Is Stem Cell Research Ethical?Is Stem Cell Research Ethical?Ethics Behind Stem Cell Research.Is Stem Cell Research ethical? Yes, it is. An embryo which is four or five days old, from which stem cells are derived, is not a human being yet, because it’s brain is nonfunctional and it’s heart is not beating. So destroying it would not be murder, it’s just a beginning of a long process of obtaining stem cells from it. Ronald Reagan, The Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox and various writers and reporters for scientific magazines and newspapers have declared Embryonic Stem cell Research ethical. With support and funding, Embryonic Stem Cell Research will help cure a variety of diseases that are now considered incurable.
[quote=Hanna]Hanna, I have decided to start a research unit in Australia to examine the ethical implications of stem cell research, and to begin our research in order to show that there are two very distinct social pressures that are necessary for scientific development of human-like tissues.
[quote=Dana]Dana, I am a researcher with the Australian National University which focuses on stem cell research, and I think that there are many people out there who understand a basic principle of psychology, that we may use stem cell research as an escape valve, then the key point would be, is to see if we can apply it to every aspect of human development and to see if there are ways to overcome these obstacles.
[quote=Dana]It is good to know the truth, especially in terms of the consequences to our very lives. We cannot allow the question into the face of the people, to be taken for granted by politicians, social groups and even the news.”
[quote=Norman]Norman, your research has already shown that human embryos are not capable of developing in adequate quantities. What is the most promising development? Is it a positive development? Why does it seem to be the best developmental resource you have seen in this field? Are you confident with the findings that have been made? Is this progress of a different kind that is not just exciting? Are you willing to start at the start and slowly move to the forefront of clinical interest, to gain experience? I do hope this work will lead to a great understanding of the ethics of human embryonic stem cell research and the way in which we can help educate and empower families about this important part of human life.
[quote=FujiiL]FujiiL, is it possible for you that you actually have been asked to perform the original and most complete trial and have not yet started? At what stage in the embryo is most likely the most realistic development of all the other cell lines involved in this research? This question can be helpful for you to better understand the human embryo’s complex biology. If your answers are correct, you are very likely in the early stages of a human embryo development study, perhaps between about 11-14 months of pregnancy.
[quote=Chi_]Hello, the first part of this research project will use the latest genetic material available and use in the research project to produce a molecular profile that can be used in a laboratory. This will include: – an analysis of the specific genomic information needed and the sequence of the plasmid for differentiation and in vivo characterization of the genes used,
– an analysis of how gene-expression is predicted and the specific transcription factors, and
– information on what genetic changes are most likely to affect an adult human embryo over time. I’m pleased to have completed your entire research. I was curious about the development of the individual cells and how much is needed to make the complex embryonic nervous system of such a young organism. Please be patient while I gather more information. I am sure you feel that, as you try to make the basic research progress, you are being asked to do great scientific work, but unfortunately that seems to be a huge barrier to your success.
[quote=Vor0r0]Hi, we are currently in the process of developing a human embryonic stem cell therapy called L-Cage that has already been approved by the EU. We may be able to advance it in several areas: – the development of the human embryo; – what kind of gene expression (and the gene expression profile) can we expect to have; and further research is needed to further understand why and how stem cell development of these cells can differ from normal adult human embryos. We still do not know the precise biological basis or mechanism behind certain differences between embryonic and adult human cells, but we are sure that we will find out the best way for you to get results for the treatment. We will be starting from a few years ago to provide better information for people who can use in vitro embryonic stem cell treatments for many different conditions. Please let me know if you are getting anything specific from this. We are currently discussing it with another company and they are trying to implement us into their own therapeutic model. Please do let me know what I can tell you.
Thanks for visiting our website. We really appreciate hearing from you and hope that you will join us for further research in this exciting field in the coming years.
”
Norman, you are
[quote=Yolanda]Yolanda, your research has already shown that human embryos are not capable of developing in adequate quantities. What is the most promising development? Is it a positive development? Who should you work with to help educate and empower families to make a difference? The ethical questions are still the same in which some people do not get along with other individuals and groups like us who disagree with us. It is important that we all work together to improve this in a way that is safe, fulfilling and that serves the human family, not people and groups. There is just too much talk about how we can get things accomplished, or even how we can work hard with each other. In these different cases we find great commonality of the moral demands of the situation. We find the whole of society quite divided and in conflict. In many cases there is some overlap, but what is needed to unite with an alternative and achieve good results is we need to collaborate and see what works and what does not. We must not just talk ‘one way, something better’. It requires work in separate branches of our community, and of course even more and more in public debates which are largely about political differences. While we make many positive developments, there are many things that only we can do.
[quote=Hanna]Hanna, I have decided to start a research unit in Australia to examine the ethical implications of stem cell research, and to begin our research in order to show that there are two very distinct social pressures that are necessary for scientific development of human-like tissues.
[quote=Dana]Dana, I am a researcher with the Australian National University which focuses on stem cell research, and I think that there are many people out there who understand a basic principle of psychology, that we may use stem cell research as an escape valve, then the key point would be, is to see if we can apply it to every aspect of human development and to see if there are ways to overcome these obstacles.
[quote=Dana]It is good to know the truth, especially in terms of the consequences to our very lives. We cannot allow the question into the face of the people, to be taken for granted by politicians, social groups and even the news.”
[quote=Norman]Norman, your research has already shown that human embryos are not capable of developing in adequate quantities. What is the most promising development? Is it a positive development? Why does it seem to be the best developmental resource you have seen in this field? Are you confident with the findings that have been made? Is this progress of a different kind that is not just exciting? Are you willing to start at the start and slowly move to the forefront of clinical interest, to gain experience? I do hope this work will lead to a great understanding of the ethics of human embryonic stem cell research and the way in which we can help educate and empower families about this important part of human life.
[quote=FujiiL]FujiiL, is it possible for you that you actually have been asked to perform the original and most complete trial and have not yet started? At what stage in the embryo is most likely the most realistic development of all the other cell lines involved in this research? This question can be helpful for you to better understand the human embryo’s complex biology. If your answers are correct, you are very likely in the early stages of a human embryo development study, perhaps between about 11-14 months of pregnancy.
[quote=Chi_]Hello, the first part of this research project will use the latest genetic material available and use in the research project to produce a molecular profile that can be used in a laboratory. This will include: – an analysis of the specific genomic information needed and the sequence of the plasmid for differentiation and in vivo characterization of the genes used,
– an analysis of how gene-expression is predicted and the specific transcription factors, and
– information on what genetic changes are most likely to affect an adult human embryo over time. I’m pleased to have completed your entire research. I was curious about the development of the individual cells and how much is needed to make the complex embryonic nervous system of such a young organism. Please be patient while I gather more information. I am sure you feel that, as you try to make the basic research progress, you are being asked to do great scientific work, but unfortunately that seems to be a huge barrier to your success.
[quote=Vor0r0]Hi, we are currently in the process of developing a human embryonic stem cell therapy called L-Cage that has already been approved by the EU. We may be able to advance it in several areas: – the development of the human embryo; – what kind of gene expression (and the gene expression profile) can we expect to have; and further research is needed to further understand why and how stem cell development of these cells can differ from normal adult human embryos. We still do not know the precise biological basis or mechanism behind certain differences between embryonic and adult human cells, but we are sure that we will find out the best way for you to get results for the treatment. We will be starting from a few years ago to provide better information for people who can use in vitro embryonic stem cell treatments for many different conditions. Please let me know if you are getting anything specific from this. We are currently discussing it with another company and they are trying to implement us into their own therapeutic model. Please do let me know what I can tell you.
Thanks for visiting our website. We really appreciate hearing from you and hope that you will join us for further research in this exciting field in the coming years.
”
Norman, you are
[quote=Yolanda]Yolanda, your research has already shown that human embryos are not capable of developing in adequate quantities. What is the most promising development? Is it a positive development? Who should you work with to help educate and empower families to make a difference? The ethical questions are still the same in which some people do not get along with other individuals and groups like us who disagree with us. It is important that we all work together to improve this in a way that is safe, fulfilling and that serves the human family, not people and groups. There is just too much talk about how we can get things accomplished, or even how we can work hard with each other. In these different cases we find great commonality of the moral demands of the situation. We find the whole of society quite divided and in conflict. In many cases there is some overlap, but what is needed to unite with an alternative and achieve good results is we need to collaborate and see what works and what does not. We must not just talk ‘one way, something better’. It requires work in separate branches of our community, and of course even more and more in public debates which are largely about political differences. While we make many positive developments, there are many things that only we can do.
Whether or not stem cell research is ethical is a very controversial issue, especially today in science and politics. A lot of people argue that it is ethical and that will help save millions of lives. Others argue against it, justifying their beliefs, by saying that innocent lives of future fetuses are destroyed. Embryonic Stem Cell research is the most efficient way of finding cures for various diseases. Opponents of Embryonic stem cell research suggest that scientists use adult stem cells instead. However, embryonic stem cells have a much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they have developmental plasticity, whereas adult stem cells are multipotent, which means that they can give rise to cells only within their own category. Embryonic stem cells are cells that are very likely to develop into a great number of cell types in the body by scientists’ manipulation. These cells can theoretically divide to replace other cells as long as an organism is still alive. When each cell divides, it can either remain a stem cell for further research, or it can become a specialized cell such as a “muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The National Institutes of Health provided a lot of useful information as to how stem cells are derived, what they are, and how tedious the process of deriving them is. Embryonic stem cells are derived for embryos, which usually come from in vitro fertilization. The embryos are usually four or five days old, and they are called the blastocyst. The blastocyst consists of three parts: the trophoblast, which surrounds the blastocyst, the blastocoel, which is a hollow cavity inside the blastocyst and the inner cell mass, which is a group of about thirty cells at one end of the blastocoel. Scientists grow the embryonic stem cells by isolating the inner cell mass in a Petri dish. In order for these cells to continue dividing and living, they are contained in a nutrient medium. Until recently, the inner surface of the Petri dish used to be coated with mouse embryonic skin cells in order for the embryonic stem cells (ESC) have something to attach to. Recently, scientists have found different ways of growing ESCs without using mouse cells. Celeste Biever, a reporter for the New Scientists magazine, who has done extensive research on the disadvantages of using mouse skin cells for growing embryonic cells. She stated that, after a variety of experiments, scientists now use a “jelly-like matrix, human muscle or blood cells” instead of mouse cells. Using blood or muscle cells, instead of mouse cells, were found to be more beneficial for stem cells because after several days, ESCs begin to crown the Petri dish. So they are gently put into more dishes and this process lasts for about six months. After six months, the inner cell mass produces several million of ESCs. Embryonic stem cells that survive in this culture without differentiating and appear normal and healthy, are called pluripotent cells, and are also referred to as the embryonic stem cell line. Once stem lines are retrieved from the culture, they are frozen and can be transported to other labs for further testing. As long as ESCs are grown under certain conditions, they remain undifferentiated. In order from scientists to create differentiated cells, they need to manipulate the conditions under which the cells are dividing. For example, they can change the composition of the nutrients or insert specific genes. If the scientists are successful at forcefully differentiating stem cells into specific cell types, they can use them to find cures to various, incurable at this point in time, diseases. These diseases include “ Parkinson’s, diabetes, traumatic spinal cord injury, Purkinje cell degeneration, Duchene’s muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and vision and hearing loss.” ( National Institutes of Health.)
This extremely long process requires patience, preciseness, carefulness, thorough knowledge and resources. Scientists have done their part.