Post by Nils on Apr 20, 2016 10:55:37 GMT
Human embryonic stem cell research has been promoted as being the best way to pursue cell-based therapies for numerous diseases such as Parkinsons, cancer and Alzheimers. The controversy of stem cell research may be recent but the experimentation first began in the 1960’s. Embryonic stem cells can only be derived from preimplantation embryos and are distinguished from other cell types by one major characteristic, the fact that they have a potential to develop into many different cell types during early life and growth. In other words, when a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function. However, there are multiple arguments proving that this technique is unsuitable for therapies.
Firstly, this use of human embryos for research is high on the ethical and political agenda in many countries and their use is considered controversial due to their derivation from early embryos. This research presents a moral dilemma that makes us choose between the duty to prevent suffering, and the duty to respect the value of human life. The moral status of the embryo is a complex issue since different people define what makes a person in different ways. The development from fertilized egg into a baby is a continuous process that makes it impossible to determine when personhood begins, and in the same way a baby is a human being in its infant stage, an embryo is a human being in the embryonic stage. An embryo may not have the characteristics of a person at that stage, but it will and therefore it should be given the respect and dignity of a person. As society further progresses and the field of science continues to advance, people need to remember that although motivated with good intentions, these procedures involve actions of a morally questionable nature. Is it actually morally acceptable to violate the rights of a human life for the sake of medical progress?
As mentioned earlier, stem cells have the unique ability to give rise to all of the various cell types of the body, but the same properties that make embryonic stem cells so versatile are also the properties that make them unusable for therapies. In fact, stem cells which have not been completely differentiated have the characteristics of a tumor that will continue to divide unrestrainedly and lead to spontaneous tumor formation, which has been demonstrated in experiments performed on rats. In addition, the embryonic stem cells’ ability to self-renew gives these cells relatively long lifespans, which makes them more likely to live long enough to go through the multiple mutations necessary for tumor formation. Due to the stem cells’ tendencies to spontaneously form tumors, embryonic stem cells are considered unacceptable for therapy by plenty of people around the world.
However, a lot of people believe that the most important application of human stem cells is for cell-based therapy. Some scientists think that it may become a possibility to generate healthy heart cells in a laboratory and transplant those cells into patients with chronic heart diseases. Research performed on mice and other animals has supposedly shown that cells found in bone marrow can have beneficial effects and accomplish repair by producing growth factors rather than actually being incorporated in the heart. Whether these cells will be used to generate heart muscle cells or stimulate the growth of new blood vessels to repopulate the heart tissue, there are significant technical difficulties to overcome.
Lastly, with transplantation of embryonic stem cells as well as adult stem cells comes the issue of donors and the question of whether stem cells can be tailor-made for certain patients or diseases. In practice, these cells must originate from a limited amount of donors that are essentially genetically identical with the patient. If this is not the case there is a possibility that the cells get rejected and the treatment fails. This technique of creating embryonic stem cells genetically identical to an individual in order to help or replace a patient's failing organ is called therapeutic cloning and is particularly challenging technically due to its early stages of development. This raises the question of whether it is a reliable and suitable technique to use on human beings. In fact, even good tissue matches between donor and recipient require some immunosuppressive therapy, meaning that the strength of the patient’s immune system must be weakened by taking a specific type of drug which has long term negative side-effects, including an increased risk for tumor growth.
To summarise, the arguments above prove that all scientists must consider whether the positive effects from their research will be significantly higher than the negative effects. These arguments confirm that the disadvantages of the use of embryonic stem cells greatly outnumber their single desirable feature to differentiate into any type of body tissue. Aside from the obvious risks patients face while treated with embryonic stem cells, there will also remain doubts regarding the ethical and moral consequences of pursuing this technique. The way I see it, scientists and people all around the world should always consider the fact that just because we can pursue a particular scientific course, it does not mean that we should.
Firstly, this use of human embryos for research is high on the ethical and political agenda in many countries and their use is considered controversial due to their derivation from early embryos. This research presents a moral dilemma that makes us choose between the duty to prevent suffering, and the duty to respect the value of human life. The moral status of the embryo is a complex issue since different people define what makes a person in different ways. The development from fertilized egg into a baby is a continuous process that makes it impossible to determine when personhood begins, and in the same way a baby is a human being in its infant stage, an embryo is a human being in the embryonic stage. An embryo may not have the characteristics of a person at that stage, but it will and therefore it should be given the respect and dignity of a person. As society further progresses and the field of science continues to advance, people need to remember that although motivated with good intentions, these procedures involve actions of a morally questionable nature. Is it actually morally acceptable to violate the rights of a human life for the sake of medical progress?
As mentioned earlier, stem cells have the unique ability to give rise to all of the various cell types of the body, but the same properties that make embryonic stem cells so versatile are also the properties that make them unusable for therapies. In fact, stem cells which have not been completely differentiated have the characteristics of a tumor that will continue to divide unrestrainedly and lead to spontaneous tumor formation, which has been demonstrated in experiments performed on rats. In addition, the embryonic stem cells’ ability to self-renew gives these cells relatively long lifespans, which makes them more likely to live long enough to go through the multiple mutations necessary for tumor formation. Due to the stem cells’ tendencies to spontaneously form tumors, embryonic stem cells are considered unacceptable for therapy by plenty of people around the world.
However, a lot of people believe that the most important application of human stem cells is for cell-based therapy. Some scientists think that it may become a possibility to generate healthy heart cells in a laboratory and transplant those cells into patients with chronic heart diseases. Research performed on mice and other animals has supposedly shown that cells found in bone marrow can have beneficial effects and accomplish repair by producing growth factors rather than actually being incorporated in the heart. Whether these cells will be used to generate heart muscle cells or stimulate the growth of new blood vessels to repopulate the heart tissue, there are significant technical difficulties to overcome.
Lastly, with transplantation of embryonic stem cells as well as adult stem cells comes the issue of donors and the question of whether stem cells can be tailor-made for certain patients or diseases. In practice, these cells must originate from a limited amount of donors that are essentially genetically identical with the patient. If this is not the case there is a possibility that the cells get rejected and the treatment fails. This technique of creating embryonic stem cells genetically identical to an individual in order to help or replace a patient's failing organ is called therapeutic cloning and is particularly challenging technically due to its early stages of development. This raises the question of whether it is a reliable and suitable technique to use on human beings. In fact, even good tissue matches between donor and recipient require some immunosuppressive therapy, meaning that the strength of the patient’s immune system must be weakened by taking a specific type of drug which has long term negative side-effects, including an increased risk for tumor growth.
To summarise, the arguments above prove that all scientists must consider whether the positive effects from their research will be significantly higher than the negative effects. These arguments confirm that the disadvantages of the use of embryonic stem cells greatly outnumber their single desirable feature to differentiate into any type of body tissue. Aside from the obvious risks patients face while treated with embryonic stem cells, there will also remain doubts regarding the ethical and moral consequences of pursuing this technique. The way I see it, scientists and people all around the world should always consider the fact that just because we can pursue a particular scientific course, it does not mean that we should.