The presentations equipped me with new knowledge about adult stem cells. First, I learned that these cells can replicate indefinitely. They are defined by the ability to break down unlimited times. Second, they can transform their identities or convert to cells of entirely different tissues. For example, adult bone marrow cells can be converted to blood tissue. Third, they are not harvested from human embryos like embryonic cells. They are drawn from body tissues such as the gut, bone marrow, blood, liver, and skin. This characteristic explains why the human body hardly rejects them as they are drawn from the same tissue. Finally, these cells are nonmalignant as they exhibit a lower risk of causing certain types of cancers like breast cancer. Overall, the presentations enhanced my understanding of this new research area.
Stem cells present a massive potential for the effective treatment of public health diseases in the future. Advanced research and technology in this area suggest that the leading causes of death such as cancers, diabetes, and stroke, as well as brain and spinal cord injuries, will be curable in the future. These cells will transform medicine by providing effective treatments.
However, despite their great proposale, somatic cells present some ethical concerns. Increased application of the cells in clinical settings may result in unintended adverse outcomes such as rejection by the body after transplant and the possibility of causing deadly tumors. Furthermore, the patient might bleed excessively or get infections in the course of transplanting the cells. Besides, the extraction of these substances from embryos creates ethical conflicts with some religious groups which believe that destroying the embryos amounts to committing murder. Additionally, this level of progress might raise the cost of treatment, deplete already limited resources, or support an abnormal longer life expectancy. Thus, the use of adult stem cells can lead to severe unintended outcomes which might compromise their application and acceptance.