Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Sickle Cell Anemia, Alzheimer’s. This world is plague by countless diseases and there existed a time where, after many failed research attempts, scientists began to believe that people would always suffer from these diseases. However, with the introduction of stem cell research those past notions were dismissed. Upon their introduction, stem cell’s provided a new hope to the world and it proved itself to be an invaluable asset. Through stem cell research, a multitude of cures have been brought upon the world and these diseases that were uncontrollable in the past, can now be regulated and the ones suffering from now have a chance at living a better life. Sadly, there are many people who …show more content…
Naturally, he shares this belief with many people especially those viewing this from a religious standpoint. Religiously, people regard the use of embryonic stem cells as unnecessarily throwing away the lives of humans in the name of medical advancement, which, in the end, does not justify it. Some have even gone further to support this belief by citing part of the Hippocratic Oath which states “first, do no harm” (Kiessling 184-94).
The opponents of embryonic stem cells stick to the belief that destroying one human’s life to save and cure others is not worth it because it makes you wonder, where will the line be drawn? Can the killing and experimentation of homeless people, for example, be justified by the possibility of saving a few Alzheimer’s patients’ lives? Will the world allow the destruction of the elderly just to save the younger generation? The opponents of embryonic stem cells realize that if the world begins using embryonic stem cells to make everyone healthier, than there is no telling what the world is willing to sacrifice in order for them to survive and if the world does go down that path, who gets to decide who deserves to live or die? (“Using Embryos is Immoral”). The destructive view that the world has towards embryonic stem cells is made evident not only by the ongoing debate about whether or not embryonic stem cells should be used but also by the restriction placed on embryonic
People will go against this. People will say that the stem cell research and any particular use of stem cells are wrong. Most people believe that 'embryonic' stem cells which are the main type of stem cells should be not be allowed to be used for research or any particular reason whether it is curing a disease or saving someone's life! Do you think this should be acceptable? Do you think people who believe that an embryo has the full 'potential' to become a human individual has still rights of whether or not it should be destroyed? No not really because it isn't a human yet. Embryonic stem cells can cure many diseases may be different illnesses to stem cells. Maybe embryonic stem cells have a specialty that they can be used to cure more efficiently and more diseases to stem cells but some believe that embryonic stem cell research is mostly wrong as stem cells extracted from an embryo is then destroyed which could be classed as murder. But why are Stem cells so controversial? The reason for this is that embryonic stem cells are more used more commonly than adult stem cells because embryonic stem cells have not yet specialised into a particular body part, which means they are diverse and can be used in any part of the body whereas adult stem cells have already specialised meaning they are more restricted in what they can be used for and scientists believe that embryonic stem cells would be more beneficial to the medical world. US citizens were surveyed
The transfer of information, often shared through scientific reports and research, puts this topic in a highly international spotlight. Many supporters believe that stem cells will be able to help solve once untreatable diseases or injuries such as spinal cord injuries, skin burns, Parkinson’s disease, and some blood disorders. However, the main argument is if stem cells should be used in finding therapeutic treatments. The use of embryonic stem cells is viewed by many as a moral inconsistency; it is opposed by religious organizations and individuals believing that this research should be abandoned and existing, alternative methods be adapted.
A mother has developed Alzheimer’s, preventing her from having a normal relationship with her family. A newly born baby girl has a spinal cord issue, making for many years of rehabilitation ahead her. A diabetic wife struggles to take care of her household duties because of constantly having to monitor her blood sugar and deal with insulin shots. With the development of stem cell research, and the more controversial embryonic stem cell research, every one of these instances could not only be cured, but prevented, within the next half century. In fact, diseases that are predicted to be treated by means of stem cell research are figured to now plague the likes of 100 million Americans. Looking at the arguments dealing with stem cell
Incurable and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer cause death of millions of people annually. Scientists use drugs to treat symptoms, but they don’t have effective therapies for cure these diseases. Embryonic stem cells have treatment potential due to their pluripotent characteristic, which means that they can develop into any cell of the human body. Some people oppose embryonic stem cell research since they think it violates human rights and thus should not be allowed to pursue. However, embryonic stem cell research is ethical since five-day-old embryos lack most of the human characteristics, embryonic stem cells have the potential to cure degenerative diseases, and they are better to other kinds
Using Embryonic stem cells, there is a chance that over 80 diseases could be cured. These diseases include diabetes, spinal cord injury, and maybe even cancer. Despite all the possibilities that stem cells offer, some feel that the methods used to obtain embryonic stem cells are unethical; However, there are actually many reasons to continue stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research should be funded because the blastocyst, or embryo, is willingly donated, and can’t feel pain. Although many people say that the
While few can debate the potential “miracle cure” aspect that seems to be wrapped within stem cell research, the method for obtaining such cells has been a topic for debate. The process of extracting pluripotent cells destroys their host embryo, and as yet, no pluripotent cells have been found in older adult tissues. Opponents of research on embryonic cells claim that embryos – from the moment that fertilization occurs – are sentient human beings and should therefore be afforded the same protections against abuse as anyone else (“The Cases For”). But what if a method were readily available were viable stem cells could be extracted from an embryo in a manner that would not deny life – however such life were defined – to the unborn fetus? What if such a potential solution could ease the minds of not only those who oppose stem cell research but also help to quell the dispute of another “Do Not Kill” issue – abortion?
“Over 100 million Americans suffer from diseases that eventually may be treated more effectively or even cured with embryonic stem cell therapy. Some researchers regard this as the greatest potential for the alleviation of human suffering since the advent of antibiotics” (White). However, not everybody agrees with this. While embryonic stem cells offer much hope for medical advancement because of their ability to grow into almost any kind of cell, the moral debate of the destruction of an embryo continues. Embryonic stem cells are taken directly from an embryo before the embryo 's cells begin to develop into their specific cells. While there may be promise of embryonic stem cells triggering medical advancements, the ongoing controversy continues to hinder research.
Many of the ethical debates about embryonic stem cells involve when a human being is actually defined as a human. Embryonic stem cells can be taken from the blastocyst, a very early stage of development that is a hollow ball with about 150-200 cells and is barely visible to the naked eye. According to the 2010 statistics of the World Health Organization, worldwide 5.7 million people die of Alzheimer’s disease, and 10 million people die of Parkinson’s disease each year. Both Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are currently incurable, but with the use of stem cells, scientists can find a cure for many diseases across the country. If scientists can sacrifice something for the greater good of mankind,
While stem cell research holds the potential to contribute to the development of many cures and treatments. Human embryonic stem cell research is ethically controversial because it involves the destruction of an embryo after stem cells are extracted. The destruction of the embryo brings up the complicated dilemma of whether the destruction of the embryo is unethical, as it involves the issue of whether the embryo has the right to its life. The basic argument is that an embryo is a potential fetus and is an innocent human being (Lernser, 2013). To some opponents of stem cell research, the destruction of an embryo means that a potential fetus and ultimately a potential human being were killed; therefore, this act and the research effort behind
Embryonic stem cells research has challenged the moral ethics within human beings simply because the point at which one is considered a “human,” is still under debate and practically incapable to make a decision upon.
Scientists and researchers believe that Human Embryonic Stem Cells hold potential cures for numerous diseases in today's society, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Lou Gehrig's disease, Hodgkin's disease, hundreds of immune system and genetic disorders, spinal cord injuries, heart disease and just about every type of cancer. In today's world there's over a million Americans who suffer from deadly diseases, not only adults but innocent children that deserve to live a healthy life. These deadly diseases can be cured or treated in a more effective way than they are treated now with the help of the human embryonic stem cells. According to the Poll on "American views on stem cell research in the wake of the death of Ronald Reagan" which was prepared for results of America, shows that a sum of 73% highly supports and somewhat support this controversial process (Results of America, 2004). Even though this topic has brought continuous political attacks and very limited funding, Human Embryonic Stem cell research has made considerable contribution to the battle against disabilities and incurable diseases. A great example of success by using human embryonic stem cells was made by Dr. Hans Keirstead in the Roman Laboratory at UC Irvine; he restored myelin insulation around damaged nerves, returning motion to partially paralyzed rats. (Journal of Neuroscience, 2005) .
Stem Cells are widely viewed as a way to combat many human degenerative diseases; however, they are also the subject of heated debate and heavy controversy. This argument has altogether split the people of the country into two factions: those who are with adult stem cells and against embryonic, and those who support embryonic stem cell research.The reason for this is because the most versatile of stem cells, embryonic stem cells, are derived from the undeveloped cells of an unborn fetus, killing the unborn child in the process. Their counterparts, adult stem cells, are rarely found in the tissues of grown adult, and are much less versatile, but are more widely used than fetal stem cells simply because
Within the past few years, scientist have made several breakthroughs with human stem cells. These breakthroughs have catapulted the issue of stem cell research into the middle of a national debate. Most people have no problem with the research itself, however the source of the stem cells (adult or human embryos) used in research is the primary cause of the debate. Some people feel that destroying an embryo is comparable to murder, even if the research it promotes may help people with serious illnesses. Other believe that an embryo is not a person and therefore research on an embryo is the same as research on any other group of cells.
Multiple Sclerosis is not the only disease that scientists have the ability to cure. In some isolated cases, juvenile diabetes has been added to the list of cured diseases (Goldstein n.p.). This, however, is not the only disease scientists believe they will be able to cure. Stem cells show promise to have the ability to cure diseases including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease, Lou Gherig’s Disease, Hodgkin’s Disease, and nearly every form of cancer. With research allowing the discovery of cures to an ever-growing list of diseases, many scientists are devoting much of their time to push for more support from the people as well as the government to continue their research. The medical world has also stepped in to petition for support. Scientists and doctors alike understand the potential of stem cells, and the number of lives they can save, although, they also understand the necessity of the people’s support. Until Americans understand the vast potential of stem cells, these scientists and doctors will continue to perform their research and medical procedures without drawing undue attention to their activities. However, they strongly believe in what they are doing, and refuse to stop saving lives.
Perhaps the most well-known objection to the use stem cell technology is the fact that an embryo must be destroyed in order to create embryonic stem cells (Sandel 20). The destruction of embryos to create stem cells has led to a heated back-and-forth debate between scientists and critics on such matters as what qualifies as a human being and when an organism begins deserving rights. In their argument against the use of embryonic stem cells opponents often claim that the use of adult stem cells from sources such as umbilical cord blood has consistently produced more promising results than the use of embryonic stem cells as well as that adult stem cell research may be able to make greater advances if less money and resources were channeled into embryonic stem cell research. In addition, to date, embryonic stem cells have never been used successfully in any therapies (Sandel 23). However, stem cell researchers have argued that a days-old embryo does not qualify as a human being as it is merely a collection of cells that aren’t