thesis statement examples for stem cell research

Stem Cell Research Thesis

Persuasive essay : 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.

The Religious Battle behind Stem Cell Research Essay

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Abstract: Religion has played a key part in the battle for embryonic rights. Pope John Paul II has spoken out against stem cell research; however, Buddhist leaders and the Episcopal Church have taken a stand for stem cell research. Different religions have different opinions about stem cell research. However the controversy can never really be solved because it is so hard to define the line of morality when talking about stem cells and embryos.

Stem Cell Research Debate

In the contemporary world of today, the issue of embryonic stem cell research is one of this controversial significant topic regarding which there is neither fair/moral agreement nor understandable, wide-ranging laws. As far as the ethical debate is concerned, it focuses on the verifiable piece of information that stem cell research consists of destroying the very early embryos of the human beings. The federal government has restricted the financial support for stem cell research to research that makes use of the stem cells obtained from a small amount of stem cell "lines" (Shapiro, 2006).

Stem Cell Research : Is It Humane?

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

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay examples

Embryonic stem cell research is a controversial topic nationwide, because of its clash of ethical and moral values. Many people, including those suffering from diseases that this research is seeking to cure, do not believe in killing a living embryo in order to advance research and science.

Embryonic Stem Cells Catholic Church Essay

The Catholic Church and the practice and advancement in medical research have been debated many times over due to the ethics of some practices. Throughout the history of modern medicine, many practices have sparked debate on the nature of the medical practice and whether it is ethical. Many medical practices have directly contradicted the beliefs of Catholics and the Catholic Church. A current topic of debate is the use of embryonic stem cells which are mainly from aborted fetal tissue, which is used for medical research. This improvement in the field of medicine has been argued many times, mainly asking if the practice is ethical or not.

Should Embryonic Stem Cell Research Be Allowed

the death of the embryo. Embryonic stem cell research from the Catholics view is wrong and

Embryonic Stem Cell Argumentative Essay

One of the non-supporting stakeholders are the Catholic church. Along with the catholic church Pope John Paul the 2 does not support this research because he believes that by" kill an embryonic it taking a life and that it should not be done from we do not get to choose who dies …... Embryonic stem cells are obtained from prenatal at a point very early in development. Obtaining these cells typically results in the destruction of the prenatal. The direct and voluntary killing of a prenatal is always a serious sin against God because prenatal life is developing human life." the catholic church says “Experience is already showing how a tragic coarsening of consciences accompanies the assault on innocent human life in the womb, leading to accommodation and acquiescence in the face of other related evils, such as euthanasia, infanticide, and most recently, proposals for the creation for research purposes of human embryos, destined to destruction in the process. A free and virtuous society, which America aspires to be, must reject practices that devalue and violate human life at any stage from conception until natural death." one of the people in the catholic church said this about their thoughts on this research” to humanity begins with respect for each human life. Because life is our first and most basic gift from an infinitely loving God, it deserves our utmost respect and protection.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Argumentative Essay

Embryonic Stem cells have led to a very long line of discussion. Whether to see it as immoral not to pursue research or immoral to pursue research, it is nonetheless very difficult to discuss. Questions are uncovered during this debate, for example, Is killing possible life (Embryos) lesser or greater than saving the already living, such as people with incurable diseases? The debate goes deeper and deeper into moral judgment and it doesn't matter whether you are religious or not in this argument because in both cases it is a life. But what if it didn't have to be a life? Further forms of research may be used to help save lives both from people who have incurable diseases and the embryos. If such research can be formed without a moral block, performance of such research should not be delayed. The possibility to save loved ones is incredible, to do so without victimizing women for embryos and killing those embryos, which could possibly behold life, only to maybe

An Argument in Favor of Stem Cell Research Essay

Abortion, gay marriage, and illegal immigration are all hot button topics currently being faced by Americans. As ardently as each side defends their stance on a controversial issue, an opposing side fights with equal diligence for the beliefs they feel should be valued by our nation. Perhaps nowhere is this battle more heated than in the fight over stem cell research. While supporters of this new field of science tout it’s potential to cure everything from blindness to paralysis, those against stem cell science liken the procedures used by scientists to murder. It is my intention to bring to light the positive benefits of stem cell research as well as counter the claims used by many Pro-life groups who believe the scientists driving this

Essay on Embryonic Stem Cells Research

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

What´s Genetic Enhancement?

The Catholic Church teaches that a cloned human embryo is as much a human as the person who is cloned. Both therapeutic and reproductive cloning are unethical because they create humans asexually, not sexually as God intended. The Church teaches that we can never do evil, even if good may eventually come of it, and there is no way to obtain embryonic stem cells without destroying innocent human life, although some reports claim that the Catholic Church attitude to ethical stem cell research is softening, perhaps influence by the “greater good principle” whereby God may permit an evil for the sake of some greater

Stem Cell Research : Stem Cells

The transfer of information, often shared through scientific reports and research, puts this topic in a highly international spotlight. Many supporters believe that stem cells will be able to help solve once untreatable diseases or injuries such as spinal cord injuries, skin burns, Parkinson’s disease, and some blood disorders. However, the main argument is if stem cells should be used in finding therapeutic treatments. The use of embryonic stem cells is viewed by many as a moral inconsistency; it is opposed by religious organizations and individuals believing that this research should be abandoned and existing, alternative methods be adapted.

Essay about History of Stem Cells

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This paper will be discussing the history of stem cells. There are many different ways to collect stem cells. Stem cells can be used for either right or wrong reasons. People can either use them to cure or to cause harm. Most people use stem cells to cure fatal illnesses. The one researcher that put stem cells out in the science world so people could understand it better was Leroy Stevens. His first encounter with stem cells was with a mouse that had a teratoma.

Stem Cell Use and Research Essay

d. There are a lot of moral and ethical issues raised when using stem cells. When harvesting embryonic stem cells scientist destroy the blastocyst before it can develop into a person. People also believe harvesting stem cells from an embryo is like murder, or abortion. Another issue people have is the creation of chimeras: an organism with both human and animal cells and tissues. Stem cell research sometimes require injecting human stem cells in animals or vise versa. Some people are against the creation of an organism that is “part human” or a human that is “part animal”. Embryo stem cell harvesting has been made illegal in most european countries. In the U.S. it is illegal for the government to fund the research of stem cell lines that were created after August 2001.

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Sample essay on stem cell research: a historical and scientific overview.

Stem cell research is one of the important scientific and political issues of these modern times. The purpose of this sample essay, one of the many writing services offered by Ultius , is to develop a historical and scientific overview of this selected issue. The essay will begin with a general introduction to stem cell research. Then, it will discuss the scientific history of stem cell research as it has unfolded over the past several years; and after this, it will turn to a consideration of the political history of stem cell research. Finally, it will provide a summary reflection on contemporary debates and conflicts that are currently surrounding the issue of stem cell research. This type of document would likely be required in a mid-level English or science course where the focus is on general education over specialized study.

Introduction to Stem Cell Research

According to the American Medical Association:

"[A] stem cell is an immature cell that has the potential to become specialized into different types of cells throughout the body the body," and "there are two basic types of stem cells: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells" (paragraphs 1-2).

Adult stem cells can actually be found in both adults and children. Their name comes from the fact that they can be harvested from mature tissue without causing harm to the person from whom they are harvested. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, can only be derived from embryos, and the harvesting process destroys the embryos. From this basic introduction, it is already clear that embryonic stem cell research has far greater potential to be ethically problematic than adult stem cell research. However, embryonic stem cell research is also generally considered to have the greatest potential for delivering medical and scientific breakthroughs, due to the fact that they are even more flexible (so to speak) and undifferentiated than adult stem cells (see Bongo and Richards).

Benefits of stem cell research

From the medical perspective, stem cell research is viewed as very promising due to the fact that if stem cells can be introduced into patients with a range of illnesses, they could possible help regenerate the tissues and organs of the patients and thereby help heal illnesses (and especially degenerative illnesses) that are currently incurable. For example, Lovell-Badge has indicated that diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease are among the illnesses that could potentially be responsive to stem cell research (88). Again, given that the potential of stem cell research is directly correlated with the plasticity of the stem cells in question, it logically follows that there will be an increasing push by scientists to focus research on embryonic stem cells if at all possible, due to the fact that they have greater plasticity than adult stem cells and thus greater potential to contribute to medical breakthroughs. The moral dimension of the issue, however, has generally led to limitations being imposed on the capacity of scientists to pursue embryonic stem cell research.

Scientific history of stem cell research

The organization Science Progress has provided a good summary of some of the main events that have marked the scientific history of stem cell research. These include:

These events were important due to the fact that scientifically speaking, the isolation of stem cells from other elements within the body would be a prerequisite for conducting rigorous research on stem cells themselves. From this point, human scientific history over the course of the last decade and a half has been characterized by progressive breakthroughs in stem cell technologies, including:

Clearly, the scientific progress over the past several years gives great cause for hope. There has been a steady trend of scientists increasingly learning the secrets of stem cells and being able to apply their new knowledge to either research potential treatments or actually deliver effective treatments to human beings. Therefore, it could be suggested that anyone who has a real interest in seeing major medical breakthroughs happen (which, presumably, would be almost everyone) cannot afford to oppose the ongoing development of stem cell research per se. What there clearly can be controversy over, though, is how exactly the research agenda ought to proceed. In order to more effectively address this dimension of the issue presently under consideration, it may be a good idea to turn now to the political history of stem cell research, or legislation that has surrounding the issue as it has developed over time.

Political history of stem cell research

One of the clearest points that emerges regarding the political history of stem cell research and bioengineering in general , is that there has been ongoing controversy over the extent to which the federal government should fund research. This has proved to be a quite partisan issue. For example, in 2001, Bush issued an executive order that placed significant restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research; and in 2009, Obama countermanded this order with an order of his own called "Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research involving Human Stem Cells" (see Research America). This, of course, is tied to broader political conflicts regarding issues such as religion and abortion. If the federal government is to spend tax money on stem cell research, then this would likely contradict the values of many Americans, and especially conservative Americans, regarding the origins of human life. This is likely why the main legislative barriers against stem cell research have always focused on embryonic stem cell research. Again, as has been noted above, significantly greater ethical dilemmas inhere to research with embryonic stem cells than to research with adult stem cells.

Restrictions on stem cell harvesting

A good example of such restrictions can be seen in the guidelines for stem cell research released by the National Institute of Health in 2000, which stipulated that:

"human embryonic stem cells must be derived with private funds from frozen embryos from fertility clinics; that they must have been created for fertility treatment purposes; that they be in excess of the donor's need; and that they be obtained with consent of the doctor" (Research America, 25 Aug. 2000 entry).

Several important ethical points are exemplified by this statement, including that embryonic stem cells must be derived using private (and not public) funds and that it still is not acceptable to create embryos simply for the sake of harvesting stem cells from them (and destroying them in the process). Over the course of the last several years, though, such regulations would seem to have become someone less salient both due to their relaxation under the Obama administration and to scientific innovations regarding adult stem cells, which have enabled scientists to somewhat circumvent the legislative debate surrounding embryonic stem cells.

Summary of current situation

As Wertz has succinctly put it:

"stem cell research in the United States is inevitably connected with the politics of abortion " (674).

This is because controversy over stem cell research generally tends to focus on the use of embryonic stem cells; but then, this leads to the more fundamental question of the legal, ethical, and metaphysical status of the embryo. In principle, if one grants that abortions are acceptable, then one must also grant that it is acceptable to create embryos specifically for the purpose of harvesting stem cells from them. This logically follows because abortion could only be deemed acceptable if the embryo is not considered to be alive and/or metaphysically human; and if this were the case, then there would be no moral grounds for opposing the manufacture of embryos for the purposes of stem cell research. To put it a little differently: insofar as an embryo is not understood as a living human being, there would be no reason for controversy to even arise regarding this matter.

When does life begin?

Of course, there is a significant number of Americans who believe that life begins at conception, and that the embryo is thus in fact metaphysically a living human being. If this were the case, then the manufacture of embryos simply for the purpose of destroying them would be horrific, insofar the destruction of each embryo would then be morally and conceptually equivalent to murder. If this paradigm is accepted, then whatever benefits could be produced by embryonic stem cell research would clearly be outweighed by unacceptability of the atrocities that would need to be committed in order to achieve those benefits.

Clearly, this conflict ultimately surpasses the bounds of science itself and is grounded in the differing religions and broader worldviews of different groups of people within the nation. As Robertson has written:

"There is a fervent battle over the ethical acceptability of destroying early embryos . . . Stem cell science is thus drawn into the ongoing, highly divisive wars over abortion and the culture of life that have occupied a central stage in American law and politics over the last 30 years" (192).

Stem cell research is thus a highly partisan issue, and it is likely to remain that way over the foreseeable future. Again, this is because the real points of contention that surround the issue surpass the scope of science or even reason more generally; they touch on people's fundamental beliefs about what it means to be human. For example:

Both positions would be cogent within the context of their own assumptions; and it would be difficult if not impossible to rationally discredit either set of assumptions.

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The power of god?

In addition, it is worth pointing out that even adult stem cell research is controversial, insofar as stem cell research in general has the potential to lead to human cloning . The basic point here would be that human beings are engaging with a dangerous power that may be intimately connected with the very origins of life itself. Again, whether this is problematic would depend entirely on one's religion and/or broader worldview. If there were no God, then there would naturally be no problem with human beings pushing their knowledge to the limits. On the other hand, if one did believe in God, then it would be possible to argue that stem cell research is an attempt by humans to usurp His role. As with the morality of the destruction of embryos, this question can be expected to remain open for a quite long time.

In summary, this essay has provided a historical and scientific overview of the issue of stem cell research . It began with an introduction to the issue, proceeded to discuss the scientific and political history of the issue, and finally reflected on the current situation regarding the issue. One of the main points that has emerged here and throughout research paper writing on the subject is that although stem cell research clearly has a great deal of potential for catalyzing medical breakthroughs, the research agenda has been limited to at least some extent by legislative barriers based on moral concerns. Given the nature of the issue at hand, these latter concerns clearly are not irrelevant. Moreover, it could even be suggested that without the barriers, certain recent scientific innovations (such as those pertaining to adult stem cells) may not have come about. In general, then, it is perhaps a good idea for stem cell research to proceed in the cautious and pragmatic way that it has thus far.

Works Cited

American Medical Association. "Basics of Stem Cell Research." n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-science/genetics-molecular-medicine/related-policy-topics/stem-cell-research/basics-stem-cell-research.page?>.

Bongso, Ariff, and Mark Richards. "History and Perspective of Stem Cell Research." Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology 18.6 (2004): 827-842. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ualberta.ca/~dcl3/Stem%20Cell%20Reviews/review_SC+history+basics+of+rsch.pdf>.

Lovell-Badge, Robin. "Overview: The Future for Stem Cell Research." Nature 414 (2001): 88-91. Print.

Research America. "Timeline of Major Events in Stem Cell Research Policy." 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://www.researchamerica.org/timeline>.

Robertson, John A. "Embryo Stem Cell Research: Ten Years of Controversy." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (Summer 2010): 191-203. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/jrobertson/JLME-10-year-survery-Robertson-final.pdf>.

Science Progress. "Timeline: A Brief History of Stem Cell Research." 16 Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://scienceprogress.org/2009/01/timeline-a-brief-history-of-stem-cell-research/>.

Wertz, D. C. "Embryo and Stem Cell Research in the United States: History and Politics." Gene Therapy 9.11 (2002): 674-678. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nature.com/gt/journal/v9/n11/full/3301744a.html>.

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Stem Cell Research Essays

Stem Cell Research Essays (Examples)

325 results for “Stem Cell Research” .

Stem Cell Research and the

A pre-embryo is the fertilized cell that has not yet been planted into the human host. Once the pre-embryo is implanted into the female host, it is assumed that it will grow and develop into a human being. The pre-embryo is not the same as the embryo, it is simply the raw material. A national bioethics committee has been assigned the duty of exploring these issues and making recommendations that will shape future public policy (Eiseman 71). This committee will help to assure that research using embryonic stem cells proceeds in an acceptable direction. 4.0 Future of the Issue egardless of the emotional issues and personal opinions regarding the use of embryonic stem cells in research, and eventually, in the cure of many diseases, stem cell research continues at an increasing rate. A search in PubMed reveals over 23,000 studies that mention stem cells or stem cell research. Stem cell…

Bellomo, Michael. The Stem Cell Divide: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political, and Religious Debate of Our Time. New York: AMACOM.

Brentjens RJ. Cellular therapies in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Curr Opin Mol Ther. 2009

Aug;11(4):375-82.PubMed

This is why it came as no surprise to the rest of the country when Proposition 71 was passed, in direct opposition to the policies of the ush administration. Even California's governor, a Republican and ush supporter, sided with Californians on the stem cell issue. The promise of freedom to research as they see fit and the funding to do so will likely draw more scientists to California, should Proposition 71 ever get truly off the ground and out from under the stifling thumb of religious conservatives who are a minority in the state. Religious conservatives, though, know how to use the court system to their advantage, and until way is found to make the procedures of the courts more streamlined and more immune to frivolous lawsuits, the religious conservatives have every chance of continuing to block the actual funding and practice of stem cell research in California. Though issues…

Hall, Carl T. Echoes of Eugenics Movement in Stem Cell Debate. San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, October 24, 2005.

Lagos, Marissa. Who Will Benefit from Stem Cells? The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, November 1, 2005.

Stem Cell Sideshows. Editorial. The Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California, October 19, 2005.

Vesely, Rebecca. Stem Cell Institute Pushes On. The Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California, November 3, 2005.

Stem Cell Research Should Have More Government

Stem Cell esearch Should Have More Government Funding The topic argument "Stem cell research government funding." For paper, construct argument defending a claim policy. emember argument based a claim policy, writer seeks solve a problem establish a problem exists, part argument entail claims fact Stem cell research should have more government funding A stem cell can be defined as type of cell that can be found in many body tissues. Stem cells can develop into many different types of cells Magnus et al.() Stem cells also serve as an internal repair system within the body where they divide without limitation in order to replenish other body cells. This happens as long as the individual is alive. When a stem cell is divided, the cell produced can remain as a stem cell or it can become another cell type with a specialized function like a brain cell, red blood cell, or…

Burgin, Eileen. "Deciding on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Evidence from Congress's First Showdown with President George W. Bush." Politics and the Life Sciences 28.1 (2009): 3-16. Print.

Concannon, James P., et al. "College Students' Conceptions of Stem Cells, Stem Cell Research, and Cloning." Journal of Science Education and Technology 19.2 (2010): 177-86. Print.

Heled, Yaniv. "On Presidents, Agencies, and the Stem Cells between Them: A Legal Analysis of President Bush's and the Federal Government's Policy on the Funding of Research Involving Human Embryonic Stem Cells." Administrative Law Review 60.1 (2008): 65-125. Print.

Herder, Matthew, and Jennifer Dyck Brian. "Canada's Stem Cell Corporation: Aggregate Concerns and the Question of Public Trust." Journal of Business Ethics 77.1 (2008): 73-84. Print.

Stem Cell Research -- Ethical

but, Cuomo continued, Bush's position "…remains a minority view" (Hurlbut, 822). Christine Todd hitman, who served Bush as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in Bush's first term (she served from January 2001 to May 2003), and was the first female governor of New Jersey, supported embryonic stem cell research. hitman noted in her book that right after Bush was re-elected in 2004, Christian conservative organizer Phil Burress was heard to say, "The president rode our coattails" (hitman, 2006). hitman believes the support of the Christian conservatives (i.e., evangelicals and others) for Bush was exaggerated; to wit, just twenty million of the fifty-nine million who voted for Bush indicated "moral values as their most important issues" -- which is just a third of the Bush victory vote. Author Gary Scott Smith examines the great lengths the Bush campaign went to in 2004 to identify Bush as anti-abortion and anti-stem cell…

Burgin, Eileen. "Deciding on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research." Politics and the Life

Sciences, 28.1 (2009): 3-16.

Chang, Alica. "Stem Cells Shown to Aid Vision in Blind People." Lancet. Retrieved February

4, 2012, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com .

Stem Cell Research the Issue

At this point it should be clear that there are no good reasons to oppose the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and only good reasons for supporting. Opposition to the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research can only be justified by an appeal to unreasonable and arbitrary moral standards based not on logic, reason, or concern for human well-being, but rather on the dictates of outdated and dangerous religious beliefs. This opposition ultimately values the potential for human life over actual human life, so that, in a perverse twist, the very people claiming to be standing up for the sanctity of life are actually the ones most responsible for continued suffering and death. They pretend that an embryo has the same rights and moral standing as an actual human, and in doing so, they actually devalue the lives of real people suffering from real diseases. In contrast,…

"CIVIL LAW -- FEDERAL FUNDING of HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

-- D.C. CIRCUIT VACATES DISTRICT COURT's PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION of

FEDERAL FUNDING for RESEARCH USING HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM

CELLS. --Sherley V. Sebelius, 644 F.3D 388 (D.C. Cir. 2011)." Harvard Law Review

Stem Cell Research the Legal Argument and

Stem Cell esearch The Legal Argument and Analysis for Stem Cell esearch Stem cell research is a new field of research that brings many ethical issues and considerations in which U.S. regulations have been mostly hostile while around the world, the response toward the research has been positive. What is the legal culture in which the U.S. finds itself regarding stem cell research? What are the ethical considerations involving our participation in this new and infant field of science? What of other countries and their legal approach to stem cell research? This paper addresses these questions and presents the reader a case that stem cell research is a matter that should be scientifically pursued because of its potential and possibilities. With any kind of science there are ethical considerations and much of the science is in its infancy in which hyped claims, fraud, and a lack of ethical frameworks can…

Author Unknown (2009). Timeline: A Brief History of Stem Cell Research. Science Progress. Retrieved June 9, 2011 from http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/01/timeline-a-brief-history-of-stem-cell-research/

Chapman A.R., Frankel M.S., Garfinkel M.S. (November 1999). Stem Cell Research and Applications Monitoring the Frontiers of Biomedical Research. American Association for the Advancement of Science & Institute for Civil Society. Retrieved June 9, 2011 from http://www.aaas.org/spp/sfrl/projects/stem/report.pdf

Francis, B. MEDICAL SCIENCE: Media hype over cloning and embryo stem cells. News Weekly, (22, July 2006). Retrieved June 9, 2011 from http://www.newsweekly.com.au/articles/2006jul22_m.html

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Stem Cell Research Around the World. Retrieved June 9, 2011 from http://pewforum.org/Science-and-Bioethics/Stem-Cell-Research-Around-the-World.aspx

Stem-Cell Research Disease and Illness

The media might present an issue as fact without verifying its truth via the appropriate channels, while the public in turn is eager to accept as fact what is presented to them, as this is much more simple than researching the issues themselves, or even simply verifying the truth of a stated fact. Furthermore, the authors hold that simply educating the public regarding issues of scientific controversy is far too simple a solution for a problem of such complexity. Indeed, the variety of opinions as mixed with fact, along with personal and social religious and moral opinion make the issue far more than one of mere cognitive understanding. In the case of stem cell research specifically, personal, religious, and scientific opinion are also intertwined with politics, as well as either gloomy or bright predictions for a contradictory future should stem cell research be legalized. Indeed, there appears to be little…

Calvari, a. (2008). Governing the Nation, Leading the Party: The Party Politics of President Bush's Actions on Stem Cell Research. Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago.

Dahmen, N.S. And Lundy, L. A Question of Ethics: Comparing Framing of Stem Cell Research in Evangelical and Mainstream News Media. Manship School of Mass Communication, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University.

Forman, L. (2008). Stem Cell Research. Minnesota: ABDO Publishing Company.

Liu, H. And Priest, S. (2007). Understanding Public Support for Stem Cell Research: Media Communication, Interpersonal Communication and Trust in Key Actors. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Washington, DC.

Stem Cell Research Has Generated Much Media

Stem cell research has generated much media attention in the last decade. Stem cells are a specific type of cell in the human body that can develop in many different types of cell types during the early life growth (NIH, 2010). Stem cells are used today for the treatment of some diseases and scientists are hoping in the future it will be able to cure much more. At this point in the scientific research, stem cells have a limitless potential. Once it has been implanted in the living organism, the cell continues to divide without limit to replenish. When a stem cell divides it has the potential to be another stem cell or another type of cell, such as a muscle cell, blood cell or even brain cell. Scientist has found that stem cell can provide therapy for many diseases. Scientist needs time and money to continuously research how this…

Aaas policy brief: stem cell research. (2010, October 13). Retrieved from http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/briefs/stemcells/

Cohen, J. (2005). Stem Cell Pioneers. Smithsonian 36 (9) 78-87.

Federal Register. (2007). Expanding Approved Stem Cell Lines in Ethically Responsible Ways. Federal Register. 72 (120)

Federal Register. (2009). Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells. Federal Register. 74 (46)

Stem Cell Research The Religious

In this sense technology turns human life into just another product that can be created in a laboratory and which has no intrinsic or deeper religious value or meaning. As John Paul II stated during a visit to America, "A free and virtuous society, which America aspires to be, must reject practices that devalue and violate human life at any stage from conception until natural death" (Dart, 2001, p. 11). This also refers to the religious view that human life is sacred from there moment of conception and that stem cell research should be prevented as it in fact destroys the fetus in order to obtain the stem cells, This view is reiterated from different perspectives by theologians from various faiths. "God formed man from the dust of the ground; then, God breathed into the man's nostrils...the breath of life; and man became a living soul...life begins in a mother's…

Works Cited www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=105876208

Callahan, D. (2003). What Price Better Health? Hazards of the Research Imperative. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Retrieved May 13, 2007, from Questia database:

Stem Cell Research Utilizing Stem

There are some embryos who are outside of this environment, and will not grow to be people, and are therefore suitable to use in stem cell research. There is a degree of moral ambiguity related to the debate of stem cell research -- based on the conception of when life actually begins. The acknowledgement of this aspect of the debate is acknowledged on both sides, and is a point of commonality between them. Scientists and researchers can only have opinions about this topic -- and cannot state with any degree of certainty what the actual answer for the inception of human life truly is. Yet what truly decides the debate is the location of embryos. Since there are number of embryos existent outside a womb, "that remain after infertility treatment" (Dresser 2) there are no moral boundaries for using these embryos for stem cell research. In conclusion, the use of…

Landry, D.W., Zucker, H.A. "Embryonic Death and the Creation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells." The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 114.9 (2004): 1184-1186. This source provides an overview of the debate regarding morality of stem cell research. It posits that killing embryos should be reconsidered and viewed as organ donation.

Napier, S. "A Regulatory Argument Against Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research." Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. 34 (2009): 496-508. This source argues against the usage of stem cell research. However, it does not do so on moral grounds, but rather based on the fact that there are regulatory issues that affect women and their embryos.

Saxena, a.K.; Singh, D., Gupta, J. "Role of Stem Cell Research in Therapeutic Purpose -- a Hope for New Horizons in Medical Biotechnology." Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology. 2 (2009): 223-233. Print. This source enumerates and explains a number of different approaches and types of stem cell research. Its aim is towards using those that do not directly harm embryos.

Stem Cell Research Richard Hamilton

ichard Hamilton (2002), says that the embryo cells are very important because they can grow into any organ which can help to solve the increased need of organs for transplant in America. These young cells can be cultured into a new heart that can be used for transplant and save somebody's life which explains why I defend stem cell research. Economic growth, President George Bush in his famous August 2011 speech cited stem cell research as a source of income not only to the researchers but to the nation as a whole. After coming up with drugs that can treat some of the diseases that grossly affect people this would be a source of income. New organs formed from embryonic stem cells would also be used for transplant which would also be a source of income. This therefore explains why I defend stem cell research and indeed say it should…

Dianne N. Irving, (1999). Stem Cell Research: Some Pros And Cons. Retrieved August 10, 2011

from http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_19stemcellprocon.html

Experiment Resources, (2008). Stem Cell Research- Pros and Cons. Retrieved August 10, 2011

from http://www.experiment-resources.com/stem-cell-pros-and-cons.html

Stem Cell Research the Debate on Stem

Stem Cell esearch The debate on stem cell research is getting more heated. The controversial research practice is said to be conducted in the hopes that some of humanity's major diseases will one day be a thing of the past. Yet, it is also clear that the controversy on the living nature of the stem cells used makes the argument against such research much stronger. Stem cells contain human DNA, and have been used in research to try and unlock cures for serious disease and cases of paralysis caused by spinal injury. They are used within the context of growing medical research. In fact, there are three types of stem cells used. The embryonic stem cells often prove the most productive in that they have "the greatest potential in that they can theoretically become any of the 220 cell types," (obinson, 1). This is where the controversy begins. Those supporting…

American Policy Roundtable. "Arguments Against Embryonic Stem Cell Research." Public Square. 2010. 27 Feb 2011 from http://www.aproundtable.org/tps30info/stemcellresearch.html

Fox News. "The Cases For and Against Stem Cell Research." Politics. 2001. 27 Feb 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,31748,00.html

Reaves, Jessica. "The Great Debate Over Stem Cell Research." Time Magazine. 2001. 27 Feb 2011 from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,167245,00.html

Robinson, B.A. "Human Stem Cell Research: All View Points." Religious Tolerance. 2010. 27 Feb 2011 from http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem.htm

Stem Cell Research Case Many People Across

Stem Cell esearch Case: Many people across the globe are experiencing a spanking liberty from affliction, disease, and infirmity due to the increasing frequency. As several people experience physical restoration and healing in their bodies, their lives are transformed forever with renewed hope and strengthened faith. The healings and physical restoration emanate from the miraculous cures of adult stem cell research despite of the ongoing controversies in mass media that tend to dismiss and obscure medical breakthroughs achieved by the adult stem cell research activities. Actually, adult stem cell research has been widely ignored due to ethical concerns though it has been successful as compared to the embryonic stem cell treatments. Adult stem cell research is basically conducted on regenerative cells of the human body with the ability of plasticity i.e. developing into other bodily tissues (Hughes, 2004). Adult stem cell research has produced numerous exceptional results because the cells…

Hughes, B.R. (2004, December 1). Real-World Successes of Adult Stem Cell Treatment.

Retrieved April 10, 2012, from http://www.cogforlife.org/adultStemCellSuccess.htm

"Parkinson's Patient Helped By Adult Stem Cell Research -- A Published Case Study." (2009,

February 17). Zimbio: Stem Cell Research and Stem Cell Therapy. Retrieved April 10, 2012, from http://www.zimbio.com/Stem+Cell+Research+and+Stem+Cell+Therapy/articles/44/Parkinson+Patient+Helped+Adult+Stem+Cell+Research

Stem Cell Research the Need

It has been theorized -- and proven in other creatures -- that stem cells could one day be used to regenerate or simply grow healthy nervous tissue, a heretofore unimaginable feat. The host of diseases, disorders, and injuries that this could treat and possibly eradicate would be a great boon to humanity. And this is only one application out of the many different uses currently being researched and hypothesized by those working in the stem cell field. Because the promise of stem cells is so great, it is imperative that federal funding be made available to quicken the pace of research, and to establish more effective ways of using stem cells and directing further research. Governments are established to protect the people that they govern, otherwise the government would perish. Our government needs to do what it can to end the suffering of many with incurable diseases by increasing funding…

Stem Cell Research It Must

And perhaps most importantly of all, the U researchers continue, stem cells "...provide our only window to the earliest stages of human development and, after differentiation, access to more specialized cells that could vastly improve our understanding of the onset of cell-based diseases, and perhaps ways to prevent them." Among the diseases that may be able to be treated - and even cured - through stem cell research are Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries, burns, and more. How many people could be helped, even relieved of enormous suffering, through successful stem cell science is unknown, but certainly there are millions who cry out for help. Medical researchers highly value stem cells because they can develop into many types of human tissue," according to an article in the ashington Post (Babbington, 2004). Stem cells "...hold promise for treating spinal injuries among several other afflictions," Babbington explains.…

Babbington, Charles. "Issues Overview: Stem Cell Research." Washington Post, 14 Nov.

Brainard, Jeffery. "Stem-Cell Research Moves Forward." Chronicle of Higher Education (October 2004): 51-6.

Europe Intelligence Wire. "Embryonic Stem Cells Correct Congenital Heart Defect in Mouse Embryos; Can Signal Neighbor Cells to Repair." (October 2004).

Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week. "First derivation of retinal cells from embryonic stem cells; may treat blindness." October 2004.

Stem Cell Research The Development of Human

Stem Cell Research: The development of human embryos is largely attributed to the formation and development of stem cells. This is due to the fact that stem cells usually transform into several organs and tissues as the embryo develops into a fetus. Therefore, stem cells are the foundation or source for all internal and external human organs and tissues. Actually, many researchers believe that these stem cells from the embryo can develop into any organs which are necessary for human transplantation. It's also suggested that the use of embryonic stem cells to develop specific cell types by scientists can be utilized to treat certain diseases in the future. Embryonic stem cell research is considered as a means of developing treatment for people suffering from heart, spinal cord and brain diseases and injuries. On the contrary, this research is also viewed as a means of destroying innocent lives through the destruction…

Deem, Rich. "What is Wrong With Embryonic Stem Cell Research?" Evidence for God, 2009.

http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/stem_cell_research.html (accessed March 31, 2011).

DoNoHarm. "Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and the Commodification of Human Life."

DoNoHarm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics, n.d. http://www.stemcellresearch.org/commentary/lifeascommodity.htm (accessed March 31, 2011).

Stem Cells Ethics of Stem Cell Research

Stem Cells Ethics of Stem Cell Research Nothing has stimulated debate and controversy in America like the idea of stem cell research. Stem cells, which are often harvested from human embryos, have demonstrated the potential for a number of scientific and therapeutic purposes, from curing cancer and Alzheimer's disease, to repairing damage to hearts, kidneys, and other organs. Opponents of stem cell research claim that because these cells have the potential to develop into human life, that the harvesting of these cells from embryos, which results in the termination of the embryo, is immoral. hether the embryo is left over from a fertility clinic, or created specifically for the purpose of harvesting these cells, opponents see no difference. Unfortunately those who oppose stem cell research base their argument on a flawed presupposition: that all potential human life must be treated as if it were a fully developed human life. They…

Allman, Toney. Stem Cells. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent, 2006. Print.

"Definition, What are Stem Cells?" Academic Health Center. Web. 30 May 2011.

http://www.ahc.umn.edu/bioethics/prod/groups/ahc/@pub/@ahc/documents/asset / ahc_75703.PDF

Francis, Amy. Should the Government Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research? Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. Print.

Stem Cell Research and Testing

In the words of Obama, "Today, with the executive order I am about to sign, we will bring the change that so many scientists and researchers, doctors and innovators, patients and loved ones have hoped for, and fought for, these past eight years: We will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem cell research," President Obama further said. "We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research. And we will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield." [Dan Childs] With this change of stance more and more stem cell lines that were previously banned by the ush government policy are now open for researchers increasing the scope and hastening the development of life saving stem cell therapy for a variety of chronic conditions. Umbilical Cord Stem cells Compared to the controversies surrounding the embryonic stem cell research, umbilical cord…

1) ACS, "Adults Benefit from Unrelated Donor Cord Blood Transplants," Retrieved Aug 29th 2009, from, http://www.cancer.org/docroot/nws/content/nws_1_1xu_adults_can_benefit_from_unrelated_donor_cord_blood_transplants.asp

2) Audrey R. Chapman, PhD, Mark S. Frankel, PhD and Michele S. Garfinkel, 'Stem Cell Research and Applications: Monitoring the Frontiers of Biomedical Research', retrieved Aug 31st 2009, from, http://www.aaas.org/spp/sfrl/projects/stem/report.pdf

3) B. Soria, FJ Bedoya & J. R Tejoda et.al (2008), 'Cell Therapy for Diabetes Mellitus: An Opportunity for Stem cells?', Cells Tissues Organs 2008;188:70-77

4) CAMR, 'A Catalyst for Cures: Embryonic Stem Cell Research', Retrieved Aug 26th 2009, from http://www.camradvocacy.org/resources/camr_wp.pdf

Stem Cell Research Define Stem

Unfortunately, these undifferentiated cells cannot be harvested or removed from an adult because an adult's cells have already matured. Once matured, cells can't be overwritten to become another type of cell. but, embryonic cells are technically at a stage of growth where they are clearly cells but they have not yet reached a stage of becoming a specialized cell. Therefore, the stem cells can still be rewritten or redirected so to speak to become whatever type of specialized cell needed in a human body. In theory, stem cells would function as replacement parts for the body just like an automobile getting a new bumper after a fender bender. The really great news regarding this technology is that undifferentiated embryonic stem cells have been proven to proliferate indefinitely in controlled cultures. As the world grasps the concept of finite resources such as oil and gold, this type of undifferentiated cell has…

Five Years Later, Stem Cells Still Tantalize. Ed. University of Wisconsin. The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. 25 Sept. 2004 http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/stemcells/ .

Fumento, Michael. "Stem-Cell Political Science" Nature's Agenda March (2002).

Hughes, Kristina. "Stem cell issue is 'personal, not political' for some." State News - MSU Independent Voice (1996).

A legislature.mi.gov. Ed. Michigan. Michigan Legislature. 24 Sept. 2004 http://michiganlegislature.org/mileg.asp?page=publication

Stem Cell Research and Nursing

This often means expanding the role of the nurse in the modern medical environment. One of the most important signs of the way that nursing has changed to deal with the problems and possibilities of cloning and stem cell research is that nurses have become more "genetically aware." This means that the issue of genetics and stem cell research has become part of the knowledge that is required of a modern nurse. Now that sequencing the human genome is completed, nurses are challenged with applying this genetic information to nursing practice. Nursing has moved from the "old genetics" to the "new genetics," with the recognition that common diseases such as cancer and heart disease result from complex interactions between genetic factors and a variety of environmental exposures that trigger, accelerate, or exacerbate the disease process. (Greco E. 2003) This means that nurses have become more aware of the issues, problems…

Stem Cell Research Has Been

In collaboration with University of isconsin physician-scientists, Thomson has subsequently demonstrated the developmental potential of human embryonic stem cells in lineage-specific differentiation, such as blood, trophoblast, neural tissue and heart (James). Currently his focus is directed on understanding how embryonic stem cells can "form any cell in the body, how an ES cell chooses between self-renewal and the initial decision to differentiate, and how a differentiated cell with limited developmental potential can be reprogrammed to a pluripotent cell" (James). Also of concern are issues of privacy and confidentiality. A woman donating her embryo or fetus to research may fear that the DNA that could exist indefinitely in these sources might one day be traced back to her, thereby revealing her identity and her association with the fertility clinic (Young). For example, if the fetus is obtained via an abortion, whether it can be genetically traced back to the donor plays…

James A. Thomson." University of Wisconsin. Retrieved November 15, 2006 at http://ink.primate.wisc.edu/~thomson/jamie.html

Seely, Ron. "Stem Cell Work Sets Him Apart Pioneering Research Puts UW-Madison

Scientist James Thomson in the National Spotlight." Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI). December 30, 2001. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.

Stem Cell Information." The National Institutes of Health. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from:

Stem Cell Research and Its Future The

stem cell research and its future. The writer explores the history behind the research and then opens the debate on both sides, giving the reader the pros and cons from the vantage points of those who are involved with it. The writer then wraps the whole thing up with a discussion about how stem cell research can be allowed to continue so that the world can reap the benefits while still protecting the extremely strong feelings of the opposition. There were 10 sources used to complete this paper. THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH For the last several years, the debates around stem cell research have raged with emotions that run high. Those who are against it, line their reasons up and present them with fervor, while those who are for the research being continued, throw their own reasons into the mix. It is an international debate in…

Capell, Kerry "Science & Technology: Stem Cells: AT RISK: A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY IN BIOTECH.," Business Week, 09-10-2001, pp 85

Munro, Neil SCIENCE: A Debate That Stems From Human Cells., National Journal, 05-26-2001. pp 65

A.S. Wang, MIT president joins other university heads in supporting stem cell research., University Wire, 04-11-2001. pp 70

US DEPT OF HHS: Fact sheet on stem cell research., M2 PressWIRE, 02-01-1999.

In this light, it is argued that use of surplus blastocysts otherwise disregarded after in vitro fertilization might be less instrumental and less questionable than working with specifically designated embryos. Yet, the fact that surplus IVF embryos are unwanted does not mark them as less human, the ethical implication being that humans have rights regardless if they are wanted or not. On the other hand, adult skin tissue-originated, induced pluripotent stem cell research "would leave a survivor behind who is the genetic source of an iPS cell line" (Hyun 2). What is more, the use of adult stem cells is more likely to solve the problem of immune rejection, which may prove to be a major concern with the use of embryonic stem cells. It can be asserted that limits of research are yet unknown, therefore the whole process should be closely supervised by society. In the case of adult…

Ahsan, T et al. "Stem Cell Research," in Principles of Regenerative Medicine. Burlington: Elsevier, 2008

Grad, N. et al. "Stem Cells Therapy and Research. Benefits and Ethical Challenges." Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, Vol. 11, No. 32 (Summer 2012)

Hyun, I. "Stem Cells from Skin Cells: The Ethical Questions." The Hastings Center Report, Vol. 38, No. 1. (January-February 2008)

Stem Cell Research and Yaz

REBUTTAL: STEM CELL RESEARCH Stem Cell research is a horrible and flawed way of attempting to cater to the whims of narcissistic people who long to discover the proverbial fountain of youth and keys to perfect health. These individuals don't care anything about the lives of those they are destroying in an effort to enhance their own lives! If you value human life at all stages, it is only natural to oppose embryonic stem cell research because the taking the stems cells from an embryo means that the embryo will die. Who but a cruel and inhumane person will sanction the death of another human being so that they can live? I think it's about time that science turn to other cures for diseases and illnesses that plague us. As stem cell research is not without its flaws, according to the Real Promise of Stem Cell Research by Dr. David…

Stem Cell Research Controversy One

In the case of embryonic stem cell research, it would be the responsibility of legislators to identify the specific types of potential harms that would justify limitations on research or on research funding available through public funds. Given the uncontested fact that embryonic stem cell research applications have the potential to eliminate the need for organ transplantation, to regenerate limbs lost in traumatic amputations, to restore movement in cases of spinal paralysis, and to eliminate many of the most debilitating human diseases, there must be very legitimate specific concerns of potential harm to balance out those tremendously important benefits to society. In fact, the primary basis for the moral objection to embryonic stem cell research is almost exclusively a function of the religious belief that human life is (1) created in "God's" image, and that (2) human life begins at conception. As is the case with other religious definitions and…

Sources Consulted

Dershowitz a. (2002). Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age. New York:

Little Brown & Co.

Hursthouse R. (1999). On Virtue Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Stem Cell Research Controversy in

They also present several important ethical concerns that were never issues before the computer age, such as plagiarism and even communications intended to cheat during in-class exams (Li & Irby, 2008). Likewise, the use of computers for distance learning also raises issues of the relative quality of various academic programs since online programs are much less capable of being monitored and evaluated for quality and academic integrity than traditional "on-site" academic institutions (Trotter, 2008). One of the negative consequences of the use of computers in education is that they can be misused as excuses for failing to complete and submit assignments on time in a digital-age form of the age-old "my dog ate my homework" story. Institutions of higher education (and high schools) try to counter this contingency by making sure that students understand that it is always their responsibility to maintain the necessary common sense protocols such as backup…

Li, C, and Irby, B. "An overview of online education: attractiveness, benefits, challenges, concerns and recommendations" College Student Journal; Jun/08.

Trotter, a. "Voluntary Online Teaching Standards Come Amid Concerns over Quality"

Education Week; Mar 5/08.

Stem Cell Research Embryonic Stem

The prospect of extracting DNA from the patient for combination with embryonic stem cells offers these patients the chance to live normal lives because the organs developed in this manner contain only the patient's own tissues. More importantly, this particular use of stem cell technology would spare the lives of the vast majority of needy organ recipients that die every year before a suitable organ can be found for them (Kinsley, 2007; Pollack, 2007). Embryonic stem cells represent the greatest potential for medical applications, simply because they retain the greatest ability to develop into virtually any type of human tissue desired; they are capable of being extracted from fertilized human zygotes, such as the fertilized ova produced for each patient by the dozen in fertility clinics using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques. The Michigan proposal centers precisely around the beneficial use of the many excess zygotes produced in IVF clinics that…

Hornstein, D. (2008) Big Fight Over Michigan Stem Cell Proposal. Detroit National Politics Examiner, October 20, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2008 from the Detroit National Politics Examiner Online, at http://www.examiner.com/x-1300-Detroit-National-Politics-Examiner~y2008m10d20-Big-fight-over-Michigan-stem-cell-proposal

Kinsley, M. (2007). Why Science Can't Save the GOP. Time Magazine, December 10, 2007

Pollack, a. (2007). After Stem-Cell Breakthrough the Real Work Begins. The New York Times, November. 27, 2007.

Satyanarayana, M., (2008). Charges Rampant on Stem Cell Issue: Look Into Claims Reveals Facts Behind Stances of Both Sides. The Detroit Free Press, October 12, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2008 from the Detroit Free Press Online Version, at: http://www.freep.com/article/20081012/NEWS06/810120492/1008/NEWS

Ethics and Morality Stem-Cell Research

The report suggested that the planned ban on human cloning should be evaluated inside of five years, but that it ought to be reassessed only if a fresh technical appraisal indicates that the actions are probable to be secure and successful, and if an extensive nationwide conversation on community, spiritual and ethical issues proposes that re-examination is necessary. The panel deemed that the technical and medical contemplations that rationalize a ban on human reproductive cloning at this time do not relate to nuclear transplantation to create stem cells. Numerous other technical and medical groups also have confirmed their resistance to the utilization of cloning for the reason of making a child (Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells, 2006). For those who think that the embryo has the moral position of an individual from the instance of conception, study or any other action that would obliterate it is erroneous. For those who think the…

"Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells." 2006, viewed 23 January 2011,

"Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research." 2007, viewed 23 January 2011,

Ethics Behind Stem Cell Research

Do patients understand what it means to donate tissue to science? Not only that, but use of EG cells confuses stem cell research with the debate over abortion, bring up the risk of biasing emotions (McDonald 7). So, while stem cell research is an exciting new field that holds much promise, ethical problems arise to delay research, discovery of benefits or dangers, and involve many who have no knowledge of the complexities of the field. Though controversies usually accompany new discoveries in science, this biotechnological process involves manipulating the basis of life itself in embryonic stem cells. But the field is rapidly changing. hat is true today may be outmoded tomorrow. A neutral substitute for stem cells may be discovered that will prove to be the answer to these ethical questions. orks Cited Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. "Financial incentives in recruitment of oocyte donors." Fertil…

Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. "Financial incentives in recruitment of oocyte donors." Fertil Steril 2004; 82:Suppl 1:S240-S244.

Hwang, W.S., Roh, S.I., Lee, B.C., et al. -- Patient-specific embryonic stem cells derived from human SNCT blastocysts." Science 2005;308.

Magnus, David and Cho, Mildred K. "Issues in oocyte donation for stem cell research." Science Express Magazine, Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and Department of Pediatrics, Vol. 308. no. 5729, June 2005. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5729/1747 .

McDonald, Chris. "Stem cells: a pluripotent challenge." BioScan Vol. 13, Iss. 4, (Toronto Biotechnology Initiative.) Fall 2001.

Stem Cells the Ethical Controversy

Analysis of the Issues: The ethical concern for the rights and welfare of viable infants is certainly a legitimate concern, but the central ethical analysis that pertains to stem cell research revolves around the issue of defining human life appropriately. Objective criteria like anatomical development, cognitive awareness, and above all, sentience of any degree and in any form are all legitimate bases for the definition of life and for identifying the period of gestation corresponding to the earliest conceivable safeguards necessary to prevent suffering. On the other hand, purely subjective doctrinal claims without objective criteria of any kind are wholly inappropriate bases for defining scientific concepts like when life begins. The fact that human development varies among individuals and that it may be impossible to know exactly where sentience and other elements of "humanness" first begin in the fetus does not mean that it is impossible to identify periods of…

Dershowitz, a.(2002) Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age.

Boston: Little Brown, 2002

Healy, B. On Health: The Other Stem Cells; U.S. News & World Report (Jun. 14/04), p. 77.

Hellemans, a., Bunch, B. (1998) the Timetables of Science. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Stem Cell Ethics Debating the Ethics of

Stem Cell Ethics Debating the Ethics of Stem Cells The term 'stem cells' can mean different things to different people. For some, it conjures images of medical miracles providing solutions for heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. For others, it terrifies with a future filled with cloned humans. Still others cringe at the thought of mass producing cultured human embryos for the sole purpose of providing organs and tissues for a paying public. As with most complex issues, news media coverage tends to exaggerate easily understood concepts at the expense of the overall truth and the public accordingly remains ignorant of the subtleties surrounding this debate. This seems to add fuel the emergence of polarized camps and a shrinking of a common middle ground. To better define this middle ground, this essay will discuss both sides of this debate and argue instead that the vast majority of people would likely support…

Antiniou, Michael. "The Case Against & #8230;" Nature Medicine 7.4 (2001): 397-399. Web. The author argues that the use of embryonic stem cells for research and medicine poses significant ethical and moral issues that cannot be overcome. Of particular concern is the potential for reproductive cloning, a door that the author believes was opened when the UK government approved the use of embryonic stems cells for research and medicine.

Blow, Nathan. "In Search of Common Ground." Nature 451.7180 (2008): 855-858. Web. The author presents several issues facing researchers who work with stem cells and discusses why they are important to advancing this field of research. Of primary concern is developing standard protocols for producing stem cells and creating the necessary protocols and reagents that will allow the therapeutic use of stem cells in humans.

Leeb, C., Jurga, M., McGuckin, C., Forraz, N., Thallinger, C., Moriggl, R. et al. "New Perspectives in Stem Cell Research: Beyond Embryonic Stem Cells." Cell Proliferation 44.1 (2011): 9-14. Web. The focus of this article is the promises and limitations of embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells, from the perspective of scientists working in this field. The ethical decisions concerning the use of embryonic stem cells are only mentioned in passing.

Power, Carl and Rasko, E.J. "Promises and Challenges of Stem Cell Research for Regenerative Medicine." Annals of Internal Medicine 155.10 (2011): 706-713. Web. The authors discuss in detail the three main types of stem cell technologies: embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent. Ethical issues are mentioned occasionally, but not discussed.

Stem Cell Policies Scientific Breakthrough

This controversial decision drew all kinds of reactions from different groups on each side of the issue. Some adversaries of hESC research expressed admiration for the decision limiting research to existing cell lines, while others said that no research should be allowed under any circumstances. Advocates of hESC research, meanwhile, generally praised the president for allowing some research to go forward, but criticized the restriction to existing cell lines as too strict, questioning whether enough research would be allowed. Current U.S. Stem Cell Policy under President Obama The March 9, 2009 EO changes the way the National Institutes of Health (NIH) can support and conduct human stem cell research. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the NIH Director, is required to review existing NIH and other widely-recognized guidelines on human stem cell research and issue new NIH guidance within 120 days of the date of the EO…

AAAS Policy Brief: Stem Cell Research." 10 March 2009. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 27 March 2009 http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/briefs/stemcells/ .

Executive Summary." 2009. The National Institutes of Health resource for stem cell research. 27 March 2009 http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/scireport/execSum.asp .

Register, Federal. "Presidential Documents Executive Order 13505." 11 March 2009. Federal Register. 24 March 2009 http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-5441.pdf .

Stem Cell Are Commonly Known

Study of human embryonic stem cell will lead to major advances in human biology, specifically: Embryonic stem cell research will provide critical insights into mechanisms of cell differentiation, growth, and death (Young, 2006). Understanding stem cells may provide keys to why people age (Young, 2006). Scientists are interested in stem cells because they have the potential to become very practical in a way that any other kind of cell in the body might be used to replace tissues that have failed (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3144925.stm,2003). And lastly, scientists believed that if they become successful in finding cure for lymphoma, and leukemia with this study, there is a great possibility that they can also cure diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes among others in the near future (http://www.stemcellnetwork.ca/engage/materials/presentation1.ppt,2006). orks Cited Mitalipova, Maisam et. al. Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Derived from Discarded Embryos 2003. AlphaMed Press. 7 October 2006. http://stemcells.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/5/521 Young, ise. Morality of…

Mitalipova, Maisam et. al. Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Derived from Discarded Embryos 2003. AlphaMed Press. 7 October 2006. http://stemcells.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/5/521

Young, Wise. Morality of Stem Cells.. 7 October 2006. http://carecure.rutgers.edu/Lectures/Morality/StemCells_Notes.ppt

Embryonic Stem Cells; an Introduction to Science ethics and Legislation.. 7 October 2006. http://www.stemcellnetwork.ca/engage/materials/presentation1.ppt

Mining Stem Cells.. 7 October 2006. http://arts.usask.ca/policynut/courses/soc292-8.ppt

Stem Cells Are a Hot Topic for

Stem cells are a hot topic for the media today because our understanding of them has potential for incredible scientific advances in the field of biotechnology, yet we struggle because there are questions of morality raised by the methods by which they might be used. While in centuries past, it was commonly accepted within the scientific community to vivisect the mentally insane or criminally convicted for the purpose of scientific knowledge, today religious groups are concerned about the fate of single stem cells being used in experiments. Stem cells have paved the way to cloning and bioengineering of humans, allowing scientists to "bring... A sperm and ovum together to create an embryo, harvesting the cells, and then discarding the embryo." (Celia) The concern for many people is that working with embryonic stem cells especially may somehow he breaching the rights of people and taking science to a point where it…

Bell, H. (2000) "Case Study: The Uninsured" American Medical Student Association. http://www.amsa.org/tnp/uninsured.cfm >

Calafut, T. (2000) "Emerging Applications in Human Stem Cell Therapy." Chemical Market Reporter, March 20.

Stem Cells Without a Doubt One of

Stem Cells ithout a doubt, one of the most controversial topics of popular discourse is stem cell research. Indeed, one would be hard pressed to peruse the newspaper or magazine stand without encountering some reference to the global stem cell debate -- but what, exactly, are stem cells, and why are they so controversial? Stem cells intended for use in human applications are harvested from humans, umbilical cords and embryos. The reason these cells are so valuable is because of their capability to produce or "become" other cell types -- for example, brain cells, heart cells, skin, etc. In short, these are "master cells," holding the ability to divide in cultures, and to be manipulated allowing it to transform into any type of cell. Of course, this is extremely important due to the fact that scientists can use this capability to either create organs (thereby helping to meet the tremendous…

Hall, MiMi and Kiely, Kathy. "Proponents of Stem-Cell Research Put on Pressure." USA Today. Online. July 2001. 10 April 2002. Retrieved from Web site on 15 March, 2004

Stem Cell Cience Must Be

Unfortunately, a tremendous amount of valuable research has been put on hold ever since the ban of federal funding for stem cell research. In the United States, the vast majority of medical research of all types that eventually lead to cures for disease are funded by the federal government. The federal ban on stem cell research does not completely prohibit it, but the effect is nearly the same, just as it would be if the federal government withdrew funding for cancer or diabetes research. The main opposition to stem cell research comes from the Religious Right who believe that any form of research using fetal stem cells is wrong, because according to their religious views, every fertilized human egg should be considered as much a human being as any living person, even a microscopic zygote consisting of nothing more than four cells of human tissue. Certainly, the concept of religious…

Stem Cell Stems Cells Are

eferences Condic, M.L. (2007, January). What We Know about Embryonic Stem Cells. First Things: A Monthly Journal of eligion and Public Life 25+. Patel, K., & ushefsky, M. (2005). President Bush and Stem Cell Policy: The Politics of Policy Making. White House Studies, 5(1), 37+. Pickrell, J. (2006, September). "Instant Expert: Stem Cells." NewScientist.com news service. etrieved on March 4, 2007 at http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/stem-cells/dn9982 Shapiro, .S. (2006). Bioethics and the Stem Cell esearch Debate. Social Education, 70(4), 203+. Stem Cell Basics." (2006). Stem Cell Information from the National Institute of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. etrieved on March 4, 2007 at http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/ Wagner, C.G. (2007, January/February). Values Conflicts in Stem-Cell esearch: Governments Struggle with Bioethical Issues. The Futurist, 41, 8+. Precursor cells are also known as pluripotent cells, i.e., having the ability to replicate (to form other stem cells) and to make all other specialized cells that make…

Condic, M.L. (2007, January). What We Know about Embryonic Stem Cells. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life 25+.

Patel, K., & Rushefsky, M. (2005). President Bush and Stem Cell Policy: The Politics of Policy Making. White House Studies, 5(1), 37+.

Pickrell, J. (2006, September). "Instant Expert: Stem Cells." NewScientist.com news service. Retrieved on March 4, 2007 at http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/stem-cells/dn9982

Shapiro, R.S. (2006). Bioethics and the Stem Cell Research Debate. Social Education, 70(4), 203+.

Stem Cell Website Stem Cell

However, we can immediately see that their purposes are distinct from one another. From a design standpoint, one grievance with Sanford Burnham is the shortage of active links to immediately usable information. First and foremost, it is of note that in a page with several eye-catching graphics pertaining to particular site destinations (the Center for Nanomedicine, Sanford Burnham's blog) none of these photographs is used as an active link. This is a missed opportunity for site usability that may be perceived as being of marginal importance but in reality can have significant impact on how long a visitor remains on a site and how many pages said visitor is inclined to click-through. This is a shortcoming easily resolved but does impact the site's relative dynamism. The importance of such a matter is highlighted in a comparison between the two sites, with Research America ultimately compiling a site that is a…

Research America: http://www.researchamerica.org/stemcell_issue?gclid=COuYj67at5sCFQuU7QodsmBAAg

Sanford Burnham:

http://www.burnham.org/default.asp?contentID=79

Stem Cells Since it Is

The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found." (Info 2006) Adult stem cells are replicators in such a way that they are able to duplicate a variety of different cells. "Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body, serving as a sort of repair system...they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cell...each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell." (Info 2006). Researchers tout the belief that a manipulation of stem cells can be beneficial in curing many diseases as well as helping in creating or developing new life, which could be part of the reason why such…

Info Center. (2006) In Stem Cell Information. National Institute for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.stemcells.nih.gov/info.defaultpage, Accessed November 13, 2006

Stem Cells It Will Consider the Current

stem cells. It will consider the current moral discourse on the issue of stem cells and at the same time look at the basics or the foundation of stem cells themselves. How these cells can be utilized to conduct studies in cloning will be dwelt upon as well. The pertinent issue on the floor of the U.S. congress in the deliberations on stem cell studies on humans is how to handle embryonic stem cell research (ESR), a kind of research that may generate crucial lifesaving therapies, which demands the damaging of embryos. Present national government regulations and policy documents tackle this issue basically via the limits on federal funding allocated to ESR (Aylesworth, 2010). The U.S. Department of Human Health Services is not permitted to spend any money on making human embryos for studies whereby the embryos will be damaged, thrown away, or intentionally be exposed to risks such as…

Stem Cells and Umbilical Cords

Scientists have been aware of the existence of these stem cells for many years but have only recently realized the potential medical applications of the cells. More than a decade ago, scientists discovered that if the normal connections between the early cellular progeny of the fertilized egg were disrupted, the cells would fall apart into a single cell progeny that could be maintained in a culture. These dissociated cells, otherwise known as embryonic stem cell lines, continue to divide in culture, producing large numbers of cells at a fast pace. However, these early embryonic cells would lose the coordinated activity. Scientists quickly discovered that these cells retain the ability to generate a great number of mature cell types in culture if they are provided with appropriate molecular signals (Reaves, 2001). Scientists have made significant progress in discovering these signals and are still working on it. hile it is a difficult…

Colino, Stacey. (2001). Making Sense of Stem Cells. Lifetime.

Prescott, Bonnie. (2001). Animal Study Find Embryonic Stem Cells Can Repair Heart Muscle. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Reaves, Jessica. (2002). The Great Debate Over Stem Cell Research. Time Magazine.

Recer, Paul. (2002). Study says stem cells have fewer mutations than previously thought. AP Online.

Use of Stem Cells in Parkinson's Patients

Stem Cell Research / Parkinson's Since Barack Obama has become president, the field of stem cell research has been given new life. One of Obama's campaign pledges was to allow deeper research -- including the use of federal research funds -- into the use of pluripotent stem cells in order to find solutions for some of the terrible diseases Americans suffer from. Among those medical problems is Parkinson Disease (PD). This paper reviews and delves into the literature in terms of the potential of stem cell interventions into Parkinson Disease (also called "Parkinson's Disease"). ho is the leading authority on stem cell research? There is no one "leading authority" reflected in the literature; however there are renowned scientists that are considered pathfinders in this field. Dr. Diane S. Krause, Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Associate Director of Stem Processing at Yale University is "…one of the discoverers of previously…

Gallup Poll. (2011). Stem Cell Research. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from http://www.gallup.com/poll/21676/stem-cell-research.aspx .

Gogel, S. Gubernator, M., and Minger, SL. (2011). Progress and prospects: stem cells and Neurological diseases. Gene Therapy, 18(1), 1-6.

Krause, D.S. (2002). Plasticity of marrow-driven stem cells. Gene Therapy, 9(11), 754-8.

Lo, Bernard, and Parham, Lindsay. (2010). Resolving Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Clinical

Stem Cell Differentiation the Need to Restore

Stem Cell Differentiation The need to restore the lives of the individuals calls for more of transplantation than that which is available. There are fewer organs, which can help in the transplantation process, which means that overdependence on the process makes it to be reliable. Further, the process may also end up endangering the life of the donator. Transplantation is the only available process that can for the individuals having kidney and lung problems. However, the numbers of individuals who are suffering from kidney and lung failure are always more than those who are ready to supply the needed organs. This calls for an alternative way, which can help in compensating the loss that the individuals face. One of the major alternatives for the process of translation is stem cell differentiation that may occur in any body cell. The stem cells differentiation offer the possibility of a renewable source of…

Wang, J., Collins, J. et al., (2012). Functional analysis of transcription factor binding sites in human promoters. Genome Biology, doi:10.1186/gb-2012-13-9-r50

Guillot PV, Cui W, Fisk NM, Polak DJ. (2007). Stem cell differentiation and expansion for clinical applications of tissue engineering. J Cell Mol Med. 11:935-944.

Gerrard L, Rodgers L, Cui W. (2005). Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Neural

Lineages in Adherent Culture by Blocking Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling. Stem Cells 23: 1234-1241.

Stem Cells Are Non-Specializing Cells

Dimitrios Karussis and Ibrahim Kassis, in the article, "Use of Stem Cells for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis," conclude, "In the current review, the various types of stem cells, which were mainly studied in animal models, will be reviewed as a potential therapeutic approach for MS. The main and common mechanisms of action of all stem cells include induction of neuroregeneration and remyelination through the activation of resident stem cells, or production of new CNS cell lineage progenitors, paralleled by local and systemic immunomodulating effects" (Karussis & Kassis, 2007, Conclusion ¶). The other diseases that are showing promise in treatments resulting from stem cells usage includes: as cancer, diabetes, osteopetrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, heart disease, immune system disorders, blood disorders; the list goes on (Diseases Treated by Cord lood, 2010). Conclusion Stem cells are a valuable weapon in the future treatment of disease and in…

"Adult stem cell Plasticity and Transdifferentiation." 2010. Retrieved on May 20, 2010 from http://www.studentsguide.in/animal-biotechnology/stem-cell-technology/adult-stem-cell-plasticity-and-transdifferentiation.html

"Asymmetric Division of Stem Cells." 2010. Retrieved on May 20, 2010 from http://www.molecular-plant-biotechnology.info/animal-biotechnology-genomics/pluripotent-stem-cell-lines/asymmetric-division-of-stem-cells.html

"Diseases Treated by Cord Blood." 2010. Retrieved on May 20, 2010 from http://www.womens-health.co.uk/diseases_treated.html

Jessen, W. "Exactly What are Stem Cells?" 7, July 2008. Retrieved on May 20, 2010 from http://www.highlighthealth.com/did-you-know/exactly-what-are-stem-cells/

Healthcare Ethics -- Stem Cells

While freedom of religion absolutely guarantees the right to refrain from choosing to submit to stem cell-based treatment, the same freedoms and the concept of separation of church and state absolutely preclude religious beliefs about when life "begins" (or about anything else) from dictating laws that affect other people who may not share those particular beliefs (Dershowitz, 2002). Beneficence and Non-malfeasance Certainly, both the concept of beneficence and non-malfeasance absolutely prohibit the use of fetal stem cells from any fetus that is sufficiently developed to be considered a "person" as well as from any fetus that is sufficiently developed to sense pain. Medical authorities may debate where the exact point is where "personhood" first becomes an issue, but in principle, that characterization must be a function of objective criteria and never subjective beliefs of laypeople, especially based in religion (Dershowitz, 2002). Both beneficence and the duty to avoid malfeasance prohibit…

Dershowitz, a. (2002). Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age. New York:

Levine, C. (2008). Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Bioethical Issues. Dubuque, Iowa:

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to

3.3 Data Collection Is maternal UE3A active following iPS treatment: Data will be gathered on the iPS-treated mice via positron emission tomography, and in vivo brain slice preparation, and Western lot Analysis. H1 will essentially be ascertained following these tests. Does iPS treatment rescue the motor and cognitive deficits associated with Angelman Syndrome: Data will be gathered from testing the treated mice in scientifically recognized tests of cognitive ability in a mouse model. This project proposes using the water maze test, the electric shock test, and the submerged platform test. H2 will effectively be answered using the data gleaned from these tests. 4. Conclusion 4.1. Potential Therapeutic and Other Considerations The potential of using iPS treatment to rescue/alleviate the severe motor and cognitive deficits witnessed in Angelman Syndrome is theoretically viable. Reliable mouse models of AS exist with which to run the tests. The technology needed to tease iPS stem…

Abuhatzira, L., Shemer, R., & Razin, A. (2009). MeCP2 involvement in the regulation of neuronal alpha-tubulin production. Human Molecular Genetics, 1415-1423.

Condic, M.L., & Rao, M. (2008). Regulatory Issues for Personalized Pluripotent Cells. Stem Cells, 2753-2758.

Dindot, S., Antalffy, B., Meenakshi, B., & Beaudet, A. (2008). The Angelman syndrome ubiquitin ligase localizes to the synapse and nucleus, and maternal deficiency results in abnormal dendritic spine morphology. Human Molecular Genetics, 111-118.

Dobkin, B. (2007). Behavioral, temporal, and spatial targets for cellular transplants as adjuncts to rehabilitation for stroke. Stroke, 832-839.

Ethics - Stem Cells the

That is not to suggest that scientific criteria can necessarily pinpoint any specific instant or moment in time when a developing fetus can logically be considered a living human being, but only because such precision is impossible. In principle, there is no doubt that medical science can identify the various stages of fetal development associated with the biological structures and processes that make us human. Likewise, they can identify the point where suffering becomes possible because neurological development produces the ability to perceive pain (Levine, 2008). Therefore, the appropriate use of scientific criteria would be to link ethical concern for the fetus to sentience, and simply to err on the side of caution where pinpoint identification of sentience is impossible to know with certainty. In principle, science (the discipline) is strictly objective; in practice, scientists are susceptible to human failings such as malice, egoism, and greed. The field of ethics…

Dershowitz, a.M. (2002) Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age. New York: Little Brown & Co.

Kinsley, M. (2007) "Commentary: Why Science Can't Save the GOP: Time (Dec. 10/07), p. 36.

Levine, C. (2008). Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Bioethical Issues. 12th Ed. Dubuque Iowa: McGraw Hill.

Sagan, C. (1997) Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium. New York: Random House

Political Influence Over Stem Cell

Going back further, the same religious principals also inspired opposition to organ transplants and blood transfusions; before that, the Catholic Church strictly forbade any forensic scientific research, necessitating the need to dissect cadavers for medical education entirely in secret (Levine, 2008). Just as the news media are partially at fault today for their failure to distinguish legitimate concerns from ludicrous fears in connection with the ongoing political debate over American healthcare, they are equally responsible for allowing unfounded fears of "human cloning" in connection with the beneficial uses of stem cell science. Specifically, the main source of secular opposition to stem cell research is attributable to unnecessary fears of rampant misuse of human cloning technology to clone human beings. While human cloning is hypothetically possible, no responsible scientific researcher would ever misuse current biomedical technology in that fashion. The complexities of cloning entire organisms have been well documented in animal…

Dershowitz, a. (2002). Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age. Boston: Little

Friedrich, M. "Researchers Make the Case for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research"

The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 292(7); August 18, 2004:

Human Stem Cell Medical -

This bill was sent to the U.S. Senate and set for vote mirroring a bill previously passed by the House during the Summer of 2003 which failed to pass the Senate because of vehement disagreement that was even "within the parties over the prohibition of therapeutic cloning.(National Legislation Concerning Human and Reproductive Cloning, 2004; paraphrased) As of the date of the report on legislation eight U.S. states had passed laws that explicitly prohibited reproductive cloning using human embryos and another five U.S. states have placed a prohibition on cloning for any purpose whatsoever with 22 other U.S. states introducing bills outlawing the reproductive cloning of humans. (Ibid; paraphrased) Patenting laws for genetics allow inventors to patent genetics but only specific genetic factors may be patented and inventors are required to: 1) Identify novel genetic sequences; 2) Specify the sequence's product, 3) Specify how the product functions in nature --i.e. its…

O'Connor, Sean M. (nd) Intellectual Property Rights and Stem Cell Research: Who Owns the Medical Breakthroughs?

Kadereit, Suzanne & Hines, Pamela J. (nd) Overview of Stem Cell Research New England Law Journal 2005 Mar 28. Online available at http://www.nesl.edu/lawrev/vol39/3/13%20Kadereit%20Final.pdf .

Chadwick, Ruth et al. (2004)HUGO Ethics Committee Statement of Stem Cells (2004) November

Legal Protection of Digital Information (2006) Chapter 5: Software-Based Inventions Online available at:. http://digital-law-online.info/lpdi1.0/treatise63.html

Moral and Legal Questions of Stem Cell

Moral and Legal Questions of Stem Cell Research Stem cell research is an experimental, and research-based study as to methods of repairing the human body. y introducing stem cells into a damaged, or degenerating area of the body, the medical profession hopes to prompt the body to regrow healthy tissue, and repair the damage. Degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, or macular degeneration of a patient's eye retina are conditions in which the healthy tissues cease to function properly. There is no overt damage. There is not a disease which has physically destroyed the affected body part. ut for varying reasons, such as old age, wear and tear, or reasons medical science does not yet understand, the affected body part simply ceases to function properly. Stem cells are the type of cells, which are more numerous in, but not limited to, human embryos. They are the building blocks of the…

Answers to your questions about Stem Cells. 2001. ViaCord. Retrieved 15 Dec 2002. http://www.viacord.com/Preservation/Preservation.asp?section=1&s=sourceOfStemCells 2001>

Bush, George W. "The Bush Decision on Stem-Cell Research" National Review Online.

2002 Retrieved 15 Dec 2002. http://www.nationalreview.com/document/document081001.shtml

Critical Legal Studies." Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. 2000. Retrieved 10 Dec 2002. http://www.law.cornell.edu/critical/theory.html

Value of Umbilical Stem Cell

People with family histories of blood disease, for example, could benefit greatly from a private supply of compatible blood cells. Mixed-ethnicity children could also stand to benefit, since this population often experiences difficulty finding genetically compatible donors for organs or bone marrow (Peterson 56). The sad reality is that despite its many benefits, the use of stem cells from umbilical cords is hampered by a lack of supply. There are private banks that extract and store a baby's umbilical stem cells for private use, but the costs are too prohibitive for most families. For many private banks, parents have to pay $1,300 up front for the extraction, and an additional $95 each year for storage. Also, many parents are simply unaware of the importance of umbilical stem cells. Sprage, a beneficiary of a cord stem cell transplantation, finds it disturbing that "most cord blood ends up as medical waste." (Peterson…

Peterson, Holly. "Cord-blood Controversy." Newsweek. August 18, 2003: 56.

Seppa, Natan. "Baby Rescue." Science News. May 21, 2005: 323-324.

Smith, Wesley J. "Umbilical Accord." Human Life Review. 31:4, Fall 2005: 87-89.

Value of Umbilical Stem Cell Research in Curing Disease

Research on Human Embryonic Stem Cells Chimeras

CHIMEASChimerasContinued research on human embryonic stem cells leads to formation of more chimeras. The National Academy of Sciences has laid a common ground for ethical research on human embryonic stem cells. Wade (2015) defines chimeras as creatures composed of more than one kind of cell (par 1). In this essay, I will express my thoughts on why chimeras are weird to many and also why they may be of importance to humans.It is interesting that Mermaids, werewolves, sphinxes, and centaurs are viewed as half-human chimeras while the original chimaera was a monster. It is also interesting that these creatures possess powerful evil powers and that people who possess big heart valves are chimeric. I agree with the articles assertion to the effect that chimeras are weird creatures. This is more so the case owing to the fact that, as Wade (2005) points out, testing and developing new organs by biologists…

ReferencesWade, N. (2005). Chimeras on the horizon, but Don’t Expect Centaurs. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/03/science/chimeras-on-the-horizon-but-dont-expect-centaurs.html

Stem Research and the Anti-Discrimination Position Statement

legislation introduced topic stem cell research. You find Library Congress website helpful research thomas.loc.gov. Pick a piece legislation interest give a summary bill. The H.R.2433 -- 113th Congress (2013-2014) emphasizes the need for the U.S. To play a more significant role in achieving technological advancements in STEM-cell research. The act was introduced in June 19, 2013. The legislation relates to the idea of changing the Public Health Service Act with the purpose of introducing research processes that make use of human stem cells. The legislation is particularly interesting because of its studies in the field of stem cells involving human embryos. Although the legislation bring forward problematic ideas because of the difficulty associated with actually coming in possession of human embryonic stem cells, the fact that there are numerous individuals willing to donate such resources with the purpose of promoting scientific advancement makes it possible for experts to progress in…

Treating Leukemia With Stem Cells

The authors did a comparison study of 682 adults with acute leukemia. All these patients received a hematopoietic stem-cell (HSC) transplant from a donor that was unrelated to them. The authors compared them to patients who received UCB instead of HSC. One of the important characteristics of UCB is that it does not have to match the donor, which makes it much more flexible in leukemia and other treatments. The study covered two groups of people. The authors note, "98 received cord blood and 584 received bone marrow. The transplantations were performed from 1998 through 2002 and reported to Eurocord and the European Blood and Marrow Transplant Group" (ocha, V., et al., 2004. p. 2276). They traced participants' ages, weights, level of severity of the disease, and other influences to discover what treatment worked best in treating adults with leukemia. They found that rates of mortality and relapse were very…

Mauro, MJ., and Maziarz, R.T. (2006). Stem cell transplantation in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia: When should it be used? Mayo Clin Proc. March; 81(3):404-416.

Rocha, V., et al. (2004). Transplants of umbilical-cord blood or bone marrow from unrelated donors in adults with acute leukemia. New England Journal of Medicine 351; 22. 2276-2286.

Tse, WW, SL Zang, KD Bunting and MJ Laughlin. (2008). Umbilical cord blood transplantation in adult myeloid leukemia. Bone Marrow Transplantation 41, 465 -- 472.

Vago, L., et al. (2009). Loss of mismatched HLA in leukemia after stem-cell transplantation. New England Journal of Medicine. 361: 478-88.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine

However, there would also need to be an extended period of longitudinal analysis of the effects of the therapy on the experimental group mice's health to see if the improvement continued and did not produce damaging side effects. The MSCs in the liver therapy are not derived from human embryos and thus the objections to discarding human embryos are not a factor in the ethical discussion about the therapy. In fact, "the number of MSCs that can be obtained from a donor is significantly lower than the number needed for tissue regeneration. Therefore, MSCs are expanded ex-vivo in media supplemented with growth factors" and created in a lab ("MSC growth factors," R&D Systems, 2013). The main ethical objections to the use of MCSs revolve around the question of scientists' right to create new organs and the possible risks involved. The Japanese research team "relied on a 'cocktail' of so-called induced…

"Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)." R&D Systems. [7 Jul 2013]

http://www.rndsystems.com/molecule_group.aspx?g=805&r=7

"Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) growth factors." R&D Systems. [7 Jul 2013]

http://www.rndsystems.com/molecule_group.aspx?g=818&r=7&g2=805

Cells Are a Type of

To date, adoptive T-cell therapy have used peripheral blood, tumors, malignant effusions, and drained lymph nodes as sites for injecting the T-cells for adoptive transfer. Those are routinely used are allogenic bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell infusion. It is possible that the bone marrow might be a good place too. It is also arguable which precise T-cells are the best to transfer, since T- cells are differentiated into many subsets. Furthermore, in order to produce enough effectors T-cells, specific T-cells from peripheral blood or tumor specimens are isolated and generated in vitro, and these are then clonally expanded using various approaches. The T-cells are then reinfused into the patient with the expectation that they will then target antigens. There is much evidence that this approach works, although it also seems that this can be engineered in vivo under certain situations. For most effective T-cell therapy, it has…

Greenberg, P.D. 1991, 'Adoptive T cell therapy of tumors. Ad. Immunol. 49, pp. 281-355.

Jamieson, B.D., & Ahmed, R. 1989,'T cell memory. J. Exp. Med. 169, pp. 1993-2005

June, C.H. 2007, 'Principles of adoptive T cell cancer therapy', J. Clin. Invest., 117, pp.11204-1212.

MedecineNet.com. Definition of T cell. Online. Available at: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11300

Foundationally Promising Research Discoveries of

For some the issue then arises when the pluripotent cells are removed from the blastocyst, as this very act negates the ability for the cell group to develop into a human being. "Note that the process of changing from totipotent to pluripotent to multipotent cells is not reversible -- that is, pluripotent stem cells do not produce totipotent stem cells, and multipotent stem cells do not produce pluripotent stem cells." Borror, O'Rourke and Skirboll 54) Additionally, the proponents of stem cell work cite the pluripotent as incapable of producing a human being therefore not a destruction of life, hence leading to the Bush decision to ban the creation of new lines of stem cells, as it would require the destruction of further human totipotent cells. Multipotent. The pluripotent stem cells undergo further specialization into multipotent stem cells, which are committed to giving rise to cells that have a particular function.…

Bioethical Research One of the

Also, there has been pressure in the different professions for every research design to follow these general procedures (Chadwick, Bahr, & Albrecht, 1984, pp. 19-20). The researcher needs protection as well as the subject does. An important protection of confidentiality is testimonial privilege. This protection is not absolute and must yield to other concerns in some cases such as state's requirement that certain diseases (infectious diseases) or injuries (child abuse or neglect, gun shot wounds) be reported to prevent further injury. Written, informed consent to release information is the best defense against an allegation of a breach of confidentiality (Brent, 1997, p. 258). Bioethics and informed consent extend beyond the area of research into that of medical practice, calling for medical personnel to inform patients of what treatment are being given and what options the patient may have. Such efforts are seen as both ethical and as empowering for patients,…

Bower, R.T. & de Gasparis, P. (1978). Ethics in social research: Protecting the interests of human subjects. New York: Praeger.

Brent, N.J. (1997). The home healthcare nurse and confidentiality and privacy. Home Healthcare Nurse, 15(4), 256-258.

Chadwick, B.A., Bahr, H.M., & Albrecht, S.L. (1984). Social science research methods. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall.

Heinrich, Bernd. "What Is Natural?" Discover (June 1994), 40-42.

Complexity of Cell Division

Cell Division All living things are complex organisms that are made up of cells. Some are made up of a single cell while others comprise of numerous cells working together. Cells are the basic functional and structural units of living organisms and are known to be the building blocks of life. In humans it is from a group of cells that tissues are made and from tissues that organs are made which enable beings to live. Cells obtain food and oxygen through their membranes and each membrane has a specific area which can serve contents of only a given volume. Any increase in volume of the cell requires that the area of the membrane increases. Basically, when cells grow the membrane becomes insufficient in aiding the movement of substances in and out and thus to maintain a favourable surface area to volume ratio, cell division must take place. Furthermore, cell…

Bolsover, S., E. Shephard, H. White, and J. Hyams. Cell Biology: A Short Course. 3. Wiley-

Blackwell, 2011. 432.

Conger, Krista. "Scientists turn skin cells into neural precursors, bypassing stem-cell stage." Stanford School of Medicine. n. page. Print.

Morgan, David. The Cell Cycle: Principles of Control. New Science Press, 2007.

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Stem Cell Research Analytical Essay

A lot of controversy from its critics surrounds stem cell research. The controversy in stem cell research concerns the embryonic source of stem cells, which is considered unethical. However, nobody denies the usefulness of stem cell methodology. Those who oppose stem cell research say it devalues human life because the embryos are alive and need protection. J.C. Willke, M.D., in the article I’m Pro-Life and Oppose Embryonic Stem Cell Research , opposes stem cell research in particular embryonic stem cell research.

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He urges that it is unethical to do embryonic stem cell research since it requires killing a living human embryo to obtain the stem cell. It is ethical to conduct experiments on human tissue, however doing so in human beings is unethical. Human life begins on day one when an egg has been fertilized. Thus by sourcing stem cells from embryonic cells is tantamount to killing one human being to save another yet in normal life this would be unaccepted.

Embryonic cells have a potential of causing cancer and this is a concern that has been raised by researchers. Stem cells that come from embryos have the ability to cause cancer because they may become malignant. This means that more research needs to be done to understand the threat that embryonic stem cells pose to patients who may use them. Therefore, using these cells is not safe as it may lead to diseases that patients did not have initially.

The article goes on to criticize embryonic stem cell research because it is not supported by many people. In poll conducted by” International Communication Research showed that 70% of those polled opposed the use of embryo stem cells, 24% supported and 6% refused”(Willke, 2001).

Therefore, stem cell research should be done using other stem cells as research shows they are viable to avoid killing a human being in the initial stages of development because given time the embryo will develop into a human being just like every other human beings on earth who were once fertilized eggs. However, I support stem cell research because it has many pros that are offering hope to patients in the medical field such as those in need of organ transplants or those with diseases.

However, in spite of the cons of stem cell research it has many pros, which outweigh the cons as shown in the article Pros and cons of embryonic stem cell research: arguments in favour vs. arguments against by Messinger. Adult stem cells can be used as well.

This are cells from the placenta and thus no need to ‘kill’ embryos to harvest cells. Stem cells harvested from adults have more advantages than embryonic stem cells. They cannot be rejected by the body when harvested from a patient unlike embryonic cells that are used on a different human being. They eliminate the problem of rejection (Willke, 2001).

In spite of the criticism that stem cell research faces as shown above, it continues to generate a lot of interest in the medical science. Many a times the critics of stem cell research have termed it as killing. They say so because life starts at conception and hence using embryonic stems is tantamount to killing because the blastocyst differentiates into many cells that later develop into features of a human being.

On the contrary, the blastocyst in stem cell research is used even before it begins to differentiate (Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research, 2010, Para. 3). Some stem cells are taken from embryos that remain after Vitro fertilization. The unused embryos would eventually be destroyed.

Instead of destroying embryos why not, use them in stem cell research to cure patients who have diseases that stem cell therapy can cure. in addition, the bone marrow is also a source of stem cells. If successful, are the best types to use as compared to stem cells harvested from embryos and umbilical cord. They always match the recipient because they are an exact DNA match. Stem cells can also be sourced from the umbilical cord.

They can be harvested from it and preserved for future use by a family. These stem cells offer hope to patients with diseases such as cancer of the blood or leukemia as they are given bone marrow transplants and hence a new lease of life (Gahrton & Bjorkstrand, 2000). This is made possible by technological advancement and it may help to stop the controversy surrounding stem research.

Those who oppose the practice equate stem cell research to killing. This is because the blastocyst is not given a chance to develop. Conversely, many people’s lives have been saved through stem research. For example, in the United States alone about 100 to 150 million people suffer from diseases that are treatable using stem research methodology.

Thus by adopting stem cell research the lives of these Americans will be saved instead of them suffering until they succumb to treatable diseases. “Diseases that could become manageable with stem cell research are Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, heart diseases, Alzheimer’s, stroke and spinal injuries”(Stem Cell Research, 2008). This is because stem cells can be transplanted into the body to heal the above diseases if stem cell research is allowed to go in finding a cure for such diseases.

This will also make transplantation less risky as the doctors would use a copy of a patient’s cells to create organs to be transplanted thus eliminate the risk of organ rejection completely (Stem Cell Research, 2008). This is because if stem cells are harvested from a patient and grown into organs such as a heart, limb and so forth the body cannot reject such an organ as it cannot reject it own cells. This would also reduce the cost of transplanting, as extra medication is needed to combat the chances of organ rejection.

It may also be possible to develop organs that can be universal donor and this would be very good as such, organs would be like the universal donor and this would make it possible for any patient to receive an organ whenever they need without having to wait to find a compatible donor. On the other hand, the money used in drugs to prevent organ rejection can be used to further the knowledge in stem cell research to cover wider number of diseases that plague man everyday.

Those who are opposed to stem cell research can be said to be practicing double speak. This is because they do not oppose vitro fertilization. “During vitro fertilization a number of eggs are fertilized and about two or three embryos are implanted into the womb with the hope that at least one will survive and successfully be implanted” (Messinger, 2006). The other embryos clearly die and yet they do not help anyone.

The question that begs is why not use such embryos in stem cell research and save lives instead, because letting them die in labs is also killing them yet this is not the stand of those who oppose stem cell research. This is because many embryos are created during this kind of fertilization and left to die through defrosting in labs.

Therefore allowing such embryos to be used in stem cell research would go a long way in helping to improve the research in stem cell treatment for the betterment of humankind (Messinger, 2006).

The stem cell research is currently in the hands of the private sector. Some feel that the private sector may put all ethical considerations aside to ensure they make a profit in stem cell research. However, this is not always the case because the private sector is always willing to take risks and lead in invention.

Through this sector, we have many products that the government would have been reluctant to venture into because it would not have competition from anyone in looking for better ways of managing diseases. Therefore, it would be unfounded to demonize stem cell research just because it is in the private sector.

This is because the claim that the private sector is money minded does not hold water as the private sector also cares about human beings and strives to come up with the best products to improve or change the lives of their consumers. In fact, the stem cell research will reach great heights if the government offers it support to the sector through funding to ensure that the best methods are applied in developing stem cell research.

Stem cell research does not offer a solution to all the diseases that human beings suffer from. This tenet is true but stem cell research offers hope in the medical field because through this research man will be able to study the human body in detail without the fear of the risks involved.

This will increase safety in drug testing. This will make it easier to develop drugs that will be effective in treating the populations because scientists and doctors will use stem cells from human beings thus come up with accurate drugs with fewer side effects.

This is because they will study the effects of those drugs on “human pluripotent stem cells that have been developed to mimic the disease processes” (Stem Cell Research, 2009, Potential Benefits, Para. 3). This will help to eliminate the side effects of drugs by testing for toxicity in the stem cells before carrying tests on human beings and animals.

Furthermore, stem cell research will help to study the development process of the fetus and help to eliminate or treat developmental diseases (Pillai, 2010). This is because stem cell research will lead to a greater understanding of the process of human development and this will give insights into the causes of genetic abnormalities as well as birth defects.

Stem cell research debate will continue to rage on for decades to come between people in the opposite camps. However, the main point that cannot be ignored is the importance of stem cell research in helping to fight diseases as well as help to improve human life altogether.

The contentious issue in stem cell research is not on using it but on how stem cells are obtained. Due to technological advancement, doctors and scientist have discovered a way of harvesting stem cells without necessarily destroying the embryonic cells. Such methods will help to advance the research in stem cell for the benefit of humankind because the pros outweigh the cons by far.

The governments of various countries ought to support stem research fully because it has many benefits. The other stakeholders need to support stem cell research because it seems to be the answer to many incurable diseases. This will prolong life and add quality into the lives of human beings, as they will not have to suffer and die in pain from terminal diseases.

Reference List

Gahrton, G. & Björkstrand B., (2000). Progress in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma. Journal of Internal Medicine , 248 (3): 185–201.

Messinger, R., (2006). Pros and cons of embryonic stem cell research: arguments in favour vs. arguments against . Web.

Pillai, P. (2010)., Advantages and Disadvantages of Stem Cell Research. Web.

Pros and cons of stem cell research, (2010). Web.

Stem Cell Research ., (2009). Web.

Stem cell research – pros and cons . Web.

Willke, J. C., (2001). I’m Pro-Life and Oppose Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Web.

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Essays on Stem Cell

Stem cells – the ideal of medicine, benefits and ethical issues of stem cell research, stem cells and ethics, the discovery and importance of stem cells, stem cells and their types, human embryonic stem cells (hescs), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for lupus nephritis, why stem cell research should be sustained by the u.s government, stem cell transplantation, controversial views on stem cell research in america, research on correlation of notch signaling pathway in the prognosis of breast cancer, hematopoietic stem cells specification, mesenchymal stem cells and it's usage in treatment, tissue engineering and stem cells, current research on the ovarian stem cells: a brief review, feeling stressed about your essay.

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Stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell.

The term stem cell was coined by Theodor Boveri and Valentin Haecker in late 19th century. Pioneering works in theory of blood stem cell were conducted in the beginning of 20th century by Artur Pappenheim, Alexander Maximow, Franz Ernst Christian Neumann. The first therapy using stem cells was a bone marrow transplant performed by French oncologist Georges Mathé in 1958 on five workers at the Vinča Nuclear Institute in Yugoslavia who had been affected by a criticality accident. The workers all survived.

Self-renewal, Potency, Identification

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The ethics of embryonic stem cell research, by belin mirabile.

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What if I told you that researchers could cure diseases such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis? Odds are, you would be in favor of ending the suffering of the thousands of people who currently battle such diseases. These cures and many more are the potential results of embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic stem cells are stem cells isolated from embryos during a specific stage of development known as the blastocyst stage. These stem cells can renew themselves and reproduce to form all cell types of the body. Research utilizing these stem cells requires the destruction of an embryo, making the practice a point of moral, scientific, religious, and political controversy. Many argue that the destruction of embryos for research purposes is unethical based on the belief that embryos qualify as forms of life that deserve respect. Those in favor of embryonic stem cell research deem such a loss acceptable for the future benefits that this research could have on thousands of lives. While various arguments surround this debate, the main point of controversy is the source of stem cells used and the method with which they are obtained. In this paper, I will establish what stem cells are and the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells; then I will evaluate the two main arguments in the embryonic stem cell research debate; and finally, I will analyze the ethics of these arguments to come to the conclusion that embryonic stem cell research is ethical under certain circumstances.

Overview of Stem Cell Research

As defined by "The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy," human embryonic stem cells are "a self-renewing cell line that gives rise to all cells and tissues of the body" (Holland 3). Most stem cells are only able to differentiate into a single form of offspring cells, otherwise known as progeny cells. For example, hematopoietic stem cells are a type of stem cells that can only form blood cells and skin stem cells can similarly only produce skin cells. These types of stem cells are referred to as adult stem cells or somatic stem cells because they are gathered from patients after birth (Devolder 5). Meanwhile, embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they have the capacity to produce all cells and tissues of the body (Holland 5). Embryonic stem cells, however, only have this pluripotent potential for the particular five-to-seven-day stage of embryonic development known as the blastocyst stage, after which they can only reproduce a single cell type ("The Ethics of Embryonic Stem Cell Research" 123).

Stem cells, in general, hold great promise for the future of medicine. Thus far, stem cell-based therapies have been developed to treat illnesses that previously had no cure. One example is bone marrow transplantation to treat leukemia and other blood disorders. The hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow are injected into a patient who has severely reduced blood cell levels and these stem cells generate new blood cells, restoring the patient's immune system (Devolder 5). Therapies such as this will continue to be discovered with the support of stem cell research.

In addition to the development of revolutionary therapies, stem cell research also provides valuable information about mechanisms regulating cell growth, migration, and differentiation. Scientists can learn about these processes by studying stem cells that have been stimulated to differentiate into different types of body cells. The discovery of new information about these concepts will allow scientists to better understand early human development and how tissues are maintained throughout life (8).

Embryonic stem cells are particularly valuable not only because of their pluripotent qualities, but also because of their ability to renew themselves. This is done by "divid[ing] asynchronously – at different times – into one differentiated daughter cell 1 and one stem cell-like daughter cell." This unique self-renewing quality of embryonic stem cells allows them to continuously grow even in laboratory conditions. Other types of stem cells eventually lose the ability to divide, making them less valuable for research purposes. Embryonic stem cells' ability to be produced in large quantities allows researchers to make progress in regenerative medicine, using these cells to develop new functional cells, tissues, and organs. The healthy cells are implanted into the patient, serving as treatment to permanently repair failing organs (Holland 5). The otherwise lack of treatment for loss of organ function displays the valuable potential of embryonic stem cells.

The sources of embryonic stem cells are a main point of controversy in the debate regarding embryonic stem cell research. Some possible sources for these stem cells include embryos created via in vitro fertilization (for either research or reproduction); five-to-nine-week old embryos or fetuses obtained through elective abortion; and embryos created through cloning or what is known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (Liu 1). Somatic cell nuclear transfer is the laboratory creation of a viable embryo by implanting a donor nucleus from a body cell into an egg cell. The ethics of obtaining embryonic stem cells via these sources can be questionable and have led to disputes that I will later address.

Research utilizing human embryonic stem cell lines has focused on the potential to generate replacement tissues for malfunctioning cells or organs (Liu 1). A specific technique has been isolated to utilize stem cells in order to repair a damaged tissue or organ:

"If a damaged tissue or organ cannot repair itself, stem cells could be obtained from these different stem cell sources [organs and tissues from individuals after birth; gametes, tissues, and organs from aborted fetuses; inner cell mass of early embryos]. Scientists could then culture these stem cells by creating conditions that enable them to replicate many times in a petri dish without differentiating. Such a population of proliferating stem cells originating from a single parent group of stem cells is a stem cell line. Stem cells from this stem cell line could then be coaxed to differentiate in to the desired cell type, and be transferred into the patient so that they can repair the damaged tissue or organ" (Devolder 6).

Other examples of research efforts include treatment of spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes. Researchers also hope to use specialized cells to replace dysfunctional cells in the brain, spinal cord, pancreas, and other organs (2).

Federal funding of embryonic research has been strictly regulated since 1994 when President Clinton declared such research would not be funded by the government. Following this executive order, Congress passed the Dickey Amendment in 1996, prohibiting "federally appropriated funds from being used for either the creation of human embryos for research purposes or for research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death" (Liu 2). Embryonic research has continued nonetheless by means of alternative funding. In 2001, President Bush declared that federal funding would be granted to human embryonic research on a restricted basis. However, these funds were only to be awarded for research on already existing stem cell lines. No funding was to be granted for "the use of stem cell lines derived from newly destroyed embryos, the creation of any human embryos for research purposes, or cloning of human embryos for any purposes" (3-4).

The debate over funding for embryonic stem cell research depends heavily on the ethical status of the research. There are two main arguments surrounding the ethics of embryonic stem cell research: the research is ethical because of the unique potential that embryonic stem cells have to cure currently untreatable diseases; and the research is unethical because it requires the destruction of life in the form of an embryo or fetus. Ultimately, the possible benefits and controversial status of life that an embryo embodies qualify embryonic stem cell research as ethical, as long as the stem cells are obtained in an ethical manner.

Arguments for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

In the realm of stem cell research, embryonic and adult stem cells are often compared. The controversial use of embryonic stem cells is supported on the basis of the many advantages that they have over adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are easier to obtain; they have a greater cell growth, otherwise known as proliferation, capacity; and they are more versatile. Embryonic stem cells are isolated from embryos in the blastocyst stage and the process damages the structure of the embryo to a point from which the embryo can no longer develop. Because these stem cells are obtained at a point when the inner cell mass is concentrated in the embryo, they are more easily obtained than adult stem cells, which are limited in quantity. Another valuable benefit of embryonic stem cells is their ability to multiply readily and proliferate indefinitely when cultured in the proper conditions (Devolder 9). Lastly, embryonic stem cells' pluripotent quality is the main factor that distinguishes them from adult stem cells (10). The ability to differentiate into any cell type creates greater possibilities for the application of embryonic stem cells.

Supporters of embryonic stem cell research argue that the research is justified, though it requires the destruction of an embryo, because of the potential for developing cures and preventing unavoidable suffering. These backers often disagree with the belief that "a blastocyst – even one that is not implanted in a woman's uterus – has the same ethical status as a further-developed human" (Clemmitt 702). Arthur Caplan, professor of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, asserts that "an embryo in a dish is more like a set of instructions or blueprint for a house. It can't build the house. For the cells to develop into a human being requires an interactive process in the uterus between the embryo and the mother" (Clemmitt 702).

Others in favor of the research, such as Heron, a biotechnology company, claim that "not to develop the technology would do great harm to over 100 million patients in the United States alone who are affected by diseases potentially treatable by the many medical applications of hES [human Embryonic Stem] cells" (Holland 11-12). One example is the previously stated method of using embryonic stem cells to repair damaged tissue or organs. The only way to restore cellular function in an organ is to literally replace the lost cells and embryonic stem cells provide the best option for producing these cells (3).

Embryonic stem cells do also have some disadvantages that should be considered when making the argument for further support of embryonic stem cell research. Unlike adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells have a higher risk of causing tumor formation in the patient's body after the stem cells are implanted. This is due to their higher capacities for proliferation and differentiation (Devolder 11). Embryonic stem cell-based therapies also possess the risk of immunorejection – rejection of the stem cells by the patient's immune system. Because embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos donated for research after in vitro fertilization treatment, the marker molecules on the surfaces of the cells may not be recognized by the patient's body, and therefore may be destroyed as the result of a defense mechanism by the body (Holland 11). This is a problem that will require a solution if embryonic stem cell research is to be the basis for future therapeutic medicine.

Arguments against Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Currently, the isolation of embryonic stem cells requires the destruction of an early embryo. Many people hold the belief that a human embryo has significant moral status, and therefore should not be used merely as a means for research. One position that opponents of embryonic stem cell research assert is what "The Ethics of Embryonic Stem Cell Research" calls the full moral status view (14). This view holds that "the early embryo has the same moral status, that is, the same basic moral rights, claims, or interests as an ordinary adult human being." This moral status is believed to be acquired at the point of fertilization or an equivalent event such as the completion of somatic cell nuclear transfer. Therefore, with full moral status as a human being, an embryo should not be deliberately destroyed for research purposes simply because it is human (Devolder 15). The Roman Catholic Church is a strong supporter of this view, opposing stem cell research on the grounds that it is a form of abortion. Several other groups, including American evangelicals and Orthodox ethicists, consider "blastocysts to have the same status as fully developed human beings" and therefore oppose embryonic stem cell research for this reason. Beliefs regarding the moral status of an embryo are subjective, and also their own controversial issue, which complicates the task of creating a universal law for the use of embryonic stem cells for research.

Others in opposition, such as Kevin T. Fitzgerald, a Jesuit priest who is a bioethicist and professor of oncology at Georgetown University Medical School, do not consider the moral status of an embryo, but rather assert that Embryos should be protected because they are "that which we all once were" (Clemmitt 701). This view is very similar to moral philosopher and professor of philosophy as the University of California at Irvine Philip Nickel's "Loss of Future Life Problem" in regards to embryonic stem cell research. The Loss of Future Life Problem holds that it is unethical to take the lives of future humans by destroying embryos for research (Tobis 64). This stance stresses the potential of those future lives that will never have the chance to reach fulfillment if destroyed for research. In a retroactive sense, this can cause us to question "what if the embryo that developed into Albert Einstein was destroyed for embryonic stem cell research?" It is impossible for one to know the value that is lost in each embryo taken for research purposes, if that embryo is created with the plan of developing into an adult human being.

The response to this problem is that the particular blastocysts that are harvested for embryonic stem cell research are taken from (1) embryos that are frozen during in vitro fertilization procedures and never implanted, (2) donated egg cells, and (3) embryos created specifically for the purpose of generating new stem cell lines. In each of these cases, the embryo at hand does not have a future life in plan and therefore, nothing is lost by using such embryonic stem cells for research. For embryos created via in vitro fertilization, the researchers using the embryos are not making a decision that results in the loss of a future life. The future life of said embryo is lost when the decision is made to not implant it. Therefore, the Loss of Future Life Problem is not a valid objection to research using embryonic stem cells from frozen IVF embryos that are never implanted. Donated egg cells can be fertilized in a lab or through somatic cell nuclear transfer, a process described earlier in this paper. Embryos created specifically for the purpose of contributing to stem cell research have no actual future life to be lost from the moment of conception. In both of these cases, the intent of fertilization is not to create a future adult human being, and so the Loss of Future Life Problem does not apply to these sources of embryonic stem cells.

"In terms of the Loss of Future Life Problem, the key question is again whether the embryo is being deprived of future life, and again the answer depends on whether the embryo is removed from a woman's reproductive system, in which case it is likely that it is being deprived of future life that it would otherwise go on to have. If fertilization takes place outside a woman's body, by contrast, then the embryo is not already on its way toward a future life, so destroying it does not deprive it of that particular future" (Tobis 66-67).

As shown by the various arguments in this essay, the debate over embryonic stem cell research is a multifaceted scientific, moral, ethical, and political issue. Embryonic stem cells, with their pluripotent potential and self-renewing quality, hold great value for scientific researchers in search of cures for untreatable diseases, progress in regenerative medicine, or a better understanding of early human development. However, the ethical question still arises, "do the ends justify the means?"

Varying views regarding the ethical status of an embryo answer this question in different ways, though it is commonly accepted that if the means of obtaining the embryonic stem cells are ethical, then the resulting research of those stem cells is also ethical. For example, if a donated egg is fertilized in a lab with the intention of being used for future research purposes, the resulting research is therefore morally justified.

This is not to be said that the life of an early-stage embryo is to be taken lightly. More so that our moral perception of these embryos is different than that of a later-stage fetus, an infant, or an adult human being. Phillip Nickel asserts this subconscious difference, claiming that,

"while it's well known that many embryos are shed naturally, in very early abortions and miscarriages, no one makes an effort to save or grieve for them, as frequently happens with later-stage fetuses. This shows that people do view embryos as somewhat different from people, even though they may not realize it" (Clemmitt 702).

Thus, the moral distinction between a blastocyst and a developed fetus weakens the moral arguments in opposition to embryonic stem cell research. After all, if this research can reduce suffering for thousands of people, are we not morally obligated to pursue it?

Scientists in support of embryonic stem cell research are currently restricted by the limited amounts of federal funding and embryonic stem cell lines available for research. Many argue that these restrictions are preventing further scientific development and weakening the United States' position as a leading nation in biomedical research. Some scientists worry that if strict regulations of stem cell research continue, private companies may bypass the standards put in place by the National Institute of Health and conduct unregulated research (Clemmitt 700). If the United States wishes to remain a premiere country in biomedical research and maintain order and control of embryonic research being performed, action must be taken to address this issue.

Overall, though the destruction of a life is typically held to be unethical, the moral status of an embryo in the blastocyst stage is unclear and therefore cannot be equated to the moral status of an adult human being. Also, ethical sources of embryonic stem cells exist that do not take the life of future beings (i.e. unwanted frozen embryos produced via in vitro fertilization, donated egg cells fertilized in a laboratory). For these reasons, in combination with the possibility of reducing suffering for future beings, embryonic stem cell research is ethical under certain circumstances. As long as the stem cells are isolated in a manner that does not harm an embryo with the plan of developing into an adult human, the subsequent research is ethically justified. With this in mind, embryonic stem cell research should receive greater government funding so that continued progress can be made.

1 In cell division, a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells.

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Essays on Stem Cell Research

Stem cells are found in all plants and animals, including humans, and can transform into any type of special cells: blood, skin cells, bones, etc., making them essential to the human body and a great topic for your stem cell research essay. Stem cells can divide an indefinite number of times, so, according to stem cell research essays, with their help, the tissues of the body are constantly renewed throughout life. Many essays on stem cells note the input of scientists: Maximov, Evans, Thompson, Gerhart, and others. In the 21st century, researches in the field of therapy using stem cells rapidly continues to develop, so we can expect more essays on this topic. Please check the listed essay samples for curious facts about stem cell research. View our stem cell research essay samples below for more info.

This essay examines the ethical concerns that are currently arising in the field of stem cell research and how they might be studied and used by researchers. Undifferentiated cells called stem cells can be found in a variety of body tissues, including the embryo and the bone marrow. Considered in…

Stem Cell Research specifically the preparation of stem cells for use in the development, control and elimination of human embryos is considered one of the major breakthroughs in biology. Although evolution in science plays a great role in impacting mankind, our environment, and our view of the world, it is…

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Stem Cell Research Persuasive Essay

thesis statement examples for stem cell research

Show More Why is it that some people don’t appreciate what they have until they lose it? To have the ability to use your arms, legs or even brain are unappreciated until a person loses that ability. Despite the fact that, what if there is a way to restore those parts of the body, including deadly illnesses. What would you do then? In this essay, I will try to persuade you into supporting stem cell research. I’ll do so by explaining the benefits of this research that treat the lives of the individuals with a disability or a disease. The majority of us know or will know someone who is suffering in life because they have a failing organ, cancer or a disability, or any disease. For example, multiple sclerosis is a serious disease that targets the brain …show more content… For in order for scientists to collect stem cells to study they must obtain them by destroying and collecting the cells in the embryos. For some individuals could say is the same as destroying a form of life. However, there are alternatives to collecting stem cells. That alternative is known as adult stem cells and can be acquired from blood, fat as well as the marrow that is located in the bone of individuals. With this alternative, no form of life has to be destroyed in order to save another person’s life (International Society for Stem Cell Research, 2013). Stem Cells and their potential Stem cells are defined as unspecialized cells, which according to the International Society for Stem Cell Research (2013) they stated, “Stem cells are the foundation cells for every organ and tissue in our bodies” Meaning they are the basic building blocks for everything that is associated to the body. According to Dr. Shahin Rafii (2014) he states, “The potential for stem cells is tremendous: If someone has a heart attack and major scar tissue, we can use stem cells to regenerate the heart” (Rafii, Weill Cornell Medical College, 2014). For stem cells can be used to replace damaged organs, nerves as well as cure diseases that were known to be incurable. Transition: So now that we know of the potential of stem cells, let’s move on to how stem cells can lead to advances in the medical …show more content… For in order for scientists to collect stem cells to study they must obtain them by destroying and collecting the cells in the embryos. For some individuals could say is the same as destroying a form of life. However, there are alternatives to collecting stem cells. That alternative is known as adult stem cells and can be acquired from blood, fat as well as the marrow that is located in the bone of individuals. With this alternative, no form of life has to be destroyed in order to save another person’s life (International Society for Stem Cell Research,

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Stem Cell Research Thesis
Many supporters believe that stem cells will be able to help solve once untreatable diseases or injuries such as spinal cord injuries, skin burns, Parkinson's
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Scientific history of stem cell research · Stem cell transplants for patients with illnesses such as leukemia · Trials with human beings with
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Thesis: Clearly presents a thesis and supports. There is a thesis supported throughout. Vague sense of a thesis, wealcly. No thesis is offered. claim concerning
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Actually, many researchers believe that these stem cells from the embryo can develop into any organs which are necessary for human transplantation. It's also
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Stem Cell Research Paper. Stem cell research has already cured thousands of people. Embryonic stem cell research has cured none.
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Stem cell research does not offer a solution to all the diseases that human beings suffer from. This tenet is true but stem cell research offers
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“Stem cell research holds enormous promise for easing human suffering, and federal support is critical to its success” – Tom Harkin. Stem cells originate from
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As long as the stem cells are isolated in a manner that does not harm an embryo with the plan of developing into an adult human, the subsequent research is
Free Essays on Stem Cell Research, Examples, Topics, Outlines
Stem Cell Research specifically the preparation of stem cells for use in the development, control and elimination of human embryos is considered one of the
Stem Cell Research Persuasive Essay
It is unnecessary to be damaging embryos for the same use the adult cells can do. Even though embryonic stem cell research could help many survive, it damages