Stem Cell Research

Stem Cell Research

Lets us start with a brief introduction of the topic. Stem cells are the basic building blocks of a human or animal body. These cells have the ability to grow and transform into different cell types. Currently, scientists all around the world are working on the development of these stem cells and procedures to use these cells for repairing and regenerating tissues in a human body that have been damaged. Scientists believe these cells can be used to heal tissues, organs and other parts of a human body. Conditions such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cardiac diseases are considered to be curable once proper research is done in stem cells. Another importance of the study of stem cells is the insights in reproduction and biology that it would offer. Normally, there are three types of stem cell sources: the bone marrow (adult stem cells), the Umbilical cord blood (Foetal stem cells) and the Embryo (embryonic stem cells).

Twenty years ago, stem cell research had been nothing more than a mere concept or a myth. Today, it is giving a new perspective to medical research and science. This research could easily usher new theories and provide breakthroughs in the treatment of incurable diseases. Man has the tendency to oppose things that he does not understand and I believe that the same is the case with this research. Today, religious, political and ethical issues have aroused that oppose the use of stem cells in medical research. The government has also prohibited the funding of such research and it is also one of the topics being debated by the Congress.

My question is: why would the government ban a research that could save the lives of thousands and probably more? If a cure for cancer is made, millions of lives would be saved. It is confusing why the government would refuse to fund and support research that would cure severe diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Imagine if the stem cell research yields a cure for spinal cord injury. It would relieve millions of people from disability. One possible answer to my question is that the government supports the belief that this research is unethical and immoral because it involves the destruction of human embryo that holds new life forms. In other claims, some have voiced concerns for the possibility that stem cell research would lead to immoral practices such as cloned babies, embryo farms and using fetuses are spare parts. Some people have also gone as far as to claim that stem cell usage would 'commodify' human life.

People claim that using stem cells from an embryo is the same as using the organs of a baby to save another but I do not consider this to hold any truth. Research has clearly proven that an embryo that is under 14 days has no characteristics of a human form and at that stage, it is not even confirmed if the embryo will develop into a human life form or ...