In this ever emerging world, we are now stuck amidst the situation whereby possible solutions seeming bright prospects are equally faced with controversies. Nature is perfect but humans are not! Our hunger for exploration, inventions and discoveries have paved way to better understanding of the universal entities but with that has come a wide variety of problems to deal with. One such arena is medical field whereby new kinds of pathogens, diseases, illnesses, disabilities, defects related to birth or accidents have already taken a toll of human population. Constantly, with the emerging new clinical problems faced every day, the experts are engaged in devising novel solutions. Stem cells are one such solution. Despite them being faced by numerous controversies, one cannot rule them out completely as they are extremely futuristic. It will be judgmental to derive any conclusion regarding stem cells and their research without thoroughly analyzing its details.
Stem cells: Embryonic Stem Cells & Adult Stem Cells
Stem cells are the potential cells that are capable of regeneration into any cell type in indefinite numbers. They are at times considered as “super cells” that can be utilized to sort many impossible clinical issues. They are majorly of two types: embryonic stem cells (ES) and adult (somatic) stem cells. The prior ones are the most potential and have a wide range of applications. ES cells are utilized around the world in R&D activities as they are pluripotent. Pluripotent cells are able to generate any desired cell line with appropriate differentiation. These cells are derived from the blastocyst stage of the pre-implantation embryos and are specifically the ones from the inner cell mass (Wert & Mummery, 2003). The next class of stem cells i.e. somatic stem cells are the ones derived from the adult body. These cells are specialized and are multipotent in their capacity being extremely useful for propagating the destined cell line. They have applications in cases of accidents, skin grafting, and tissue regeneration.
Pros of Stem Cells
The human embryonic cells are at times thought by its antagonists as a threat to human existence as they can be used for human cloning in near future. But, this consideration is absolutely negated as the human embryonic cell lines can be regenerated to specialized cell lines of somatic purposes but they do not regenerate other embryonic tissues like membranous and placental (Wert & Mummery, 2003). Hence, the worry of developing human clones can be entirely ruled out from the stem cell research. Coming to its wide applications, stem cell research has opened a broad horizon for medical field. They are miraculous in treating individuals with medical problems that cannot be treated by drugs. Embryonic Stem cells have made it feasible to design organs in vitro so as to sort the issues of organ failure, diseases whereby tissues fail like diabetes, heart failure, kidney failures and many such more conditions (NIH, 2015). Adult stem cells are prospective for solving issues related to regeneration and repair involving body parts like blood, tissues, skin; the need for which arise due to situations like sudden accidents, burn cases.
Drug screening is another beneficial application of these stem cells as the testing of drugs used to utilize animal models and resulted in death of many. But with stem cells, the approach has become quick and easy with drugs being tested effectively to the numerous times till well satisfied. Stem cells along with these clinical applications, is rightly utilized in research and development for aiding the in depth understanding of genetics and molecular details of the human make-up.
Cons associated with Stem Cells
Despite the wide range of benefits, stem cell research is facing controversies from political, government, socialists and even certain group of biologists due to the utilization of fertilized embryos for research. They consider it to be against the moral grounds and opposing the respect for life and survival. Such concerns can be counseled and chances are that people can be awaked about the benefits. But, the stem cell research is in a developmental stage currently and due to the beginnings there are several shortcomings right now. One being the risk for autoimmune rejections on implantation of cell lines developed from one embryo to an individual with another genetic composition. The cases will require administration of drugs for the rest of their lives. As the stem cells have large amounts of telomerase (Wert & Mummery, 2003), they have been cases of going berserk in the medium and divide indefinitely causing tumors and cancers (Hallowell, 2002).
Government Regulations for Stem Cell Research
Conclusion
It’s the need of the hour to find effective solutions to treat people from medical conditions of various kinds. Stem cell therapy offers such an approach with multitudes of applications. There are regulations mended by different countries for appropriate moralistic utilization of this immense field of stem cells. As with any new approach, there come some issues along. Stem cells also accompany issues of ethical, moral, and some scientific grounds. These issues can be resolved with proper approach and counseling along with developments in near future paving way for stem cell research to be one the wonders discovered and developed by human race.
References
Dhar, D., and Ho, H, J. (2009). Stem Cell Research policies around the World. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 82(3): 113-115.
Hollowell, K. (2002). Ten Problems with Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Acts & Facts. 31 (2). Retrieved from http://www.icr.org/article/ten-problems-with-embryonic-stem-cell-research/ on 25 February 2016.
NIH. (2015). Stem Cell Basics. US Department of Health & Human Services. Accessed at http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics6.aspx# on 24 February 2016.
Wert, D, G., and Mummery, C. (2003). Human Embryonic Stem Cells: Research, Ethics and Policy. Human Reproduction. 18(4); 672-6821.
