Human Stem Cells Essay

Stem cells are biological body cells that can undergo differentiation to give rise to other new types of cells and can also undergo self-division (mitotic division) to produce more stem cells of similar type. Stem cells are commonly present in multicellular organisms such as humans. Mammals such as humans have two main types of stem cells namely; embryonic stem cells which are obtained by isolation of inner cell mass of blastocysts and adult stem cells which are present in various types of body tissues. Just like any other thing that has advantages has disadvantages, human stem cells have both pros and cons.                                                          Background                                                                                                                                             Human embryonic stem cells were first produced in 1997 where small research was conducted with human cells since there were federal restrictions on the use of embryonic tissues for research. Embryonic stem cells that were successfully produced could only be multiplied 10 to 100 times. This means that a few embryos were needed to be destroyed in order to generate enough cells for daily use in clinical set-ups. The use of stem cells in research was completely out of the plan for federally funded studies. Later on, a new method of culturing the cells was introduced which changed the entire look of things and this new method of growing stem cells triggered a heated debate. There were a series of events that aimed at reviewing the effectiveness of the new method of culturing human stem cells. First, on November 6, 1998: In a report published in Science, Thomson et. al. at the University of Wisconsin develop an immortal line of Embryonic stem cells taken from embryos donated from IVF clinics. Thereafter, scientists from Johns Hopkins announced a method of obtaining similar cells from the primordial tissue of  

                                          HUMAN STEM CELLS                                                                                aborted fetuses. In these methods, one embryo could provide enough embryonic stem cells for many researchers to conduct many ongoing studies. January 8, 1999: The immortalized embryonic stem cell lines are reported free of cancerous traits the plague of most immortal cell lines. January 19, 1999: The National Institutes of Health announces that U.S. law does not bar federal support for the use of embryonic stem cells. Based on this statement, funds from federal could not be used for the extraction of stem cells due to federal law. NIH director Harold Varmus hopes to begin funding such projects by March, after hearing from the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. Early February: The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity publishes a “Christian Analysis” of Embryonic Stem Cell use. A number of notable statements include, ”The fact that all embryos from which stem cells are obtained must be destroyed should cause us all to consider the implications of furthering medical science at such a great cost.” The report triggered many ethical concerns with less attacking tone than later on opponents to federal funding of embryonic stem cell use. April 2, 1999: A report in Science entitled Multilineage Potential of Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells claimed of a newly obtained multipotent cell extracted from adult humans that can differentiate into bone, cartilage, muscle, ligament, tendon, and adipose tissues. This offers fodder for opponents of embryonic stem cell use, who claimed that adult stem cells would be sufficient enough for study purposes making embryonic cells less useful in research. On May 27, 1999: The National Bioethics Advisory Committee published a draft of a report that recommends the government support for both extraction and use of embryonic cells. This report was explicit in rejecting the growing of human embryos entirely for destruction later on. Mid-July 1999: The White House published a statement whish called the administration to recognizes that human stem-cell technology’s has potential benefit in medical

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and are compelling and worthy of pursuit, so long as the research is conducted according to the highest ethical standards                                                                                                                           Body                                                                                                                                                            Human stem cells have both pros (merits) and cons (demerits). These pros are of great medical benefit in regenerative medicine and therapeutic cloning of human cells. They give huge findings for treatment and cure of a wide range of medical issues (medical conditions). On the other hand, cons pose an opposing idea to the pros.                                                                                                     Pros                                                                                                                                                                  To start with, human stem cells can be involved in the treatment of a vast array of diseases. Diseases such as cancers, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and more others can be treated by removing or replacing diseased or damaged tissues with healthy ones. This may include neurons that may have an effect on the neurological disease or even the whole body organ that needs to be replaced (organ transplant).                                                                                                                       Secondly, human stem cells can be used embryonic treatment. The study of embryonic stem cells results in a better understanding of how the embryo develops. At a stage of pregnancy where many births defect and other potential pregnancy complications arise, knowledge of embryonic stem cells can be used to solve these issues. This study of embryonic development can result in a treatment that can identify and address any potential problem relating to pregnancy and embryo itself.                                                                                                                                            Moreover, human stem cells can be used in cell replication. This is because human stem cell has a high rate of replication. A very small number of initial human stem cells can grow into large                                                               

                                              HUMAN STEM CELLS                                                                                 numbers that can late be used for research and also in the treatment of diseases such as cancer. This makes human stem cells very important in both scientific study of cells and disease treatment as they give both basics for study and study samples (cells) as well.

Finally, human stem cells also can be used in the study of human growth and cell development. Through stem cells, there is endless potential for the scientist to study human growth and cell development through the scientific study of human stem cells. Study of stem cells gives scientist an idea of the development of a specific body cell. For instance, through studying how stem cell develops into specific body cell, a scientist learns on how to prevent and treat a certain disease.                                   Cons                                                                                                                                                                   To begin with, it is difficult to obtain stem cells for studies. Once cells are harvested from the embryo, they take quite a long time to grow so that they can be used for scientific study. Moreover, harvesting adult stem cells, for example, bone marrow, is very painful. This makes it difficult to carry on research on human stem cells and thus making it hard to treat diseases using knowledge of human stem cells. As a result, the cost of treating health conditions that can only be treated using stem cell knowledge is increased or otherwise, left untreated.                                     Secondly, there is immorality in the use of embryonic stem cells. The embryonic stem cells used in scientific research are obtained through the destruction of blastocysts formed in the laboratory through fertilization of the human egg (ovum). It is believed life begins at conception and thus blastocysts is a human life. No one is supposed to end the life of another human and thus destroying blastocysts is immoral and unacceptable. As a result, this becomes an obstacle in carrying out research using embryonic stem cell.

                                                             HUMAN STEM CELLS                                                            Similarly, there is a problem in theology. An idea of creating living tissues in the laboratory and whether they represent real life has been argued to be a way of humans assuming the role of God of creation. This theoretical belief has directly applied to the potential of human cloning. Those who believe in this phenomenon of God’s creation strongly believe in prospection of man creating man is troublesome. This belief has an advance effect in the research of human stem cells which are obtained through the growing cell in laboratory and treatment of disease through an organ transplant.                                                                                                                                   Finally, the treatment of health condition through the knowledge of stem cell remains unproven. In the area of human cloning and organ transplant, there is a high rate of organ rejection. A human body can reject can reject organ transplanted if it not compatible and this can result in further health complications. This makes it unfit for treatment making it difficult for health organizations to fund research relating to stem cell.   

Conclusion

To conclude with, although human stem cells have cons, there is a need to consider the pro part of it and prove their studies. There is a need to finance the study of stem cells in a way of improving health needs. The researcher should focus on the benefits of the stem cells and suggest means of minimizing the cons of the situation. 

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References

Debating Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research. (2000). JAMA, 284(6), 681. doi:10.1001/jama.284.6.681

Buzanska, L. (n.d.). Human Neural Stem Cells. Springer.

Masters, J. R., Palsson, B. O., & Thomson, J. A. (2007). Embryonic Stem Cells. Berlin, Germany: Springer Science & Business Media.

Zwaka, T. P., & Thomson, J. A. (2013). Homologous Recombination in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Handbook of Stem Cells, 339-345. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-385942-6.00027-5