EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

This is the medical research conducted on cells derived from the early stages of an embryo

(blastula) that are capable of differentiating into any type of body cell.

This is because that is the main function of the embryonic stem cells in the embryo (cell

differentiation). There are other types of stem cells but in scientific and medical research,

scientists prefer the embryonic stem cells because they are pluripotent;

Pluripotent basically means;

a)they do not have the ability to become an entire organism or repair themselves

quickly.

b)they wait for a signal to divide and can be stored for longer periods for use in

future in treatment of degenerative diseases.

So what is the ethical issue here?

Some people; including religious groups, NGOs and other groups view that the destruction

of the blastula to obtain these cells as killing of an unborn child while scientists and

supporters of ESC research are of the opinion that a blastula is not really a child unless it has

been attached to the uterine wall where it call develop to a baby.

This research has been greatly debated and no minimum ground has been reached since

scientists argue that the ESC research helps in developing treatments which help save lives

while the other groups argue that to avoid destroying the blastula will help preserve life.
The research has had many challenges especially funding from governments and one

notable case is the US whereby under the George Bush administration, there was an

initiative to fund the ESC research centres but the funding was lifted during the Obama

administration in 2009.

Closer home, the research has not taken root here in Kenya but there was a proposal in

early 2017 to open a stem cell research and storage facility in Kenya because many Kenyans

in the past sought foreign affiliated human tissue and stem cell derivatives banks in South

Africa, India and the United Kingdom. The proposal was an idea by Prof Anzala who is well

known for pioneering the HIV vaccine trial in the country.