By: Shannon Pilgrim and Alex Sato Stem Cell Research By: Shannon Pilgrim and Alex Sato

Why do we do stem cell research? Stem cell research is used in order to further our scientific knowledge, and to push our limits with what is possible as far as how to fix diseases, syndromes, and just faults in the human body and the aftermath left behind from them; the things human body cant manage to fix/regrow on its own (like tissue). For example if you had congenital heart disease and you needed a heart transplant your human body just cant grow one on its own. Of coarse you could always use a transplant from a donor, but the tissue has to be matched as closely as possible, if not exact so the body will accept the new tissue as its own. However if you were to use a stem cell from someone closely related or one from your umbilical cord at birth you would have matches, because the stem cells contain DNA that is shared and the tissue would be close because of that.

Stem cell research… What is its purpose? Like said in the previous slide, stem cell research is needed in order to further our scientific knowledge, in order to benefit humans. Stem cells are like a blank slate, in terms of possibilities for growth in the human body. It can lead us to discover cures for diseases and potentially even better treatment processes. There are multiple different ways and places to extract stem cells from like embryonic, adult, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid stem cells. The research allows us to find less ethical dilemma causing extraction ways, and also build on health problems that can be solved using them. It can only build to find endless uses for these “blank slates” in the human body and what they are truly capable of.

How Does it work? Embryonic Stem Cells Scientists can obtain embryos in 2 different ways. Some couples cannot conceive naturally so they turn to the process of in vitro fertilization. During this procedure, the couples sperm and eggs are fertilized in a culture dish in a laboratory. The fertilized eggs then develop into embryos, which are then embedded into the female. Alongside, more embryos are made that can be implanted. These embryos are usually frozen. The other processes for scientists to obtain embryos is through therapeutic cloning. Using this method it merges a cell from the patient who needs the stem cell therapy with an egg that had been donated. The eggs nucleus is extracted and replaced with the nucleus of the patient’s cell. This egg is then stimulated to divide chemically or with electricity. The embryo made from this carries the patients genetic material, which greatly lowers the risk at which his or her body will reject the stem cells once they have been implanted. Once the embryos that were donated from both of these procedures have been developed, the stem cells are then extracted from them and taken from there to a laboratory to be used in research. Umbilical Cord Stem Cells After a child is born, there is blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta. This blood can be used to treat children with certain blood diseases and there is progress on using it to treat adults as well. This blood is fairly easy to collect with no risk put towards the mother or the child.

Benefits and Risks of Using Stem Cell Research As science advances, so does the risk of the information found. If deep knowledge were to potentially fall into the wrong hands, it could be used for all the wrong reasons, but nowadays there are plenty of laws set in the field of bioethics to stop that from happening. Stem cell research is an excellent resource in the expanding science field. Stem cell research brings benefits but it also brings many new risks along with it. Some benefits of using stem cell research is cures for diseases, potentially finding how diseases and defects come about (almost like reverse engineering to figure out how to fix these problems). Some of the risks include potential rejection of the stem cells in the recipients body, inconclusive results as to whether it is safe to use 100% of the time, and also the ethical dilemmas that it draws and the potential backlash of it. Like any advancement in this field you are always going to run into pros and cons, and the risks are valid points. However without any risk you cant get a reward and in this case we think that furthering research about this can be advantageous to human health.

Ethical Considerations It must be put into consideration that by extracting specific cells from the embryo can be seen as taking away the potential for another life to be brought into the world. But on the other hand, it can help extend someone’s life and it could cure disease like cancer etc. But does that outweigh taking away a potential life? In Therapeutic cloning, it is possible for one to stave off personal disease, illness, or some effects from serious injury. Through this procedure it begins by creating a clone of the adult through somatic cell transfer, however their embryos can live up to 14 days in where the stem cells are then harvested. By contrast reproductive cloning begins with the same procedures except the embryo is left in the uterus to fully grow into baby. In these procedures, similar actions are taking place, but are the actions too similar? Is one more moral than the other?

Our Opinions on Stem Cell Research Embryonic Stem Cells: In the end we have come to the conclusion that many sacrifices and risks are made in the name of science nowadays, with many drawing ethical dilemmas. Part of this title can be heavily weighted and related to abortion opinions and thoughts, because of the embryonic possible extraction point for stem cells. In all cases like these it is simply ones situation, and intentions that in our perspective determines whether it is an ethical decision. If your intentions are good (have good reason), and you’re not wastefully doing it we think it is okay to do but because you are essentially taking away of the potential of your embryo turning into a functioning human fetus, it needs to be used in a way that upholds the dignity of what it could have been (by saving a potential life with the grown parts used with it).

Our Opinions on Stem Cell Research Umbilical Cord Stem Cells: When coming to a conclusion about this the only thing we had as far as ethical dilemmas wasn't with the process itself, but rather the cost of how much it is. As a new parent choosing to save your newborns umbilical cord and store it for its stem cells you would probably want to do that, because of the chance that you might need it later and it could possibly save their life in extreme circumstances. With the high cost however it makes it out of reach for most family’s, and we think that is unethical in some ways because giving the chance to keep a “magical” resource for possible complications of your child’s future health and not being able to do so because the price is so high, everyone’s children have the same chance at having health complications so they should have the same chance at being able to afford it. As for umbilical cord donation we are all for it, it provides no harm to anyone, as it has to be removed anyway, and you are creating the possibility of helping with health of someone else in need of stem cells. As for the subject (stem cell research as a whole), we think it is something that is helpful and useful, because as the human race evolves so does science and the technology we have access to. If scientists can use that to their advantage to find ways to help us as humans and even save lives, then it is something positive and favorable in our opinion.

Future Implications It is predicted that it is to be expected that there is going to be rapid progress in adult stem cell research and slower, work with embryonic stem cell research. History will show that, by 2020, we are already able to produce a large variety of tissues using adult stem cells, with great progress in tissue building and repair. There will also be some thrilling new pharmaceutical goods in development, which promise to do some of the same results without having to extract a single stem cell from the body. These drugs may, for example, trigger bone marrow cells and influence them to migrate to sections of the body where repairs are needed. Employing embryos as a source of spare-part cells will forever be far more disputable than using adult tissue or perhaps cells from umbilical cords, and researchers will wish to lessen unnecessary risk, both to the projects they support and their own organizations by association. It is to everyone’s advantage if researchers can find new and more effective methods to avoid the use of embryonic stem cells which would eliminate most of this current ethical debate. But it also must be put into consideration that new and unexpected medical and moral dilemmas could arise and we cannot yet anticipate.

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