Pros and Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

The concept of embryonic stem cell research is highly controversial. Although it has proved to be very essential in finding cures for deadly diseases, there is a global debate surrounding it as it is considered by many to be of an unethical nature.

Embryonic stem cells are considered the basic building block of human life and are encoded with all the necessary information about the human genetics. They develop 4 to 5 days after a sperm fertilizes the female eggs. They are extracted from an embryo before the cells begin to differentiate. The embryo at this stage is called a blastocyst. It contains over 100 cells; of which majority are stem cells. These cells can be kept alive for a long time. The stem cells are grown in cultures, wherein they self-replicate.

The embryonic stem cells are non-specialized cells, which have the potential to produce other types of specialized cells. They are more abundant in the body of a fetus than an adult.

Let us now look at the pros and cons of the embryonic stem cell research.

• Pros:

1. The cells can be modified to replicate the specialized function of cells of organs such as brain, heart, liver and lungs. The embryonic stem cell research can help in treating dangerous diseases such as leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, Type I diabetes, lymphoma. It can be used to correct birth defects and replace or repair your damaged organs such as retina and spinal cord.

2. The major advantage of embryonic stem cell research can give some valuable insights about the basic structure and functioning of the body. Moreover, adult cells can be used to replace embryonic cells, as they don’t have similar properties.

3. Early testing on embryonic stem cells has proved to be beneficial in understanding the aging process. This can help scientists in identifying the specific enzymes that cause aging. Certain proteins are created in your cells that cause you to age at a specific rate. Due to embryonic stem cell research, scientists can device a procedure to block or remove these enzymes to slow down the aging process. Thus, you won’t have to suffer from diseases or disorders caused due to aging.

• Cons:

1. The problem begins with the source for getting human embryonic stem cells. They are extracted from a 5 to 9 week old embryo. The embryo is taken from a woman undergoing abortion. Many pro- life organizations believe that it is immoral to destroy an embryo. They believe that humans have no right to mess with the laws of nature.

2. Many people believe that in the future, embryonic stem cell research could lead to human cloning, which can have adverse effects.

The debate regarding embryonic stem cell research is so intense because it’s a matter of life and it is difficult to judge whether it is more important to save someone who is dying of a disease or not to violate nature by extracting embryo cells. The choice is subjective and it is up to you to decide which side you want to be on.

To get more information about embryonic stem cell research, log on to www.stemcells.cam.ac.uk.

No related posts.