Stem-cell research
Stem- cells are cells that have yet to be given a title. By having a “title” I mean that these cells can be transformed into any type of cell desired and are not predestined to be anything specific. Not only can they be changed into any cell that is wanted, but they also can multiply and renew themselves through cell division. This is an amazing concept because in paralyzed victims, cells that have died can be rejuvenated/replaced by these stem cells, making the possibility of nonparalysis againIt seems that at this point in time, we are at a cross roads in where we stand in the stem-cell research debate. America is very split between whether this is something we should invest our money in, or if it’s not only a waste of our time but an infringement on our morals. Using an embryo for the purpose of science is seen as wasting a life, and in many religions ending the life of one person is not worth saving the life of another. There are alternatives such as using adult-stem cells instead of embryonic-stem cells. The difference between adult stem-cells and embryonic stem-cells is that adult cells are more mature of course, and embryonic cells are so young, that they have yet to be predestined to become a certain type of cell. Adult stem-cells are hard to extract from “adult tissues” as well. Scientists are still trying to figure out how to grow these adult stem-cells in large quantities. With all these road blocks in the way, scientists have looked to other sources to use in research and that is why they have chosen embryonic stem-cells. Not only are they easy to make, but they can be transformed into any type of cell in the human body that you can imagine. While an adult stem-cell only has a few options in terms of the type of cell it can turn into.
Stem-cell research has not been around for very long. People have known the whereabouts of stem-cells from the start of the 20th century but were not implemented for the first time until about the mid 1970’s. Obama recently signed a bill in March of 2009, stating that the use of stem cell lines was allowed, but the government would not be funding any scientists to make/attain new ones. Although allowing stem cells in the first place is a large step in the right direction, the fact that no new stem cell lines can be created is still holding the science realm back. As our competitors, China, Australia and England pull ahead in terms of scientific findings; we are beginning to lag and are losing one of our greatest exports, knowledge, to other countries. many Americans believe that we are devaluing the human life to a sick extent. However, what the other half of America believes is that not only do the benefits outweigh the negative on this type of research, but these embryos have no organs, nerves, any visible shape. This form of research can also be seen as a form of abortion; although the embryo is not from the womb, scientists are choosing to “abort the embryo”. People are also afraid that by allowing this type of research, scientist will take advantage of it and begin cloning humans left and right. As long as there is government supervision and control over what is happening to these embryos, nothing like this should ever take place. At the end of the day, the real question is, would you rather save the life of one embryo or would you rather save the millions of lives of people with terminal illnesses. What is unethical to 51% of America, is ignoring this vital resource we have and letting thousands of people die because the other 49% of America wishes to save the embryo’s lives instead (Gilgoff).
This untapped resource is inevitably the future for not only the medical field but for everybody. It is untapped in the sense that renewable energy is untapped. There is so much potential in this field just, and should be just as much of a priority as reducing our Carbon Dioxide emissions. If Americans chose to leave this resource behind, it will only become our loss as other countries pull ahead of us economically, as more people die, and most importantly as we chose to become an idle and naïve country. If we want the government to act further on this sensitive topic, the voices of America need to be made. Our representatives are supposed to be the voice of the people, if enough people are concerned with this topic it will be debated in congress and hopefully progress will be made. That will only happen though if enough people make this top priority in their minds and show it through their actions. Nancy Reagan, former first wife, couldn’t have said it any better. “Science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research, which may provide our scientists with answers that have so long been beyond our grasp. I just don’t see how we can turn our backs on this- there are just so many diseases that can be cured, or at least helped. We have lost so much time already, and I just really can’t bear to lose any more”. (Lander) Hopefully citizens of not only America, but citizens of the world will realize how important this is to our humanity and promote this topic within their country to lead an example.
