ETHICS AND STEM CELL RESEARCH

Kori Kay Sandberg Biology 1010 Salt Lake Comm nity College

Et!i"# and Stem Cell Re#ear"! In o r $orld today% $it! o r &o& lation in"rea#ing ra&idly% de'elo&ment !a# in"rea#ed attem&ting to kee& t!e &o& lation !ealt!y and # #tained( T!ere are #o many breakt!ro g!# $e !a'e e)&erien"ed in t!e medi"al *ield% $it! t!e de'elom&ent in &o##ible " re# *or "an"er% and more and more # ""e## de'elo&ing *rom te#t re# lt# on diebete# and many ot!er *atal di#ea#e#( +!at i* t!ere $a# a #ol tion to many t!e#e &roblem#, A $ay to &rod "e "ell# t!at $o ld # ""e##* lly re&lenti#! atro&!ied or damaged "ell#, +!at i* $e "o ld *orm ne$ gro$t! o* "ell# and damaged ti## e# t!at $e "an-t regro$ at t!i# day and age, T!ere i# a &o##ible #ol tion to t!o#e $!o are $illing to tali.e and a""e&t t!e 'ario # o&tion# $e !a'e a'ilable( Stem Cell# o**er a &la #ible #ol tion/ #tem "ell# are n#&e"iali.ed "ell# t!at "an be"ome &art o* a ne$ organi#m and # ""e##* lly re&leni#! t!e damaged "ell# or ti## e#( T!ere are many di**erent ty&e# o* #tem "ell#% in"l ding embryoni" #tem "ell#% and non0embryoni" 1#omati"2 or 1ad lt2 #tem "ell#( Ad lt Stem Cell# are ndi**erentiated "ell#% *o nd t!ro g!o t t!e entire body a*ter de'elo&ment% t!e#e "ell# m lti&ly by "ell di'i#ion to re&la"e dying "ell# and regenerate all ty&e# o* damaged ti## e( T!e#e "ell# are ab ndant in 3 'enile and ad lt ! man bodie#% and in animal#( T!e#e ad lt "ell# are bene*i"ial to t!e organi#m in $!i"! t!ey !a'e gro$n b t !a'e little bene*it# on"e !ar'e#ted and #ed on ot!er# in !o&e# o* regeneration( T!i# $o ldn-t be 'ery bene*i"ial on a large0#"ale di#ea#e or in3 ry% b t mig!t !el& to reb ild #kin% or #o*t # &er*i"ial ti### e#( H man embryoni" #tem "ell# are deri'ed *rom ! man embryo#( T!e#e #&e"i*i" #tem "ell# are !ar'e#ted in 'itro% meaning "reated $it!in a laboratory te#t t be% t!e#e "ell#

are N5T !ar'e#ted *rom embryo# *ertili.ed $it!in t!e $omb( T!ere i# #o m "! &roar abo t t!e i## e o* obtaining t!e #tem "ell# *rom embryo#% a# t!e#e "ell# m #t be !ar'e#ted $it!in t!e *ir#t *i'e day# o* *ertili.ation% t! # "a #ing "ontro'er#ey abo t ending a li*e to #a'e one or &o##ibly many( H man embryoni" #tem "ell# are "!ara"teri#ed by t!eir ability to #el*0rene$ and di*eren"iate into all di**erent ty&e# o* t!e body( T!ere are al#o Ind "ed &l ri&otent #tem "ell# 6i7SC#8% t!e#e "ell# $ere #&e"ially "reated in 4009 by S!inya :amanaka and in 400; by <ame# T!om&#on and ot!er# 6embryo(a# (ed 8( T!e#e #&e"i*i" #tem "ell# are deri'ed *rom ad lt #tem "ell# t!at !a'e been geneti"ally re&rogrammed to an embryoni" #tem "ell0like #tate by being *or"ed to e)&re## gene# and *a"tor# im&ortant *or maintaining t!e de*ining &ro&ertie# o* embryoni" #tem "ell# 6Stem"ell#(ni!(go'8( Alt!o g! t!e#e #tem "ell# meet #&e"i*i" "riteria *or &l ri&otent #tem "ell#% it i# not kno$n i* i7SC# and embryoni" #tem "ell# di**er in "lini"ally #igni*i"ant $ay#( 7l ri&otent Stem "ell re#ear"! o**er# a glim&#e o* !o&e *or t!e * t re to &eo&le $it! di#ea#e# and in3 rie#% # "! a# 7arkin#on#% #&inal "ord in3 rie#% art!riti#% !eart di#ea#e% and many ot!er#( T!ere are #o many et!i"al "on"er# $!en it "ome# to embryoni" #tem "ell# 6ESC#8% mainly regarding t!e *a"t o* li*e% dignity% and 3 #ti"e to$ard mankind0 no matter $!at #tage o* de'elo&ment may be( Con'er#ely% !o$ "an $e e)&e"t to #a'e li'e# t!at !a'en-t beg n $!en $e "an-t e'en # #tain t!e &o& lation $e !a'e, +!at abo t t!e li'e# o* t!e &eo&le $!o are already li'ing and # **ering *rom &o##ibly " rable illne##e#( I7C# !a'e been re"ogni#ed a# an n"om&li"ated alternati'e to ESC#% a# no egg# are needed *or i7C#( It only #eem# t!ere i# a #ol tion *or all t!e#e i## e#% b t *or e'ery an#$er t!ere i# anot!er

&roblem( 5n"e $e #tart #ing ESC# to re&leni#! "ell#% "loning "ome# into t!e &i"t re% a# re# lt# o* t!e e)a"t re&li"ating "ell# $o ld be geneti"ally t!e #ame a# t!e ! man donor( It #eem# t!ere $o ld be a #ol tion to t!e &roblem# &ertaining to di#ea#e and illne##% #omet!ing &romi#ing% a# ESC#% !o$e'er e'en t!o g! t!e lig!t i# on in t!e room o* e)&erimentation doe#n-t mean t!e door i# o&en( T!e & &li" may not agree abo t #&e"i*i"# $!en it "ome# to deri'ing #tem "ell# *rom embryo# or attem&t# to re&li"ate t!e#e "ell#% b t t!ey #!o ld be #t died * rt!er in t!e e'ent $e di#"o'er a " re to many li*e t!reatening di#ea#e#(

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Bibliogra&!y
Siegel% Andre$% Siegel%( ?Et!i"# o* Stem Cell Re#ear"!(? Stan*ord @ni'er#ity( Stan*ord @ni'er#ity% 4A A&r( 400B( +eb( 0A No'( 401=( ?Ad lt Stem Cell(? +iki&edia( +ikimedia Co ndation% 4A 5"t( 401=( +eb( 09 No'( 401=( ?CreD ently A#ked E e#tion#(? +!at Are Embryoni" Stem Cell#, FStem Cell In*ormationG( N(&(% n(d( +eb( 14 No'( 401=( Brine% Kat!erine( ?T!e Embryo 7ro3e"t En"y"lo&edia(? Et!i"# and Ind "ed 7l ri&otent Stem Cell#( N(&(% n(d( +eb( 1> No'( 401=(