Essay On Stem Cell Research

Nowadays, there is so much argument and disagreement about the ethical nature of stem cell research most especially embryonic stem cells’ research. It has been discovered through research that stem cells have the ability to divide, replicate, rejuvenate, grow and transform themselves into any form of cell within the body of living organisms like man. This means that the damaged or wounded parts of a man can be cured, replenished or repaired by the introduction of stem cells into them. In other words, a stem cell can transform itself into a liver cell, a blood cell, a cell in the pancreas, a cell in the heart and a cell in the brain. It can in fact transform into almost all the cell or tissue in the body. In this essay, we will discuss the nature and potential benefits of the stem cell research, how it corresponds with the Christian ethics ,whether it should be continued or not and the reasons why and why not it should be continued

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Nature of stem cell research:

Stem cell research is a research directed towards the three types of stem cell. These are totipotent, multipotent and pluripotent stem cell. Pluripotent stem cells have the ability of forming and transforming into all the tissues in the human body. These stem cells are only obtained or seen at a certain stage of the developing human embryo-the blastocyst stage. Multipotent stem cells are moderately differentiated, so that they can form a limited number of tissue types. Multipotent stem cells are obtained from the fetus, in many different tissues in an adult human, blood and umbilical cord. The totipotent stem cells has less ability to redevelop and are only grown into very few number of other type of cells.There are two main types of stem cell research. These are embryonic stem cell research and adult stem research. Embryonic stem cells are taken from developing embryos which usually result to the destruction or death of those embryos. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are taken from the human body most especially from the bone marrow.

Stem cell research potential benefits:

.  It supplies and makes available therapeutic advantages in the areas of cloning and rejuvenating medicine.

. It has an excellent potential of offering treatments and cure for many different diseases that plague man like Parkinson disease, schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease, Cancer, spinal cord damage, diabetes etc.

. Through stem cell research, appendages and organs could be developed in a laboratory from stem cells and subsequently made use of in organ transfer or for curing diseases.

. Stem cell research is useful to scientists in learning and discovering what happens in humans during the growth of cells and the human development in general

. Stem cell research enables scientists and doctors to test tons and tons of newly discovered drugs and medicines without having to try them on human beings and animals because of the potential dangers involved.

. Stem cell research also helps scientist to study the developmental stage in humans which otherwise would be difficult through a developing human embryo. Such studies that are possible with the stem cell can help to get rid of many health issues like birth deformations, miscarriages, still-birth babies and infertility among others.

 A better understanding of what happens during this stage of human development can help physicians do away with the problems before hand.

. Another potential benefit of stem cell research is that through it many treatments have been discovered which helps in the slowing of aging process. Our life spans are thus enhanced and increased.

. Adult stem cell has an added benefit of being able to cure a patient from his or her own stem cells.

. Embryonic stem cells on the other hands has the ability to develop into any type of cell within the body and can offer a lot of help for a wide treatment of diseases than the adult stem cell.

How Stem cell research correspond with the Christian ethics:

For Christians, life is sacred and must be preserved at all cost. Also Christian religion teaches that life begins at fertilization/conception and this means anything a man or woman does to tamper with life starting from this early stage of development of human embryo is prohibited and an act of murder just like the case of killing a full grown human being. It is thus immoral, unethical to conduct embryonic stem cell research which normally destroys the blastocysts formed from the human fertilized ova in the lab. Christian faith however gives credit to the adult stem cell research which does not result in the destruction of life.

Should stem cell research continue? Why or why not?

To give a direct answer to this question is very tricky. In answering this question, I would say that stem cell research should be continued with discretion and good judgment. What do I mean by this? When we put together all the potential benefits of stem cell research, it is easy to see that a lot of human life would be lost without a possible cure for the diseases that plague man. For the sake of the many lives that could be lost without these potential benefits of stem cell research, I would suggest that the research be continued especially the adult stem cell research. 

This is because no life is lost during the process. Again, when we consider that as a result of embryonic stem cell research, many unborn life within and outside the womb has been destroyed, I would suggest that a stop be put to stem cell research especially the embryonic stem cell research. 

The scientists, researchers and doctors who conduct these researches must consider the pros and cons of the research they want to conduct before embarking upon it. No life should be terminated in order to save another, as every life is the same, equal and essential for a continued human existence whether it is on the early stage of human development or at the later stage of human development.

In conclusion, the disagreement over human stem cell research will continue to raise dust both now and in the future. Our wish/desire is that researchers should be able to come up with a better way of using stem cells to cure the many debilitating diseases that plague human beings without having to terminate life. Life is sacred and must be preserved at all stages by all cost. That embryonic stem cell research can be put into many different uses does not justify the fact that another life has been destroyed in the process. We should be the spokesmen and women of these unborn children that are killed daily through this stem cell research bearing in mind that the end does not justify the means and will never do.

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