This article discusses the use of fetal tissue transplantation and whether or not the use of fetal tissue obtained from aborted fetuses is ethical for the treatment of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.
The concept of using fetal tissue in research has been around for many years. In 1954, a Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded when a polio vaccine was discovered through the use of fetal kidney cells. Later, a measles vaccine was developed which also used fetal cells.
Fetal tissue makes a good source for transplant material to help cure certain diseases because these cells aren’t dedicated to be a part of any certain body tissue. When they are administered as a treatment they are able to conform and become any tissue in the body that needs to be regenerated. …show more content…
The disintegration causes stunting of the production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps transmit signals in the brain. Parkinson’s patients experience difficulty walking and speaking. As time goes on they may experience motor difficulty, rigidity, tremor and dementia, which causes the patient to become unable to control normal functions. When the tissue of the brain is destroyed there is no way to repair the damage. Fetal tissue transplantation for Parkinson’s disease requires the brain tissue of a human fetus to be transplanted into the brain of a patient. The fetal cell regenerates the tissue and after some time the brain is again able to secrete dopamine.
Fetal tissue transplantation is still considered experimental due to the lack of evidence supporting it. The first transplant was conducted in 1988 and a couple more followed. It was concluded that the clinical benefit was not significant enough and animal research is required before moving forward on the human
The concept of using fetal tissue in research has been around for many years. In 1954, a Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded when a polio vaccine was discovered through the use of fetal kidney cells. Later, a measles vaccine was developed which also used fetal cells.
Fetal tissue makes a good source for transplant material to help cure certain diseases because these cells aren’t dedicated to be a part of any certain body tissue. When they are administered as a treatment they are able to conform and become any tissue in the body that needs to be regenerated. …show more content…
The disintegration causes stunting of the production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps transmit signals in the brain. Parkinson’s patients experience difficulty walking and speaking. As time goes on they may experience motor difficulty, rigidity, tremor and dementia, which causes the patient to become unable to control normal functions. When the tissue of the brain is destroyed there is no way to repair the damage. Fetal tissue transplantation for Parkinson’s disease requires the brain tissue of a human fetus to be transplanted into the brain of a patient. The fetal cell regenerates the tissue and after some time the brain is again able to secrete dopamine.
Fetal tissue transplantation is still considered experimental due to the lack of evidence supporting it. The first transplant was conducted in 1988 and a couple more followed. It was concluded that the clinical benefit was not significant enough and animal research is required before moving forward on the human