Stem Cell Research

Stem‐cell
research





1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Stem
cell
research
 Tommaso
Esmanech


Stem‐cell
research





2
 
 Stem­cell
research
 
 In
this
paper
I
will
objectively
present,
investigate
and
elaborate
the
 positions
of
the
supporters
and
opponents
of
stem
cell
research.
While
there
is
 common
agreement
around
the
benefits
and
potential
of
the
stem
cell
research,
 there
is
clear
division
on
how
to
conduct
the
research
in
the
public
opinion,
political
 arena
and
religious
and
scientific
world.

 Stem
cells
have
a
remarkable
potential
to
develop
into
different
cell
type
in
 the
body.
They
can
be
placed
in
body
areas
that
need
repair
and
become
another
cell
 with
a
specialized
function
such
as
a
muscle
cell,
a
red
blood
or
a
brain
cell.

The
 researchers
have
identified
and
classified
three
type
of
stem
cells:
totipotent,
 multipotent
and
pluripotent.
Totipotentstem
cells
are
fertilized
eggs:
stem
cells
 from
fertilized
eggs
have
the
ability
to
transform
in
to
all
the
different
type
of
cells
in
 the
body.
Multipotent
cells
are
the
ones
that
can
become
a
small
number
of
different
 cells.
Pluripotent
can
become
any
type
of
cell
in
the
body
with
the
exception
of
a
 fetus.
The
researches
have
concentrated
on
utilizing
pluripotent
stem
cells
because
 they
can
be
extracted
from
an
embryos
(just
few
days
old)
and
create
cell
cultures,
 called
lines,
that
can
be
grown
indefinitely
in
the
laboratory.


 The
supporters
of
the
stem
cell
research
want
to
push
two
agenda
items.
The
 first
one
is
the
utilization
of
the
surplus,
unneeded,
frozen
embryos
left
over
from
 in‐vitro
fertilization
procedures
in
fertility
clinics.
They
argue
pluripotent
cell
 culture
lines
and
the
adult
stem
cells
may
not
be
sufficient,
robust
and
genetically


Stem‐cell
research





3
 diversified
to
continue
the
research
as
Jack
Mosher,
Assistant
research
scientist
with
 the
University
of
Michigan
reports
referring
to
the
adult
stems
cells
“…their
ability
 to
renew
themselves
declines
with
age,
they
are
difficult
to
grow
in
laboratory”
 (cited
in
Robinson
B.A.
2008).

 The
second
item
the
supporters
want
to
achieve
is
funding
from
the
 government
to
facilitate
and
sustain
the
research.
A
poll
conduced
by
TNS
 Intersearch
and
reported
by
the
ABC
news
on
Jun
2001
indicated
that
“American
 adults
support
stem
cell
research
by
2:1
margin
(58%
in
favor;30%
opposed)”
and
 that
60%
support
government
grants
to
enable
the
research.
Both
the
presidential
 candidates
of
the
USA
2008
elections
have
expresses
support
to
the
stem
cell
 research.
The
president
elect
Barak
Obama
(2006)
has
released
a
statement
on
July
 17
2006
stating
that
“there
are
moral
issues
surrounding
the
 debate…however…we’re
not
talking
about
harvesting
cells
that
would’ve
been
used
 to
create
life…we
are
using
the
stem
cells
to
possibly
save
lives”.


Joe
Schwaz
,
 former
Republican
congressman,
stated
that
it
is
very
likely
that
the
stem
cell
bill
 aimed
to
free
the
funding
and
lift
the
current
research
limitation
will
be
presented
 to
the
new
president
already
in
January
2009
(cited
in
Alison
Bergsieker
2008).

 In
the
Mitchigan
Proposition
2
debate
(regarding
the
stem
cell
research)
the
 opponents
have
argue
that
embryonic
stem
cell
research
is
immoral
and
no
tax
 dollars
should
be
spent.
In
addition
the
Michigan
Citizens
against
unrestricted
 Science
&
experiments

(MiCause)
argue
that
pluripotent
stem
cells
lines
aren’t
 being
explored.
Pat
MacDonal
of
MiCause
insists
that
allowing
embryonic
stems
cell
 research
would
become

“unregulated,
unrestricted
and
doing
gosh
knows
what”


Stem‐cell
research





4
 (cited
in
Alison
Bergsieker
2008)
allowing
embryonic
stems
cell
research
would
 unregulated
the
research.

 Allowing
the
stem
cell
research
is
a
prerogative
of
the
states.
North
Dakota,
South
 Dakota,
Louisiana
and
Arkansas
are
the
only
states
with
restrictions
on
the
research.

 President
George
W.
Bush
in
2001
has
limited
the
scientists
to
use
the
embryonic
 stem
cell
lines
already
in
existence.

 The
opponents
to
the
stem
cell
research
argue
that
embryonic
stem
cell
is
 like
killing
a
human
being.
According
to
the
religious
belief
that
life
starts
at
 conception.
An
embryo
is
human
being
under
development;
there
is
no
difference
if
 the
embryo
is
conceived
naturally
or
in
vitro.
Since
life
begins
at
conception,
killing
 an
embryo
is
akin
to
murder
as
it
is
the
act
of
taking
human
life.

 The
website
Religious
Tolerance.org
writes
an
essay
about
research
using
 embryonic
stem
cells.
The
public
opinion
on
stem
cells
is
highly
influence
on
the
 way
the
question
is
posed.
The
article
brings
two
different
questions
on
the
same
 topic
that
receives
two
different
answers:
”do
you
favor
the
killing
of
unborn
babies
 in
order
to
extract
their
stem
cells
for
medical
research?”
(cited
in
Robinson
B.A.
 2008)
and
“do
you
favor
the
use
of
existing
stem
cells
in
research
to
cure
or
treat
 dozens
of
serious
diseases?”
(cited
in
Robinson
B.A.
2008).

Both
questions
are
valid;
 the
first
one
is
pro‐life,
while
the
second
one
does
not
refer
to
the
source
of
the
stem
 cells.
Depending
on
how
the
question
that
is
posed
the
audience
will
provide
a
 different
answer
on
the
same
issue.
 The
fundamental
debate
about
stem
cells
is
about
the
way
to
conduct
the
 research
and
not
if
the
stem
cells
research
makes
sense.

From
reading,
researching


Stem‐cell
research





5
 on
the
subject
it
is
clear
that
stem
cell
research
opens
new
medical
and
scientific
 frontiers.
It
will
allow
curing
diseases
like
Alzheimer,
diabetes,
and
heart
disease
 and
make
the
cures
widely
available.
The
big
debate
is
about
allowing
scientist
to
 extract
stem
cells
from
surplus;
unneeded,
frozen
embryos
left
over
from
in‐vitro
 fertilization
procedures
in
fertility
clinics.

The
important
question
to
answer
is
not
 if
it
should
be
done
but
where
it
is
going
to
be
done.
The
UK
government
has
 approved
the
research
on
embryonic
stem
cells.
If
the
USA
won’t
approve
the
stem
 cell
research
and
regulate
it,
the
pharmaceutical
companies
will
perform
the
 research
where
it
is
allowed
exporting
know
how,
jobs
and
eventually
performing
 immoral
research
in
unregulated
countries.
We
need
a
global
agreement
and
 regulations
about
the
stem
cell
research.

The
fact
remains
that
progress
cannot
be
 stopped;
it
can
only
be
regulated
with
in
the
current
moral
and
ethical
standards.
 





Stem‐cell
research





6
 
 References
 
 
 Robinson
B.A.
(2003,
November
9).

Religious
Tolerance.
Stem
Cell
Research:
 Political
activity.
Retrieved
from
http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem5.htm
 
 O’Connor.
(2007,

June
20).
Stem
Cells.
New
York
Times.
Retrieved
November
16,
 2008,
from

 http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/st emcells/index.html?inline=classifier
 
 Alison
Bergsieker.
(2008,
October
1).

Supporter:
Opponents
of
embryonic
stem
cell
 research
measure
are
motivated
by
religious
beliefs.
Daily
Press
&
Argus.
Retrieved
 November
16,
2008,
from

 http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081001/NEWS01/ 810010308/‐1/NEWSFRONT2
 
 Barack
Obama.
(2006,
July
17)
Statement
of
support
for
Stem
Cell
research.
 Retrieved
from
http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060717‐statement_of_su/