![]() There is always the possibility of rejection.Įmbryonic stem cells, even when activated to the correct type of cell, could be rejected by the human body. Unstable gene expressions, tumor formation, and an inability to activate the cells to their specific cell purpose are the three most common challenges that this research currently faces.Ģ. Significant obstacles have been found in the treatment-related research of embryonic stem cells to this date. The reports of successful clinical treatments from embryonic stem cells are few. What Are the Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research?ġ. For children with immunodeficiency diseases who have been treated in such a way, success rates are approaching 90%. People treated with embryonic stem cells from cord blood have shown benefits.Īlthough official embryonic stem cell treatments have not been created yet, more than 6,000 people and 66 different diseases have been treated successfully with cord blood therapies. ![]() No eggs that are fertilized within a woman’s body are ever used for this type of research.ħ. The others are then either frozen or discarded. IVF clinics use the most viable embryos created in such a setting for implantation. The embryos which are used to collect stem cells are virtually all created within a laboratory setting in the first place. Embryonic stem cells are never derived from eggs that are fertilized within a human. Because these lines can divide into specific cells and keep growing, their future potential is much higher than even what adult stem cells could potentially provide for future treatment.Ħ. Because these cells could be activated to become any type of cell in the body, they could be used to grow organs, repair tendons and ligaments, stop tissue damage, cure cancer, end diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, and much more. The potential of what a line of embryonic stem cells could become is virtually unlimited. The field of embryonic stem cell research is still in its earliest stages. The donors of the embryos or the umbilical cord blood have given explicit permission for them to be used for medical research.ĥ. The stem cells which are harvested from embryos are done so with permission. There aren’t nefarious individuals from a health care provider breaking into IVF clinics to steal frozen embryos. Some doctor isn’t going to come into a hospital after a mother gives birth to steal the umbilical cord. ![]() All embryonic stem cells are harvested with consent. Many of the embryos are frozen and have their development stopped for some time before researchers harvest the cells in the first place.Ĥ. Embryos that are used for stem cell research are harvested and then destroyed long before this development would occur. The required components of the central nervous system for a developing fetus to sense pain are not developed until around 20 weeks after conception. Embryos do not have the capability of feeling pain. The only way this type of stem cell harvest would be considered unethical would be if the umbilical cord stayed attached to the child, which we know does not happen.ģ. Even if the cord blood is being stored for future personal treatments, it is still possible to obtain a line of stem cells that can be used for research purposes. This research allows for the embryos to serve a useful purpose.Įmbryonic stem cells can be harvested from the umbilical cord after a child has been born. At best, before embryonic stem cell research, these embryos were kept frozen and then stored indefinitely until they became non-viable. The IVF process which couples undergo to have children often creates numerous embryos that are discarded. Most embryonic stem cells are from discarded embryos. What Are the Pros of Embryonic Stem Cell Research?ġ. ![]() These embryonic stem cell research pros and cons cannot answer to the ethics of such practices, but they can highlight the key points of this avenue of medical research. When does human life begin? And if it begins with the creation of cells, does the destruction of an embryo for research or medical treatment constitute murder? Obtaining these stem cells means the embryo must be destroyed in the process, which creates an ethical question which must be answered. Because they can grow into all three derivatives of the 3 primary germ layers, it becomes possible to grow them into every one of the 200+ cell types in the human body when specified to do so. These cells are derived from the undifferentiated inner mass of cells that are formed within a human embryo. ![]() One of the most promising avenues of medical research in the last generation has been embryonic stem cells. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |