Stem Cell - A small miracle
Most medical breakthroughs are met with great anticipation but none has created such national controversy as stem cell research. Leading scientists are investigating the possiblity of cell-based therapies to treat disease. They call this regenerative or reparative medicine that involves replacing damaged cells with healthy cells. But in this field of scientific inquiry, research on the stem cell raises scientific questions as rapidly as it makes new discoveries.
Regenerative or reparative medicine sounds simple, but can anyone predict the results of introducing something foreign to the body with 100% accuracy? And if it regenerates, what is the outcome of a process once it has started? Yes it may hold promise for cures of man’s most dreaded illnesses and diseases but at what cost? This has been a moral and ethical dilemma that must be carefully weighed. Let not morality stand in the way of progress, but let morally guide us to make decisions that are equitable to all, respecting and preserving both health and life. This debate will continue to weigh the pros and the cons of such a medical venture.
It has been theorized by scientists that the stem cell may, in the future, have the potential for treating diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and heart disease.
I feel most diseases can be prevented and monies should be spent on investigating the causes as well as the cures. If we as a society abuse and neglect our bodies and expose it to undesireable elements it becomes off balance and opens it up to a pandoras box of diseases. Take obesity for instance. Obesity itself creates diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, just to name a few.
Scientists feel that the study of the human embryonic stem cell may contain important information on how the human body develops. Since many serious medical conditions are caused by abnormal division of the stem cell, scientists hypothesize that turning these genes on and off may have an impact on their development
The most important potential application of the human stem cell is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell-based therapies. Donated organs and tissues are often used to replace unheathy tissue, but the need for transplantable tissues and organs is greater than the supply that is currently available. The stem cell is directed to differentiate into specific types, and offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases that include Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
For a more detailed discussion of stem cell search on the home site http://stemcells.nih.gov and go to Stem Cells: Scientific Progress and Future Rearch Directions. Check the Frequently Asked Questions page for quick answers to specific questions.
President George W. Bush announced on August 9th, 2001, that federal funds may be awarded for research using the human embryonic stem cell if certain criteria are met. As of June 2006, the details of this criteria can be found on the link NIH’s Role in Federal Policy.