Stem Cell Research
The Stem Cell Conflict (embryo vs adult stem cells)
Stem cells are non-specialized cells in the body that are capable of indefinitely dividing themselves into new cells. Each new cell holds the potential of either remaining a stem cell or developing into a cell with a specialized function such as a muscle cell, a brain cell or a pancreatic cell. Over the years scientists have been trying to take advantage of this unique regenerative capability to develop techniques for inducing stem cells to develop into specific tissue or organ cells for the purposes of repairing damaged organs or growing new ones outside the body.
For a long time most stem cell research involved stem cells that had been harvested from animal embryos and from areas such as bone marrow, blood, the eye, the brain and skeletal muscle. About 10 years ago, scientists found a way to derive stem cells from five-day old human embryos and to grow them in the laboratory. The embryos used in such studies were typically developed for the purposes of in vitro human reproduction but were no longer needed for that purposes. In addition to such sources aborted or miscarried embryos and cloned embryos also are primary sources for stem cells.
Most of the controversy has stemmed from human embryonic stem cell research. Though the embryos used in the research are only five days old, each embryo is potentially capable of developing into a fetus if implanted in a woman. Supporters of the research claim that the only embryos being used in the research are those that are being discarded anyway. They also argue that the embryos are too primitive to really represent a viable human in any way.
Meanwhile, continuing advances in adult stem cell research could eventually result in less of a need for embryonic stem cells, or even eliminate the need for it altogether. Adult stem cells are often found scattered among the specialized cells in a tissue or organ such as the blood, heart and liver. Like their embryonic counterparts, adult stem cells are capable of regenerating themselves and developing into the specialized cells of the organ or tissue they came from. Scientists have also discovered that there may be far more adult stem cells found in the body's tissues and organs than previously thought. These facts have caused considerable excitement within the scientific community because it means that adult stem cells too can be used for the purposes of repairing or replacing damaged tissue or organ. Research is currently focused on optimizing techniques for inducing adult stem cells to develop into specialized cells outside the body.
Opponents of embryonic stem cell research have long argued that the promise showed by adult stem cell research negates the need for embryonic stem cell research.
Many states have laws relating to stem cell research. Such laws vary widely by state with some restricting research to just stem cells derived from certain sources while other states have an outright ban on any stem cell research. In March 2009, President Barack Obama issued a directive lifting an eight-year old federal restriction on stem cell research. That restriction had limited federal funds to stem cell research conducted on embryonic stem cell lines harvested before August 2001. President Obama's directive lifted that restriction and once again restored federal funding for stem cell research provided the funds are used to conduct "responsible, scientifically worthy human stem cell research."
