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The Controversy Of Embryonic Stem Cells

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Stem cell research has caused tremendous controversy over the latest years. Because embryonic stem cells are pluripotent and undifferentiated, they have the potential to become any cell in the adult body and are present in all living organisms. Tissue (adult) stem cells are taken from specific parts of the body, but can only give rise to their tissue of origin. These tissue cells are used naturally by the body to replace damaged cells. Research into both of these types of cells seems very promising for the future of science as it means they could be used to treat devastating medical conditions. Despite the clear benefit that stem cell research shows, controversy surrounds the sources and methods used to carry out this research. Those who oppose …show more content…
Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult stem cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. Tissue stem cells are ideal for investigating questions around cell differentiation that are specific to a certain tissue. Corneal damage can be treated using tissue stem cells taken from the edge of the cornea, and blood cancers can be treated using tissue stem cells from the bone marrow. One concern, however, is that, as with any organ transplant, a cell transplant from one patient to another will frequently trigger the immune system to reject the foreign cells. The solution to this problem is to use the patient’s own adult stem cells. If tissue stem cells are obtained from the patient in whom they will eventually be used, they will have the same genetic make-up as that person and therefore will not be rejected by the immune system. This is an example of therapeutic cloning and is done by cloning one of the patient’s cells to produce an embryo, and taking stem cells from …show more content…
Time is ticking, people are suffering, and stem cell research holds the most potential for developing treatments and cures for diseases. We must continue to research and experiment with stem cells as it is the key to overcoming the many fears we have of the diseases that exist in our modern world. HIV/AIDS research began in 1983, yet no cure has been found. To terminate stem cell research after only 31 years would be a drastic mistake, costing thousands of lives that stem cells have the ability to

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