Table of Contents
What is bad about using stem cells in medical treatment?
The risks to research participants undergoing stem cell transplantation include tumour formation, inappropriate stem cell migration, immune rejection of transplanted stem cells, haemorrhage during neurosurgery and postoperative infection.
Why we should not use embryonic stem cells?
Stem cells differentiate into many specialized cells and are therefore of interest in chronic conditions for which treatment is limited. However, human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research is unethical since it results in the destruction of human life for research purposes.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of embryonic stem cells?
Table 1
| Stem cell type | Limitations | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Embryonic stem cells | (1) Ethical dilemmas (2) Possible immune rejection after implantation (3) Only a small number of differentiated cardiomyoctes can be generated (4) May lead to teratocarcinomas (5) Genetic instability | Can differentiate into cells of all three germ layers |
Why do some researchers prefer to use embryonic stem cells in medical research?
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to create any cell type in the human body. Adult stem cells are more specialized; they generally make cells only from their tissue of origin. Thus, embryonic stem cells can do things that adult stem cells cannot do.
Why should we not use embryonic stem cells?
Is it legal to do embryonic stem cell research?
Despite public perceptions, embryonic stem cell research was legal in the U.S. during the Bush administration: the President had banned the use of federal funds for research. He did not ban private and state research funding, much of which was being conducted by pharmaceutical mega-corporations.
Why was the use of stem cells first controversial?
Why were stem cells first controversial? Historically, the use of stem cells in medical research has been controversial. This is because when the therapeutic use of stem cells first came to the public’s attention in the late 1990s, scientists were deriving human stem cells from embryos.
What can you do with embryonic stem cells?
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to create new organs, tissues, and systems within the human body. With a little guidance from scientists, these stem cells have shown that they can become new organs, new blood vessels, and even new ligaments for those with ACL tears.
Who are the opponents of stem cell research?
Some opponents of stem cell research argue that it offends human dignity or harms or destroys human life. Proponents argue that easing suffering and disease promotes human dignity and happiness, and that destroying a blastocyst is not the same as taking a human life. Laboratory research on adult stem cells is generally uncontroversial.