Shane Ramirez 2011

        Stem cell research. An aspiring new medical advancement, which has amazing potential but has been hammered by controversies and ridicule from churches, and even our own government. This new medical advancement which might even be the cure to some cancers started believe it or not, which was found in the mid-1800s.  Despite having so much potential, many believe it is ethically wrong, which is what has delayed further advancement.

        Stem cell research began in the mid-1800s with the discovery that some cells can be generated from other cells.(Anonymous April 16, 2011 [1] )  The first real stem cells were discovered in the 1900s after it was found that some cells create blood cells. (Anonymous April 16, 2011 [1] ) Stem cells are classified into three categories, Multipotent, Pluripotent, and Totipotent. Multipotent stem cells are derived from adult stem cells, fetal tissue, and umbilical cord blood. The ability of the Multipotent cells to differentiate is limited, than the totipotent and pluripotent cells, however success has been tracked using these cells. (Anonymous April 16, 2011 [1] ) “Pluripotent stem cells exist in the undifferentiated inner cell mass of the blastocyst and can form any of the over 200 different cell types found in the body.” (Anonymous April 16, 2011 [1] ) The totipotent cells which are the most ‘special’ of all are found only in early embrios. Each totipotent cell can create an entirely new organism, an example of such is and identical twin.

        An application of such stem cell research was bone marrow transplants using adult stem cells. About early 20^th century, doctors began giving patients with leukemia and anemia bone marrow orally. However, this therapy proved to be unsuccesful.  But scientists did not lose hope.(Anonymous April 17, 2011 [1] )  However, lab experiments in which mice with defective bone marrow were given infusions of healthy bone marrow from other mice proved successful in which restoring the sick mouse to full health. (Anonymous April 17, 2011 [1] ) This led scientists to wonder if the same thing could be done for humans, an allogeneic transplant. “The 1990's saw rapid expansion and success of the bone marrow program with more than 16,000 transplants to date for the treatment of immunodeficiencies and leukemia.”(Anonymous April 17, 2011 [2] )

        Adult stem cells also show promises in many other areas.  These cells have shown potential in many other areas, because they can form into many different types of cells and tissues, which gave give scientists to one-day have the ability to save organs attacked by disease. (Anonymous April 17, 2011 [2] )The hope that pluripotent cells can cure a variety of diseases gives researchers and patients alike the hope to find new sources for pluripotent cells.( Hengstschläger April 18, 2011 [3] )

        Transplantation of stem cells or their derivatives, and mobilization of endogenous stem cells within the adult brain, have been proposed as future therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.( Lindvall, Kokaia, Serrano 2011 April 18, 2011 [5] ) To some replacing cells lost to disease and/or injury seems unrealistic because of the complexity of the brain. However it is known that this can be done because of success in animal models. In some studies it has been shown that cell replacement can lead to symptomatic relief.( Lindvall, Kokaia, Serrano 2011 April 18, 2011[5])           

To better understand the concept of stem cell research as a whole along with the medical advancements and ethical controversies, you need to understand the different types of stem cells.  Stem cells in general, are cells that are capable of renewing themselves and dividing for great periods of time.  These cells are naturally unspecialized and can become many different types in the body.( Eustice April 18, 2011 [7] )  Embryonic stem cells originate from embrios that have been fertilized in vitro.  These eggs do not originate from a zygote inside of a woman’s body, which is a usual misconception.  Being in vitro is a biological process that occurs in a laboratory or other controlled environment, instead of inside an organism or natural setting. ( Eustice April 18, 2011 [7] ) Adult stem cells are cells that have not differentiated to a specific type of a tissue or organ. These adult stem cells are found among the specific cells to that organ or tissue. ( Eustice April 18, 2011 [7] )  
    
         Both of these may be stem cells, however there are substantial differences between the two.  One of these differences is what makes the embryonic stem cell more sought after, its versatility.  The fact that the embryonic stem cell can become any cell found in the body is what make the embryonic stem cell more promises in its apllications throughout the medical field. ( Eustice April 18, 2011 [7] )  The adult stem cell, however is much less versatile than the embryonic stem cell because the adult stem cell, is not able to differentiate into as many celss as the EMC(embryonic stem cell) can. ( Eustice April 18, 2011 [7] )  
         
        “Continuing research on human embryonic stem cells could identify how undifferentiated stem cells become differentiated.”. ( Eustice April 18, 2011 [7] ) Many serious medical problems happen because of abnormalities during the differentiation and cell division. . ( Eustice April 18, 2011 [7] ) Understanding stem cells better may lead to the cures of many diseases such as diabetes, spinal injuries, cancer, heart problems, etc. . ( Eustice April 18, 2011 [8] ) These stem cells have many researchers believing that the undifferentiated cells change the way that hundreds of diseases and injuries are treated. ( Doherty April 22, 2011 [13] )  

        The vast majority of any stem cells that a scientists gets usually come from, discarded embryo that were once stored in an in-vitro clinic. The embryos that were discarded were left by parents who decided to not have any more children and the clinic donated such embrios to scientists conducting such research.( Reaves April 22, 2011 [16])  scientists can also originate a stem cell from a recently aborted fetus.  Many activists and politicians believe this is the most controversial method.  .( Reaves April 22, 2011 [16] ) The adult stem cells are usually harvested from healthy blood and organs of willing patients. .( Reaves April 22, 2011 [17]) New techniques harvesting such stem cells are in a “quiet development”, for many researchers are cautious of public discovery would spark more evidence the public can use to further halt the advancement of stem cell research.( Reaves April 22, 2011 [17] )  “Some researchers have suggested that the thousands of fertilized embryos that have been stored frozen at those clinics could be donated for research as well.” The amount of zygotes and blastocysts that researchers have access to are very limited.  (Kugler April 22, 2011 [18] )

       “As a physician…you don’t get a chance very often to cure anybody,” said Robin Cook, referring to the fact that’s most doctors cannot cure diseases, and the majority of diseases doctors today see are only diseases that will eventually get worse over time. (Doherty April 22, 2011 [13] )  Even though the possibilities stem cell research are endless, many people do not have a clue as to what all of this controversy surrounding the embryonic stem cell research is about.  Much of the controversies surrounding embryonic stem research are based upon the fact that embrios and blastocyst are destroyed, while obtaining the embryonic stem cells.  The main beliefs of the public, scientists, politicians, the president etc. are split two ways.  One side believes that embryonic stem cell research is “some of the most promising of any scientific research” taking place today.  The other side believes that embryonic stem cell research is wrong because it takes the life away from an individual that would have developed from the embryos or blastocyst that has been destroyed because of such research. (Doherty April 22, 2011 [13] )

         In the debate of Hurlbut vs. West both men argue giving good evidence and support for each. Dr. William Hurlbut supports the theory that an individual is created at the time of conception and is considered a “human life”.  However Dr. Michael West supports the theory that only after fourteen days is a stem cell individualized and considered a “human life”.  During this heated debate West brought up the unique aspects of embryonic stem cells, in the field of “regenerative medicine” and the opportunities and hardships that come along for the ride.   He also stated that no patient has been cured from such research because scientists do not yet fully understand the stem cell, and how to change them in ways so that the host organism will not reject nor attack these cells once administrated into the body. (Doherty April 22, 2011 [14] )  Hurlbut argued in defense of his belief that life begins at conception. Hurlbut responded with information about other ways of obtaining stem cells, such as Altered Nuclear Transfer (or ANT for short) which is capable of producing pluripotent cells without the destruction of a blastocyst or embryo. Pluripotent stem cells can develop into another cell type, however they cannot create an entire new organism. (Doherty April 22, 2011 [14] ) 

Altered Nuclear Transfer would “use the cloning techniques of nuclear transfer to create an entity that lacks the qualities and capabilities essential to be designated a human life in process,” Hurlbut said, which would result in a cell that is less likely to reject its host organism.  In response to this West debated that this would spark another moral debate along the lines that modifying the cells, would only make the body more likely to reject such a cell. West believes ANT would be drastically reducing proper ethics, (which is ironic because ethical applications of harvesting a stem cell is what started this whole debate) which would in fact reduce the health of the patient. (Doherty April 22, 2011 [14] )

            Stem cell research is one of the most controversial aspiring new medicines that have so many promises.  The fact that to gather embryonic stem cells kills a blastocyst, is what harbors the advancement of stem cell therapies, because that is the reason, embryonic research is ‘attacked’ by controversy reaching as high as the president who has also put his say into the matter.  Stem cell research is a great advancement into the world of new age medicine. Is saving millions of lives worth destroying millions of embryos?                

Anonymous, " The History of Stem Cell Research", 2002-2011, http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/history-of-stem-cell-research-faq.htm

Doherty, Julie, "The Stem Cell Controversy", 2006, http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?event_id=161696&fuseaction=topics.event_summary&topic_id=116811

Eustice, Carol, "Stem Cell Research: Understanding The Issue, 2006, http://arthritis.about.com/od/stemcell/i/stemcells.htm

Hengstschläger, Markus, "Oct‐4‐expressing cells in human amniotic fluid: a new source for stem cell research?", 2003, http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/7/1489.short

Kugler, Mary, "Debate Over The Use Of Embryonic Stem Cells", 2005, http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/7/1489.short

Lindvall, Kokaia, Serrano, "Stem cell therapy for human neurodegenerative disorders–how to make it work", 2004, http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v10/n7s/full/nm1064.html

Lovell-Badge, Robin, "The Future For Stem Cell Research", 2001, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v414/n6859/abs/414088a0.html

Phillips, Theresa, "Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research", http://biotech.about.com/od/bioethics/i/issuestemcells.htm

Reaves, Jessica, "The Great Debate Over Stem Cell Research", 2001, http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,167245,00.html