a According to the Mayo Clinic (2022), stem cell research can be used
to “increase the understanding of how diseases and conditions
develop.” Stem cells can be used to generate new, healthy cells to
replace the cells that are affected by a disease (Mayo Clinic, 2022).
An outcome of stem cell research can be that people who suffer from
various diseases can benefit from stem cell therapies. Some diseases
include “spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease,
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease,
stroke, burns, cancer and osteoarthritis (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Another
outcome is that with more research, stem cells can potentially be
used to be grown to become new tissue, which is essential in
transplants and other regenerative medicines (Mayo Clinic, 2022).
Although there are great benefits of stem cell research for those with
chronic diseases, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the one
source of stem cells, embryonic stem cells.
a a a Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos that are 3-5
days old; these cells are useful because they can be divided into many
stem cells that can become any type of cell in the body (Mayo Clinic,
2022). The ethical issue with using embryonic stem cells is due to “the
destruction of human embryos” (Lo & Parham, 2009). This political
controversy is linked to the debates in the US regarding abortion.
While some people believe that embryos are simply cells with a
potential to become a human being, others believe that an embryo
deserves the same moral status of a person (Lo & Parham, 2009).
Destructing the embryos cells from this perspective goes against the
“pro-life” rhetoric, however, there are some people in the middle
ground, who view the use of embryonic stem cells as “pro-life” for its
ability to help prolong the life of those with chronic, fatal diseases (Lo
& Parham, 2009). Stem cell research can be classified as a more than
just a topic of conversation in healthcare when we consider the
ethical implications it has in the way we view healthcare through a
political lens.
References
Lo, B. & Parham, L. (2009). Ethical issues in stem cell research.
Endocrine Reviews, 30(3), 204-213. Doi: 10.1210/er.2008-0031
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022, March 19). Stem cells: What they are and
what they do. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from
