Essay - Altering the Universe: from Gutenberg to Biotech Introduction Revolution is...

Altering the Universe: From Gutenberg to Biotech

Introduction

Revolution is in ***** air. While the digital revolution ***** transforming our view of the universe, the biotech revolution has the potential ***** alter the ***** itself. The parallel with the invention ***** the printing press and the Renaissance is clear. (Blake, 2001). "Gutenberg's and Caxton's inventions turned ***** world figuratively and intellectually upside down ***** heralded new patterns of human activity and organization that were inconceivable prior to the early 15th century." (*****, 2001, pg. 9). One ***** ***** great achievements of that era was the quick adaptation of this communications revolution to every aspect ***** human life. Today, "we are at the beginning of a ***** Renaissance...." (Blake, 2001, pg. 9). ***** ***** the more controversial elements of this new Renaissance is stem cell research. There is perhaps no field fraught ***** more possibility along with questions of morality and medical ethics. (Hickey, 2001).

Stem cells are ***** foundation for every type ***** cell in the body, and are believed to be a key in the development of treatments ***** autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes, and various forms ***** paralysis. (Hickey, *****).

Stem cell research is a valuable ***** weapon against the global war against disease. There are a number of w*****ys to achieve it w*****hout controversy. And there is a simple re*****son to view even the use of "pre-embryos" as a necessary and worthwhile sacrifice in this war.

Adult Human Stem Cell Research: A Viable *****lternative

It makes a great deal of sense to use adult stem cells in place of those from embryos to avoid ***** raging controversy of embryonic stem cell research. Within the last several years, ***** discovery of ***** stem cells in ***** variety has been reported. Adult *****-cell research has been hailed bye Science magaz*****e as an astonishing breakthrough. (Edwards, 2000).

***** stem cells have been found in skin *****d bone marrow, as well as in the bloodstream. Scientists ***** recently uncovered neural stem cells in ***** brain. The discovery of stem ***** in the cornea is outstanding news for ***** who need corneal transplants. Corneal stem cells have already been used to treat patients in whom traditional corneal transplants ***** unsuccessful. (Edwards, *****).

Adult stem cells can be recovered through tissue biopsy from patients, or grown in culture, and can be induced to differentiate into a wide range of mature cell types. (Condic, 2002).

***** scientific, ethical, and political advantages of using adult stem *****, instead of embryonic cells, are clear. Deriving cells from an adult patient's own tissues completely circumvents the problem of immune system rejection. The *****rapeutic use of adult stem cells raises very few ethical red flags ***** completely gets around the highly divisive and acrimonious political debate ***** ***** the use of ***** *****. (Condic, 2002).

The concern ***** cells from diseased ***** may *****mselves be abnormal is largely unwarranted. In the minority of cases where human illness is caused by genetic factors, most such *****es occur relatively