Humans begin development as a stem cell. All body parts are made up of stem cells, and everyday humans relly on stem cells for cellular maintenance (to repair or to replace cells that are worn out or damaged). Decades ago, most of the world didn’t know about these vital cells. Today much has changed because scientists are engaged in research on stem cells that has opened up dialogue. This research has been responsible for both scientific excitement and controversy, triggering questions about the future and whether there is a place in medicine for stem cell use. The following will briefly provide some background information regarding these cells, the controversy they ignite, and why the scientific community argues for their use.

          There are two main types of cells in the human body: specialized cells (cells that serve specific purposes) and unspecialized cells (cells that haven’t yet been assigned specific duties). Our body is composed of specialized cells, with small pockets of the latter scattered throughout. Unspecialized cells are called stem cells, and they can be programmed to become any type of cell (heart muscle cells, nerve cells, blood cells, etc.) and perform any type of task. In addition to their versatility, they can also produce more stem cells. These facts drive stem cell investigation and make us wonder: what kind of impact could stem cells have on the medical field? – Can stem cells benefit medical treatments?

          Once a sperm and an egg meet, a special type of stem cell forms. That stem cell then replicates to produce more stem cells. Soon, those cells differentiate/mature, becoming skin, muscle, bone, connective tissue, parts of the respiratory and digestive tracts, etc. They go on to form the 250+ cell types within the human body. A single stem cell produced with the union of sperm and egg produces a human being. These cells have great power, and their capabilities are unparalleled.

          Stem cells have the potential to treat a broad range of diseases. According to California’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine (an institution dedicated toward promoting stem cell research), “In theory, there’s no limit to the types of diseases that could be treated with stem cell research . . . they have the potential to make breakthroughs in any disease” (7). Treatments involving stem cells exist today and have been around since the late 20th century.

          Hematopoietic blood stem cells (a type of blood stem cell found in umbilical cords and primarily in bone marrow) and peripheral blood stem cells (a type of blood stem cell found in the bloodstream) are used to treat cancers that affect the blood: leukemia, multiple myeloma, and some lymphomas. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy kill both cancerous cells and blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets) essential for survival. When these blood stem cells are transplanted into a patient with a blood cancer, they can differentiate into all types of blood cells. The transplant restores cells and allows a patient to receive higher doses of chemotherapy. Additionally, the transplant can also lead to the “graft-versus-tumor effect” where transplanted blood stem cells actually attack cancer cells (1).

          Currently, researchers are investigating how stem cell therapies might be used to treat several diseases and conditions (macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and diabetes) as well as how these cells can slow their progress and repair damage. Researchers are also studying stem cells to understand how cells involved in the diseases and conditions listed above grow so that their impact can be understand.

          There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells (found in embryos) and somatic/adult stem cells (stem cells found in humans after the embryonic stage of human development). Embryonic stem cells can give rise to any cell type and are abundant in embryos. Somatic stem cells, on the other hand, can only differentiate into a few types. This can be a disadvantage for scientists interested in producing an unrelated cell type (5). Somatic stem cells are also present in low quantities within the human body and are challenging to isolate and use. Isolating some types can seriously harm the individual whose cells are being extracted, causing damage to organs or tissue (5). The extraction of each type of stem cell, especially embryonic stem cells, is controversial. 

          The isolation and extraction of embryonic stem cells results in the death of a human embryo: a human in the early stages of development before it is born (3). Moral implications continue to be highly debated amongst many (including political leaders), as they try to determine right and wrong as well as how to regulate and fund embryonic stem cell research. Several ethical questions include the following: when does life begin? . . . at fertilization? Where does life begin? . . . in the womb or at birth? Is a human embryo equivalent to a human child? Does a human embryo have rights? Is the destruction of a single embryo justified if it provides a cure for countless patients? Should taxpayer dollars be used to fund embryo and stem cell research when some believe it to be unethical? (6).

          The struggle amongst political leaders is evident when one looks to the Bush and Obama administrations. The limitations set by the Bush administration on embryonic stem cell research in 2001 were overturned by the Obama administration in 2009 with the issuing of Executive Order 13505. President Bush’s policy provided federal funding for the 21 embryonic stem cell lines (cultures of embryonic stem cells that can be grown indefinitely) that had already been destroyed and harvested for their parts prior to the establishment of his policy. It did not provide federal funding for new stem cell lines due to the administration’s pro-life initiative. President Obama’s policy increased this number to 369 (6). As stated in the article, “The Stem Cell Debate: Is it Over?” “Regulations and policies change frequently to keep up with the pace of research and reflect the views of different political parties.” Current U.S. legislation outlaw embryo creation for the sole purpose of research. Scientists instead receive embryos from fertility clinics with consent from donors. These embryos are considered to be medical waste from in vitro fertilization (6).

          Various arguments exist for and against the use of embryonic stem cells for stem cell research. A central argument focuses on the embryo. Some who support embryonic stem cell research don’t believe embryos deserve full moral status. They argue that due to the embryo’s dependence on an individual’s body, the fertilized egg (the embryo) is still part of the individual’s body and thus not an individual. Therefore, they believe embryos can be used to provide embryo stem cells for embryonic stem cell research. Some who oppose the research think otherwise. The article titled, “Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research,” published by the National Institutes of Health, states the following:

          Some people . . . believe that an embryo is a person with the same moral status as an adult or a live-born child . . . they believe that ‘human life begins at               conception’ and that an embryo is therefore a person . . . taking a blastocyst and removing the inner cell mass to derive an embryonic stem cell line is                     tantamount to murder (2).

They acknowledge that the development of a fertilized egg into a baby is a continuous process, and they believe that trying to identify when personhood begins exactly is arbitrary. They emphasize that a human embryo is a human being in the embryonic stage similar to how an infant is a human being in the infant stage.

          Some researchers have refrained from destroying embryos and have directed their attention to creating stem cells in the laboratory instead. These artificial stem cells (IPS stem cells) are produced when an organism’s cell (cells from skin, fat, etc.) are reprogrammed. Thus, a patient’s own cells can be made to behave like embryonic stem cells. For instance, mouse IPS cells “can become any cell in the body (or even a whole mouse)” (5). Interestingly, “Although more analysis is needed, the same appears to be true for human IPS cells, making them a promising source of cells for treating many diseases” (5). IPS cells are not as expensive as embryonic stem cells and don’t trigger rejection by the immune system since they are made from a patient’s own cells; however, the reprogramming aspect involved in their synthesis introduces genetic modifications, making their safety questionable.

          In recent years, scientists have discovered a supply of embryonic stem cells in umbilical cords. These stem cells have even been used to treat a wide range of blood-based diseases. Thus, umbilical cords, which have generally been discarded after an infant is born, have been repurposed and are no longer considered medical waste. Their versatility and availability make them “a potent resource for transplant therapies” (4).  

          American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Science does not know its debt to imagination.” Imagination and the fact that stem cells are undifferentiated and can be programmed has led us to pose exciting questions about the use of stem cells for the treatment of disease. However, as with most scientific discoveries stem cell research has led to debate as political leaders try to maintain morality — specifically, when determining how stem cells should be acquired for use in research. Advancements taking place with synthetic stem cells and the use of umbilical cords could still enable the medical world to utilize stem cells without destroying the early stages of a human being in development, ending debate. The future holds many exciting possibilities in medicine.

 

Works Cited

1. "Blood-Forming Stem Cell Transplants." National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

2. Lo, Bernard, and Lindsay Parham. "Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research." Endocrine Reviews. The Endocrine Society, May 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

3. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

4. "Stem Cells in Use." Stem Cells in Use. Genetic Science Learning Center, 10 July 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

5. "Stem Cell Quick Reference." Stem Cell Quick Reference. Genetic Science Learning Center, 10 July 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

6. "The Stem Cell Debate: Is It Over?" The Stem Cell Debate: Is It Over? Genetic Science Learning Center, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

7. "The Power of Stem Cells." California's Stem Cell Agency. California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.