Essay - Stem Cell Research Introduction the Field of Regenerative Medicine Has...

Stem Cell Research

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The field of regenerative medicine has achieved great strides in the recent years. Particularly, the research on stem cells and the promis*****g possibilities for several degenerative diseases, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions has created a p*****radigm shift in our medical perspective. Stem cells have the unique ability to differentiate into different types of ***** based on the environment. This new ***** of research has however been marred by controversies pertaining to ***** ethics and the morality of doing research with human embryos. More recently though, medical focus has shifted *****wards ano*****r interesting and non-controversial possibility- that of umbilical cord blood ***** cell *****. ***** holds great promise ***** offers a whole new approach to management of diseases. Diseases such as leukemia, spinal injuries, diabetes, immunological disorders, stroke related ***** damage could now be effectively treated offering a new ray of hope for millions of patients. We are yet a long way from perfecting the technology and there are a lot of ethic*****l ***** surrounding stem cell research. A brief overview ***** the issues related to stem cell ***** will help us *****tter understand this controversial yet promising development in medical science.

Stem **********

Before disc*****sing the controversies pertaining to stem ***** research it is necessary ***** ***** the specialty of stem cells. Stem cells are the basic cells of the body that have both differentiating as well as replicating properties. Researchers have categorized stem cells into four major types namely totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent and unipotent cells. Totipotent cells refer to those cells that ***** formed immediately after the fusion of the egg and the sperm. ***** cells have the capabil*****y to ***** in ***** embryonic as well as other non-embryonic cell ***** of the human body. Pluripotent *****s are the cells derived from totipotent ***** ***** can differentiate and form into any tissue type of the ***** body. Multipotent cells on the other hand can typically differentiate into cells of closely related ***** types. One good example of multipotent cells would be hematopoietic stem cells. The ***** cells ***** into white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, etc. Lastly, ***** stem cells as the name suggests are ***** cells ***** ***** develop into only one particular type of tissue. [Holland Suzanne, 2001]

Sources of ***** cells and Ethics

The controversy about stem cell research comes from its source. There ***** many different sources of stem *****s ********** embryonic ***** cells, embryonic germ cells, adult stem ***** and umbilical cord blood. Adult ***** cell research has been around for a long time *****nd the first b***** marrow transplant took place in 1968. The main problem with adult stem cells is the difficulty of in vitro cultivation of the ***** cells. Embryonic stem ***** on ***** other hand are obta*****ed from the human embryos and *****fore stir ethical *****. As the physician's Oath in ***** 1948 Declaration of Geneva, states: "I will ********** the utmost respect for human life ***** the time of conception.." [The White House] Th***** implies