Stem Cell Research

Jose Garcia

SCIMATC

Imagine this, we find ourselves sick beyond repair and on our deathbeds thinking, "Wow, there was so much I could've done in this life but here I am at the end of it" But, out of this vast expanse of thinking where you'd end up in the afterlife, a doctor shows up and says, "Voila! I have just the thing for you" You see your eyes brighten up with hope with the chance that you may get to see your grandchildren for one last time, your husband or wife just for one second, until the doctor says "Stem Cell Research" and all the images of aborting zygotes pop up in your head and you wonder, if is really worth it?

Well, lets just look at what stem cell research is shall we? Well, it was discovered in the year 1988 on the month of November as scientists discovered the isolation of human embryonic cells. This breakthrough was very promising as it would be able to treat a vast array of diseases. These cells that are isolated are from seven-day-old embryos, which can be used to regenerate many organs, as they are capable of being substituted with them.

However, this research was banned due to the fact that this research downplays on the value of human life. Taking the life of something that hasn't even yet stepped on this universe does it. This research then entails killing of innocent seven-week-old embryos that have not done any evil in this world, has not been angry, judgmental, cruel, selfish and all those other things just to be able to help a life of another who has lived life more.

Now, lets go back to our scenario... Now thinking that you're sacrificing the life of a poor innocent embryo, would you have still accepted that? Well, I can assume that you aren't thinking about the ramifications of this thing you're about to decide on but what the hell, its your life anyway and its not like you did anything wrong.

So now you're with your children and wife happy and brand-new and now you look back on those poor fetuses shamelessly disposed in biomaterial waste and you think to yourself about what horrid thing was done in exchange for your life. Well, that wouldn't always be the case as the world of today is more liberal. The debate of people about stem cell research is that they use embryos that are "Unwanted" which means that mothers who donated the are those are inborn or aborted. Well, if that's the case then what seems to be the problem? Well, imagine if you had died and your body was unwillingly donated to science. Wouldn't you feel bad? This is actually the arguments arising from many of people against this and many that are for it, but for this case, I'd like to remain neutral and I would then like to state the positive and the negatives.

Many debates have stated that stem cell research destroys human embryos not long after conception. This has been the defense of President George Bush for the past how many years. However, the retort to this statement is that it should be regarded as something that isn't human yet, not being able to feel anything. This is partially true because the receptors of these embryos aren't developed yet.

The question now is that is it really as immoral as killing an innocent child? Well, this can then be equated to Nazi's experimenting on Jews on a larger scale. It can then be said that yes, can be equivalent to this but embryos are more helpless though in their helplessness they aren't capable yet of feeling pain.

Now, enough with the whole morality debate, we can then now look for what these stem cells are for. This research promises regeneration of cells, which can eradicate malignant and non-malignant diseases. Its main purpose really is something that renews something old which can then give rise to many regenerative treatments involving this. If more research is done, it can actually be an answer to cancer, heart diseases, and even type 1 diabetes.

This is because stem cells are actually basic building blocks of the body as all cells. However, based on common belief that stem cells are only from embryos, stem cells are actually found in bone marrows, fats, and even umbilical cord blood. These cells actually treat cancer such as leukemia etc...

It's process actually starts with an egg cell with it's nucleus taken out from it. Another cell is then taken and is nucleus is taken out and is transferred into the human egg. Once this is done, the technician triggers the egg to turn into a blastocyst. In this contains the human stem cells. This process would require millions of eggs to be able to work and is rather tedious. The process is actually illustrated in this diagram:

(Source: http://whyfiles.org/127stem_cell/stem_cell_graphic.html)

In this diagram, it shows the two cells assuming the exchange of nuclei have already taken place. It then turns into Cultured Undifferentiated Stem Cells or rather the blastocyst contains it and is being harvested. It can then be used for blood neural and muscle cells for regeneration.

Somatic stem cells can also be used in the treatment of cancer such as leukemia. Leukemia is the abnormal multiplication of white blood cells causing it to be cancerous. What chemotherapy does is that it eliminates these unhealthy cells, which is why it is harmful to the person leaving the person with less white blood cells to multiply from. What is then needed for the body to be able to recuperate from the treatment is a new and healthy white blood cell which can then be achieved through the harvesting of the stem cell with the nucleus if the healthy white blood cell.

Since stem cells from bone marrow are harder to reproduce and to collect, it is then easier to collect blood cells from stem cells or PBSCs, which is said to be less invasive. These cells can be harvested from umbilical cords of newborn infants, which is less prone to rejection of the body. This is because cells from the umbilical cords have not been fully developed. There is also less of a chance that the transplanted cells will attack the body of the receiver that is called graft versus host disease.

Stem cells can also treat type 1 diabetes as type 1 diabetes