by Marcus Skiles

Created on: August 28, 2009   Last Updated: August 29, 2009

Since its beginning in the mid-1800's, the science of stem cell research has been debated over. Some say that stem cell research goes against human morals - that scientists are attempting to "play God". Others see this research as the future of the human race, as it has the greatest potential of any treatment to cure and prevent diseases and defects that were previously untreatable (or at best delayed). For example, neural cells in the brain or spinal cord can be replaced with stem cells. In cancer patients, cells that are destroyed by radiation or chemotherapy can be replaced with healthy stem cells that adapt to whatever area they are applied to, whether it be the lungs, heart, brain, liver, or wherever else they are needed.

First of all, what are stem cells? Stem cells are cells that have the ability to renew themselves through mitosis and can differentiate into many different specialized cells. There are two categories of stem cells, embryonic and somatic (adult). Embryonic cells are the main source of controversy within stem cell research, as they require destroying an embryo to obtain. Those who believe in the sanctity of life from conception liken this to murder - destroying a human life. Advocates of stem cell research argue that the embryo has no human features, and that stem cell lines already exist due to the practice of in vitro fertilization. They also make it very clear that no embryo will be created for the purpose for experimentation.

Embryonic cells are harvested from a single embryo before the cells in it begin to differentiate themselves. When the cells are taken at this time, they can be grown in cultures where they double every 2-3 days. This makes it less likely that more embryos will be destroyed, since the existing ones always continue to grow. Because these cells are the precursor to all specialized tissue in an embryo, they can be administered to prevent birth defects or genetic anomalies that would have otherwise been untreatable. However, those who are against stem cell research point out that about twenty percent of mice treated with embryonic stem cells for Parkinson's disease died as a result of brain tumors. It seems that embryonic stem cells (when stored for long periods of time) can create the type of chromosomal anomalies that have been known to cause cancer. These same people also point out that funding this branch of stem cell research takes away funding from the other two branches, which are more promising and less controversial.

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