Severe health problems require medical and operation procedures and will certainly cost a patient tremendous amount of emotional and financial exhaustion. Due to the inavailability of necessary and effective treatments on fatal diseases, patients just burn out and give up and with the growing number of hard to treat diseases like cancer. In the scientific pursuit of cures and medications to these diseases there are always counter arguments concerning the need to preserve the sancitity of human life and one study that receive much of these attacks is the stem cell research.
Stem cell research develops a single cell into another with specialized function. Its main goal is to repair or replace damaged cells and cure the patient of their incovenience. By exposing to experimental conditions, researchers can turn the unspecialized stem cell into a functional and special cells that perform specific tasks for the body(e. g. heart cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, etc. ). Scientists collect two kinds of stem cells, the embryonic stem cell and adult stem cell, for them to work on.
These undifferentiated cells can be transformed to any new specific cells except for the adult stem cell which can only be transformed to the tissue it came from. Arguments which have been raised are primed on the preservation of human life particularly against embryonic stem cells. The system of harvesting ESC’s involve the destruction of embryos deemed similar to murdering a fetus. This argument however is inconsiderate to the need of a patient for a treatment, given that the embryo is only a potential person and still have no form of being.
By pursuing this technology, people with diseases like spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and hundreds of rare immune system and genetic disorders can have a greater possibility of recovering (White n. p). Also, the domination of pharmaceutical companies and biomedical corporations over healthcare will not be as effective in this method of treatment. Year after year new medications have been developed and used up large amounts of resources but have produced lesser possibilities than stem cell research.
The proliferation of less effective treatments by this corporations exhausts the patients of their emotional and financial capacities. In stem cell treatments, the innovative use and development of reparative and regenerative medicines based on the patient’s own stem cell produces better results and have greater probability of treating a patient’s disease. The possibilities offered by this research are phenomenal and are apparently responsive to the needs of millions who suffer from their diseases. There are drawbacks, indeed, but the opportunities are fairly beneficial to humanity than the costs required by following traditional treatments.
Given much attention and acceptance, we can save lives of millions who suffer because of the old and radical “righteous” ways. There are always sacrifices, and stem cell research may have unethical and murderous price tags. Still, this scientific exploration is aimed at preserving human life, existing human life, who are also worthy of keeping themselves and contributing to this same world we live in.
Work Cited
White, Deborah. “Pros and Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research. ” About, Inc. 2008. The New York Times Company. 26 April 2008. <http://usliberals. about. com/od/ stemcellresearch/i/StemCell1_2. htm>