Stem Cell Research

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Right now in the U.S. there are 4.5 million people living with Alzheimer’s, and 20.8 million people are living in the U.S. with Diabetes. There is a type of research that has the ability to cure these diseases and more, diseases that millions of people are dieing to. It is called embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic Stem Cell Research is in the center of a political debate, many people either wanting it fully funded by the government or wanting it made illegal. Embryonic stem cell research can save millions of lives and should be funded by the government. We need to take full advantage of these cells. If you were the government, and there was a way to cure many diseases currently considered “incurable”, would you fund it? These cells have the potential to save millions upon millions of lives, and as complicated as it sounds, the way they work is simple. “Stem cells” are cells that are not developed, and they can be turned into any kind of cell. They are blank cells that can grow into any kind of cell a body needs. If a person has a spinal cord injury and has damaged nerves, making them paraplegic or quadriplegic, stem cells could be grown into nerve cells and replace their damaged ones. “Such research is legally permissible, scientifically promising, and ethically proper.” (Hatch 1) Currently the government is not doing enough. The government only funds research on “adult” stem cells, which can only grow into a few kinds of cells, compared to embryonic stem cells which can grow into any cell. That’s like buying a car with only Airbags, when you could get one with the addition of seatbelts, cup holders and a built in TV for the same price. Adult stem cells are not “blank” like embryonic ones are. They have set types of cells they can form. For example, the stem cells in our bone marrow can be transplanted to someone with leukemia whose body isn’t making white blood cells. But the healing adult stem cells can do is severely limited when compared to embryonic ones because they are limited in what they can become. The argument against embryonic stem cell research and the reason it is not used already is that some say it is unethical. “Embryonic stem cell research involves the destruction of human embryos. Harming a human being in the pursuit of medical knowledge is unethical, regardless of the resulting benefit to others.” (Doerflinger 1) This argument comes from how embryonic stem cells are developed. Because they come from a fertilized embryo, many people and politicians do not think it right to take cells from them, destroying the embryo. However, it is far different from this in that the embryos aren’t taken from humans. The embryos that these cells come from are made in laboratories, there is no direct human involvement in their creation, “the researcher is not interested in larger embryos”, (Hart 1) and they would be thrown away if they are not used for research. “In vitro” fertilization laboratories produce embryos for women unable to become pregnant naturally. “There are about 100,000 fertilized cells now frozen in maternity clinics.” (Hart 1) What many people do not realize is that without funding for embryonic stem cell research, In vitro fertilization laboratories have no use for extra embryos and throw them out. It’s like throwing out a cure for Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and all the other diseases. There will be dire consequences if our government continues to act the way it is. To not fund this research is akin to taking away the life of millions of people. There are a great number of diseases that are incurable at the moment, and could remain incurable. Besides Alzheimer’s and diabetes, there is Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, complications from strokes, spinal cord injuries, and more. Any disease or injury that results in a loss of needed cells could eventually be cured. Today’s medicine only tries to fix our cells. With the research, a disease that kills your cells can be cured by giving you stem cells which will make new cells that you need. A person with diabetes needs insulin. With stem cells, instead of giving them insulin to take over and over they could be given new cells that make insulin for them. “How'd you like to have your own personal biological repair kit standing by at the hospital? Sound like magic? Welcome to the future of medicine.” (Reagan, 1) There are millions of people in the U.S and worldwide who are suffering from diseases that can be cured if the government funds embryonic stem cell research. As one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world, it is our duty as a nation to be on the cutting edge of new lifesaving research. I myself have several family members living with diabetes and Alzheimer’s. It pains me to know that they and others will live the rest of their lives these diseases, and that a cure is close, but our government refuses to recognize it. Our government needs to look beyond the old argument that these embryos are humans and take a step in saving the lives of an uncountable number of people.