The Pros And Cons Of Embryonic Stem Cell Transplants

Embryonic stem cell transplants have been an ethical, social, and legal controversy since the first successful transplant of human stem cells in 1998. The controversy slowed down the pace of any advancements in the life saving technique. Stem cell transplant controversy falls into the same category as abortion and whether someone is pro-life or pro-choice because of the way the cells are derived from human embryos. The use embryonic stems cells have been saving lives since the late 90s, so the discontinuation of this research would be the greatest mistake ever made.

Imagine a child sick with an aggressive cancer that is close to ending the child’s life. Everything has been done from pills, to chemo and radiation, but nothing is working. The

High profile advocate of embryonic stem cell transplants, actor Michael J. Fox who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, which is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. Fox has participated in congressional subcommittees urging the research continue not only for the progression in finding a cure for Parkinson’s but cures for all diseases and cancers that could benefit from something like embryonic stem cell

One either supports it completely or is completely against it. On one side there is a person who thinks that a fertilized egg in a laboratory is a new human with all the rights, and morals of an actual newborn being. They view the destruction of human embryos to reach the stem cells the same as they view abortion, just wrong. On the other side, they view it as nothing more than a fertilized egg, not yet grown into an actual human enough to have any rights, and should not be spared. People with the ‘pro-choice’ view do not agree with opposers of ESCT on the thought that fetuses develop any neurological capacity to feel any pain or emotion. Some pro-life advocates see the matter of ESCT differently when the embryos involved will be discarded anyways, or in other words, it will be aborted. While the idea of abortion is not supported by some, it is not illegal. Persons with strong pro-life views oppose research not matter what stage of the embryo. Some people got through miscarriages, and the parents have the option to donate stem cells from said embryo for medical research purposes. This means that instead, of just disposing of the fetus it will be used to create needed organs, tissue, skin, and cures. But, pro-choice advocates believe that embryos are developed enough to have rights and emotions and find it morally wrong to use them for research