Stem Cell Research

Stem Cell Research in Today's Society

Would it not be great if the cure for Diabetes were found in our lifetime? Think about other well-known chronic conditions such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's; with the President's consent, stem cell research could make these conditions the next curable diseases of our generation. I am an avid supporter of this research as I feel that it could make a major positive impact on many affected lives in today's society. Through this essay, I hope to more clearly explain the positive effects of allowing this research to take place, so that many sick people, may go on to live their lives disease free.

The Facts Supporting the Research

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can potentially divide limitlessly, to replenish other cells as long as the person is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell (Stem Cell Information, 2005).

Embryonic stem cells are unique due to the fact that they have the potential to develop into any type of tissue or cell in the body (Lehrer, 2006). Picture a diabetic being able to take stem cells and create a new pancreas for themselves in order to cure their chronic disease. This would grant them a life free from poking their finger countless times throughout the day to make sure that their blood sugar levels are in control, and also from injecting themselves with needles, sometimes four times a day to give their body the insulin that it needs; insulin that their pancreas is incapable of producing.

This type of stem cell research would allow scientists to take a something as simple as a blood sample from a patient and use it to grow tissue, organs or batches of cells. The new cells would have the same genetic makeup as the donor and therefore would lower the risk that the sick person's body would reject the new tissue. A similar type of result can be captured through banking the cord blood of an infant at birth. This would give the baby a fighting chance against a long list of potential deadly diseases, and maybe eve one day, cure them. Cord blood also has a chance of saving the life of a relative, as the infant's cord blood would have a similar genetic makeup as a close relative.

Ethical