“Stem cell research is the key to developing cures for degenerative conditions like Parkinson's and motor neuron disease from which I and many others suffer”- Stephen Hawking, 2006.
At first glance, the idea might seem cruel and mortifying to some that one would kill a helpless baby and destroy the life of an innocent for the purpose of curing others. However, research has shown that embryonic stem cells can potentially cure Alzheimer’s, spinal injuries and find a long term treatment for diabetes- some of the most common conditions in the UK. Without a doubt we have all been affected, in one way or another, by these agonising and catastrophic diseases. Can you imagine a world in which these cease to exist? I would argue that embryonic stem cell research is the way forward to rid humanity of these conditions and that more stem cells from unused IVF pre-embryos should be used by labs to the greatest extent to support these …show more content…
During IVF procedures, up to three pre-embryos can be transferred per cycle to increase the rate of success of the procedure. However, according to Andrew Hough of The Telegraph, only 7% of embryos produced actually lead to pregnancy. So what is done with these unused embryos? The answer is that a staggering 1.7 million embryos have been needlessly disposed out of the 3.5 million created since 1991. To add to that, less than 6,000 of these are set aside for essential scientific research. The stage at which these embryos are destroyed is the one at which the highest number of embryonic stem cells can be found. Frankly, with every embryo disposed of, utilitarian resources that could one day prove very useful are being wasted. With every embryo disposed of, science is taking a step further back in its progress. I urge you to consider, is this fair to the millions that could potentially benefit immensely from these
At first glance, the idea might seem cruel and mortifying to some that one would kill a helpless baby and destroy the life of an innocent for the purpose of curing others. However, research has shown that embryonic stem cells can potentially cure Alzheimer’s, spinal injuries and find a long term treatment for diabetes- some of the most common conditions in the UK. Without a doubt we have all been affected, in one way or another, by these agonising and catastrophic diseases. Can you imagine a world in which these cease to exist? I would argue that embryonic stem cell research is the way forward to rid humanity of these conditions and that more stem cells from unused IVF pre-embryos should be used by labs to the greatest extent to support these …show more content…
During IVF procedures, up to three pre-embryos can be transferred per cycle to increase the rate of success of the procedure. However, according to Andrew Hough of The Telegraph, only 7% of embryos produced actually lead to pregnancy. So what is done with these unused embryos? The answer is that a staggering 1.7 million embryos have been needlessly disposed out of the 3.5 million created since 1991. To add to that, less than 6,000 of these are set aside for essential scientific research. The stage at which these embryos are destroyed is the one at which the highest number of embryonic stem cells can be found. Frankly, with every embryo disposed of, utilitarian resources that could one day prove very useful are being wasted. With every embryo disposed of, science is taking a step further back in its progress. I urge you to consider, is this fair to the millions that could potentially benefit immensely from these