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| The Potential in Stem Cell Research |
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What is a stem cell? Why is it important? Why is there such an ethical battle over the use of stem cells to conduct research? The answers are not simple, nor is there a complete answer for everyone. Stem cells are cells that can grow into any other type of cell. With current scientific process, the only way to make a new cell is with a process called ‘somatic cell nuclear transfer’.
This process is the crux of the ethical battle between the church, government, and scientific communities. The process involves placing a cells nucleus into an empty human egg. After the egg grows for about one week, the embryonic stem cell forms from the original egg. However, harvesting this cell causes the death of the human egg. Religious groups and human rights activists see this as the destruction, or murder, of an unborn child. While advocacy groups continue to halt forward progress due to this ethical dilemma, scientists have recently discovered how to make an ‘imitation’ embryonic cell using human skin tissue, without the process involving the destruction of the human egg. This breakthrough will open doors and pave the way for advancement in the science and healthcare communities. This new technique has been labeled a ‘potential peacemaker’ in stem cell research. Also being examined is the ability to use hormone treatments to use eggs for cloning. As the human body only contains a finite number of eggs in the human lifecycle, this process is being examined as well to provide eggs for use in the laboratory. Significant headway has been established while at the same time, attempting to work within the boundaries set forth by the communities at large. |
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