Re: The controversy behind stem cell procedures
There are two types of stem cells, these are:
1. in the embryo
2. they are present in smallll numbers in the adult
Stem cell biology is a huge topic and this is what I understand about it: stem cells are able to differentiate into all embryonic specialized tissues e.g heart tissue, part of the nervous system or part of the immune system cells. In adults organisms, stem cells act as a repair system for the body, so they 'restore' specialized cells, they can also renew cells e.g. red blood cells or tissue of the intestine.
When stem research is carried out often an embryo is used to extract the cells from and the the embry is disposed of, the big controversy is that 'when does life begin?' and pro- life campaigners are against it as they feel that a life is taken away in the process. However this way if you put the stem cell in the right enviroment it will differentiate into the cell type that you provide the nutrient for. the embryonic stem cells are generated through therapeutic cloning. Hower there stem cells can also be derieved from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow- which are being more often and pro- life campagners doent have problems with these.
Another technique used, are the stem cells form the adult and once again prvide the right enviroment for thecll to differentiate into the cell that you want.
A number of adulst stem cell therapies already exist e.g bone marrow transplants, used to treat leukemia. I remeber reading an article where a 18 year old had accidently shot himself in the hear whilst carying out home improvements and the doctors used his stem cells, induced them and the cells were implanted in the heart- the kid recovered and its one of the few cases where a person has survived through that kind of injury. They also want to use this type of stem cell therapy for caner, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries and many others. they recenctly reprogrammed adult stem cells and cured sickle cell anaemia in mice.
But there are still alot of controversies about this kind of reasearch which could be overcome through public debate and future research, and further education of the public. Adult stem cells are favoured and more reserach is being done on these as embryo's are not needed and disposed of. America has actually given alot of funds for the research of adult stem cells and so have a lot of other countries, although some of the other contries also give funding for the embronic stem cell reasearch which are thought to have alot of potential.