Stem cell research and its funding have caused enormous controversy over the past decade. Stem cells are present in all living organisms. They can differentiate into any type of cell. The scientific community is very excited about the possibility of these undifferentiated cells being used to treat catastrophic conditions such as leukaemia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. I will be giving a brief overview of stem cell research, the benefits for and against the technology and my view of stem cell research.
Firstly, there are three general properties of stem cells. The first property of a stem cell is the capability of dividing and renewing itself for long periods of time. A stem cell is also unspecialized. Unspecialized stem cells are found in fetuses, embryos and some adult body tissues, which have the potential to develop into specialized cells or divide into other stem cells. Stem cells can potentially be used to replace tissue that has been damaged or destroyed by disease or injury. Stem cells are perhaps best understood in terms of how committed they are to becoming any particular type of cell. The categories into which they fall under include; Totipotent, Pluripotent and Multipotent stem cells. Totipotent stem cells
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I believe that people with life threatening diseases should have the chance to take the risk of stem cell transplant because it gives them a chance at least. Rather than knowing they are going to die from this disease. There are many diseases that at the present there are no cures to. But with stem cell research, discoveries can be made leading to new treatments. Rather than using harsh drugs which may have horrible side effects, stem cell procedures would be less intrusive. Many people are waiting for organ transplants because there is a shortage of suitable organs. As a result many people can die in the process of waiting. Stem cells offer a viable source of replacement