Stem cells potential application in medicine and medical research.
Main points:
- Cells grown in the laboratory can be used to replace damaged tissues and organs or correct their improper work (Cafasso, 2017)
- Their study can also help in the research of genetic defects in cells and the development of cancer (Cafasso, 2017)
- Moreover, stem cells can be used in laboratories for drug testing (Cafasso, 2017)
Stem cells can be used in the treatment of chronic diseases.
Main points:
- Can help people with autism increase cognitive functions, normalize speech, and demonstrate more emotional control (“The Benefit of Stem Cell,” 2020).
- Can control hyperglycemia generating the pancreas cells and prevent them from destruction (“The Benefit of Stem Cell,” 2020)
- Can help to relieve Crohn’s disease due to its anti-inflammatory properties (“The Benefit of Stem Cell,” 2020)
Free-writing
Stem cells have a number of advantages, which make them an ideal medical instrument. Samples of such cells can be grown in laboratory conditions in unlimited quantities. However, the main disadvantage of the technology is a serious moral and ethical controversy. Since the blastocyst, which is a fertilized human egg, must be destroyed in order to produce stem cells, many consider this to be murder. However, there are non-embryonic cell resources (e.g., cord blood), which further strengthens the technology’s position.
Three perspectives
Stem cells can function as any other type of cell in the body. They are important in the early stages of the body’s development, as they form the human body. However, their use causes ethical controversy among the public and medical circles. The way to extract stem cells from mouse embryos appeared only in 1981 (“History of Stem Cell Use,” n.d.). In 1998, scientists learned to derive them from human embryos and later grow them in the laboratory (“History of Stem Cell Use,” n.d.). Embryos have been specially created through artificial fertilization and then donated for scientific research. In 2006, a way was found to reprogram some adult cells into stem cells, which was called induced pluripotent stem cells. Although technology is associated with significant moral controversy, modern methods make it possible to avoid using embryos for cell production. The topic also refers to the problem of medicine and finance since stem cells can replace almost all existing medical approaches, eliminating many special fields.
References
Cafasso, J. (2017). Stem cell research. Healthline. Web.
History of stem cell use. (n.d.). University of Nebraska Medical Center. Web.
The benefit of stem cell treatment for chronic diseases. (2020). Swiss Medica 21. Web.