The Pros And Cons Of Stem Cell Research

“Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident. They result from painstaking and costly research – from years of lonely trial and error, much of which never bears fruit – and from a government willing to support that work…” -Barack Obama. Stem cell research has been harsly debated due to ethical and religious views; and for good reason. Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become

Most embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro, and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. After researching the pros and cons of stem cell research, I have come to the conclusion that the research and funding should be continued, due to the potential to transform medicine and save an uncountable number of lives.

Medicine has evolved so much in the last few decades that fertilized human embryos no longer have to die for the production of stem cells. In August 2005, Harvard University scientists announced a break-through discovery that fuses "blank" embryonic stem cells with adult skin cells, rather than with fertilized embryos, to create all-purpose stem cells viable to treat diseases and disabilities. This discovery

For the Catholic Church and many other Christian groups, life begins at conception, making the research equivalent to homicide because it results in the destruction of human embryos. While this may have been true in the past, embryonic cells are not the main source of stem cells now that all the other options are used. Quite honestly, I (along with the majority of the Christian population in the United States) do not support the use of embryos, but I do think other stem cell sources, such as the umbilical cord/placenta, and bone marrow are very important, life saving sources, that should indeed be funded for further research of the topic.

Furthermore, stem cell research offers the hope of cures for chronic and debilitating conditions, such as juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries and blindness, along with many others. One embryo may be the cure for hundreds of different diseases for humans with just as much value of