Benefits Of Stem Cell Research

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Although stem cell research can lead to astounding medical advancements, it is constantly being challenged because of the gap of misunderstanding between researchers and pharmaceutical companies. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into different cell types, and aide the body in getting rid of harmful diseases. But the methods of using stem cells are usually not understood or accepted. In order to form an opinion on this controversial topic one must be knowledgeable on the different types of stem cells as well as their functions. The three types of stem cells that scientists focus on are embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and Induced pluripotent stem cells. The first type of stem cells that scientists …show more content…
Induced pluripotent stem cells are originally adult cells that are genetically modified into a cell that emulates human embryonic cells. Compared to human embryonic stem cells one advantage of induced pluripotent cells is that they allow for the creation of cell lines that are customized to a patient. This eliminates the issue of rejection of the implanted cells, since the cells are derived from one 's body. The next advantage of iPCs is that they are much easier to create that embryonic cells because they do not require human eggs. Another advantage of induced pluripotent cells is that they are not derived from embryos, but have the same functions as embryonic cells (Ebrahimi, 2015). Induced pluripotent cells can be used outside the body in order to test how disease affect the cell. Although they are an alternative to embryonic cells, embryonic cells must still be used to compare to iPSCs in order to ensure there is no significant difference between the …show more content…
in order to bridge this gap all stem cell research should be equally funded and emphasized. This will create more opportunities for advancement and eliminate the misconceptions that cause many to challenge stem cell research. Executive order 13505 by P:resident Barack Obama removed all funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research in 2009 (Stolberg, 2009). This order backed the idea that this research can be evolutionary and allowed for more research

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