The Issue Of Stem Cell Research - 1675 Words

What once was science fiction has become today s science reality. In this age, one can replicate many types of specific cells, such as blood, brain, tissue or muscle cells from a single stem cell. These stem cells, in theory can be used to heal or replace damage cells in our bodies thus curing us of certain diseases. These stem cells are the basic cells to develop any type of organism and its research is not allowed without incredible controversy. As one might imagine, such potential power has been seen as unethical and violating some of religion s most fundamental beliefs. Who are we to play God? and At what stage in development is a life considered a life? are two very common controversies surrounding stem cell research. Despite†¦show more content†¦Despite different views about stem cell research, on the scientific and technical level stem cell research does not breach ethical values. Many stem cell methodologies now circumvent embryo death which is at the forefront of th is ethical debate. In a process known as in vitro fertilization, â€Å"researchers mix a man’s sperm and a woman’s eggs together in a lab dish. Some of those eggs become fertilized and begin developing† which are then â€Å"implanted into the woman in hopes that she becomes pregnant† (CIRM). After the woman becomes pregnant and a family is started, the couple is given options in regards to the remaining embryos. They can â€Å"continue paying to store the embryos or they can defrost the embryos which destroy them or they can choose to donate the embryos for adoption. [They] can also choose to donate the frozen embryos for research† (CIRM). Embryonic stem cells collected in this way through in vitro fertilization may be viable alternatives to proceed with stem cell research. This very sensitive issue can thus be ethically remediated. In vitro fertilization might still raise some ethical alarms but there are certainly more methods that completely avoid the destruction of any embryo. For example, in altered nuclear transfer (ANT), an embryo is not created at all. Instead, â€Å"A derivative of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the nucleus of the somatic cell (any body cell other than an egg) is