Stem Cell Research Argumentative Essay

How is one to determine if one life is more important than another? Does it depend on age? On status? On location? Is a living human with family and friends and a job more important than just a fertilized egg? If someone is dying, is it ethical to use these fertilized eggs to save their life? Those are the questions surrounding the use of stem cells in medicine. Stem cells are a relatively young area of study in the world, so there is bound to be problems surrounding their uses. These cells are very special and may hold the cures to many deadly diseases and injuries. Bioethics has become a very hot topic for discussion with the drastic advancements made in medicine over the last 20 years. But is it ethical to let someone die when there is a

Cancerous cells are different from typical cells in that they reproduce without any outside interaction. This is why cancer research has gone on for so long without a cure. When therapy is performed to remove a cancerous tumor, if the therapy does not remove all of the cancer cells, the tumor will grow back. In order to use stem cells in cancer therapy, they must be injected into the tumor, were they “identify and attack cancer stem cells” (“The Stem”). Stem cell research can help doctors and scientists to further their understanding of cancer cells. Stem cells have already been used to heal patients with diseases. Charlie Knuth was born with epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin disease causing skin to be fragile (“Medically”). He was unable to walk, but 2 stem cell transplants later, he is able to run and jump just like any other kid. The stem cell transplants have allowed him to feel like a normal person and fit in with everyone

Using cells already found inside of a body to fix the body is a remarkable discovery that can be very useful in the world today. A complete organ transplant has already been performed. It was “a whole-organ replacement of the upper airway” (Nelson). Scientists used a decellularized trachea and stem cells in the patient’s bone marrow to create a new trachea capable of functioning normally in the body. The scientists spent much time reconstructing the trachea until it was finally complete. Then, they surgically transplanted the trachea into the patient (Nelson). The use of stem cells is much safer than a typical organ transplant. They also give a higher chance of curing a disease rather than just containing it. These details prove that stem cells possess a rare and special gift of healing many