Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay

Medicine has been making dramatic strides through the use of technology and experimentation. The development of cures through animal research has saved many lives, but scientists are still in the process of developing cures for major diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, through other avenues. One of these avenues is embryonic stem cell research, which is the study of cells of species in utero that have yet to be born. Researchers hope these stem cells will someday cure diseases and injuries that were once thought of as chronic and incurable. Embryonic stem cells were first discovered from the embryos of mice. It was found these stem cells were the beginning cells that soon differentiated into specific types of cells, such as neural cells,

Embryonic stem cells have lifesaving qualities and should be used to do as such. The controversial nature of obtaining these cells should be considered less important compared to the benefit they provide. According to “Embryonic Stem Cells,” embryonic cells “maintain the ability to form cells ranging from muscle to nerve to blood—potentially any cell type that makes up the body” (Thomson and Yu). This means once stem cells were removed from the embryo, they can replace a person’s damaged cells and become any cell needed. In addition to cell damage caused by injury, stem cell extraction can also lead to defeating diseases, such as Parkinson disease, diabetes, liver and heart failure, and osteogenesis imperfecta (Henningson et al.). This research can potentially cause a dramatic change in many lives because “[m]ost Americans know someone who suffers from a disease that might be cured by these studies and [because] most Americans will develop one of these diseases at some point in their own lives” (Ginty). Due to the numerous benefits stem cell research suggests, ending it would result in an avoidable loss of lives. However, in order to continue this life-changing research, people have to be willing to accept the potentially unethical consequences of embryonic stem cell