whereas others are completely against the use of stem cells. This has been an ongoing battle for scientists over the span of two decades prior to the 1998 finding.

Over the past decade, stem cell biology has been an area that has caused much controversy. Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into many different types of cells and therefore, advocates of stem cell research argue that the cells have various medical applications. On the other hand, opponents of stem cell research denounce the use of human embryos for research purposes, claiming that the embryos represent human lives and that experimentation with them and subsequent annihilation of them is the same as killing a living human being. Nevertheless, the potential uses for stem cells are endless and stem cells have the ability to completely change modern medical practices.

For the past generation, biological scientists’ main focus has been on genetics and DNA, but in recent years, stem cell research has become more of the primary focus in the world of medicine. Scientists see the next ten years as being monumental in the growth of biology, as stem cells continue to amaze them with their potential to save and improve the quality of human life. These cells have the possibility to save millions of people with diseases thought to be incurable. However, there is controversy about the use of certain types of stem cells. Some stem cells are obtained from the cells of an early stage embryo, therefore preventing further development into a human being. This, to some, is equivalent to taking a human life. Fortunately, it is becoming more apparent that the use of stem cells from adult tissue, such as bone marrow stem cells, also has large potential to improve and cure disease and prolong human life. The important thing is that the development of stem cells have the ability to change the future of human health forever.

It all starts when the cells are extracted from human embryos and for them to be obtained the embryo must be disassembled, destroying the human embryo. It is believed that life begins at conception giving stem cells a status of human beings. Opponents of stem cell research claim that the destruction of human embryos is morally the same as the killing of a human being. The morality of destroying human embryos for the benefit of others is a debated topic in both secular and religious bioethics. Furthermore embryonic stem cells that are used for research are disrupted from their natural course of development through culture procedures where chemicals are used to form the stem cells into specific tissue types used for treatments however this leads to many limitations, having been grown in the laboratory. It has been detected that embryonic stem cells can cause tumors due to rapid growth when inserted into adults. Another example is, when giving fetal brain cells to people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease many side effects can occur, like head jerking, writhing, twisting and arm-failing. A long-term side effect of stem cell treatments is infertility this is due to the high does of chemotherapy