My Position as to Stem Cell Research - Essay Example

STEM Stem Cell Research Introduction and My Position Stem cells are wonderful things. They have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth and act as an internal repair system and divide without limit to replenish other live cells. (nih basics) Each new cell can remain a stem cell or adopt a more specialized function such as muscle or brain cell. If stem cells don’t naturally divide to become needed tissue or organ specific, they can often be induced to do so under special conditions. There are basically 2 types of natural stem cells, embryonic or adult. Originally in 1981 embryonic stem cells were derived from mice embryos but later in 1998 embryonic stem cells were derived from human embryos no longer needed for in vitro fertilization purposes and with the informed consent of the owner they were donated to laboratories for research. As well as stem cells becoming specialized cells, in 2006 a procedure was discovered which would reverse the process, reprogramming specialized cells to become stem cells (University of Michigan)). In 3 to 5 days the inner cells in an embryo give rise to the entire body of the organism including all of the many specialized organ and tissue cells. Adult stem cells can generate replacements for specialized cells that are lost through wear and tear, injury or disease. Given their regenerative abilities stem cells offer new potentials for treating diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Some other conditions such as cancer and birth defects are caused by abnormal cell division. Stem cell research can discover ways to correct such problems. Both embryonic and adult stem cells can be used to test new disease fighting drugs. However of the 2 embryonic cells are the most useful because they can become any type of specialized cell whereas adult stem cells can only become specific types of specialized cells. In order to be able to produce desired differentiated specialized cells, scientists must do further research to find and replicate the exact conditions required to produce desired result.( “Stem Cell research News MNT”) is a compilation of news articles about specific stem cell experiments with both favorable and unfavorable results. A journal “Stem Cell Research “publishes peer reviewed articles about the subject (Elsevier) I am in favor of stem cell research including embryonic for the purpose of developing cell based therapies to fight disease and this should be supported with government funding. II Summary of Important Points 1) Stem cell research should be allowed and funded only for legal medical purposes such as disease prevention and therapy and correcting abnormal physical conditions such as birth defects. 2)) In spite of opposition from various groups such as the Catholic Church, this research should include embryonic as well as adult and reprogrammed and adult stem cell. 3) Research designed to clone human beings from existing ones should be generally prohibited and not funded. 4) While the use of embryos discarded in the in vitro fertilization process should be allowed, there should be a code of ethics, preferably international governing the conditions and circumstances of their use. 5) Products developed for use in cell based medical therapies should require the approvals of both the National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug Administration before being allowed to be put on the market. 6) Even if not receiving government funding government inspectors should have the right to inspect any laboratory to ensure any stem cell research done there is only for legal medical purposes and done in accordance with government mandated guidelines. If it is not in compliance it should be shut down and those responsible prosecuted. 7). There should be a Constitutional Amendment if necessary to declare human embryos as not “live” human beings and therefore can be used for stem cell research purposes with the informed consent of the “owner” or “mother” 8) Stem cell research should initially be done exclusively at the cellular level. Only after many successful trials should consideration be given human therapeutic trials. III Discussion of Important Points 1) Stem cell research for medical health research only- The notion of stem cells dividing into a multitude of organ and tissue cells conjures up images of human beings cloned into identical twins for nefarious purposes. Can you imagine a potential enemy cloning Obama and being able to program “him” to act in a way they wish? Fortunately so far this is not technically possible and it is only the stuff of science fiction, Being able to clone adult human beings especially famous ones creates all sorts of criminal potential and therefore research in this area should be barred with stiff penalties. The only possible exception I can think of is the government being able to do it secretly in order to deal with a national emergency. Even then its’ necessity I submit should have to be convincing to both legislatures and the Supreme Court. It is not a decision the president alone should make. However I agree with Obama’s 2009 executive order permitting medically oriented stem cell research without specific presidential authorization. ( nih Federal Policy) 2) Possible ban against embryo research- The Catholic Church and others have taken the position that embryonic stem cell research should be banned on the grounds that the necessary destruction of the cells is essentially destroying life. I disagree with this view and argue that all stem cell research directed at improving human health should be encouraged and will discuss the Catholic position more fully in the varying viewpoint section. 3) Funding for cloning research- Since I argue that this type of research should be banned it follows there should be no funding for it either. 4) Ethics At least in the US and Europe where stem cell research is permitted there are odes of ethics in place which I fully support.( International Society) In fact I think there should be a uniform international standard . For example, while you may not want to call a mother’s embryo her “property” it does belong to her in the sense it came from her womb. She should therefore have the right to decide without coercion what she wants done with the embryo not needed for the primary purpose of enabling pregnancy including donation for research purposes. However I don’t think she should be compensated for such embryos since they are by products of the primary goal by enabling pregnancy where this is not possible by sexual intercourse with her partner. Therefore I am in favor of the doctrine of informed consent. I would ban as unethical the use of stem cells from another species in humans and vice versa because they have a different protein make up and therefore could produce negative consequences. 5) Governmental approval for new drugs arising out of stem cell research – I think it should be mandatory that any new drugs developed through stem cell research either for dispensation only at hospitals and through doctors’ prescriptions or available without prescription to the general public be thoroughly tested by both the Institute of Health and the FDA for its’ efficacy in performing in compliance with its’ stated intentions and be free of any significant side effects. ( Stem Cell Research Facts.org and USFDA).The production facilities for these drugs should be inspected periodically to ensure there is no variance in the conditions of manufacture which could affect the product quality. 6) Laboratory inspections-Whether receiving government funding or not and whether the labs are university, corporate or public, the government should have the right to make periodic inspections to ensure any stem cell research is only that legally permitted for medical health purposes and that lab abides by the stipulated code of ethics. 7) I disagree with the argument that embryonic stem cells are living beings and therefore destroying them in order to do research is tantamount to murder. While they are necessary precursors to life, life itself only starts when a person is born and physically separates from the mother as a recognizable human being .I will discuss this more fully in the following section. 8) Initially I suggest stem cell research should only involve laboratory preserved cells in a consistent pristine environment. If several trials prove successful with no adverse unanticipated consequences could they involve animals of the same species Only then if still successful should human involvement be introduced and then only with informed consent. I would suggest that cellular therapies should initially be tied only if established traditional treatments have failed and the person is warned of possible adverse effects but consents in writing to the procedure nonetheless. IV Varying Viewpoint On their website the American Catholic Church has taken a position against embryonic stem cell research apparently under the direction of Pope John Paul II claiming it is related to “abortion, euthanasia and other attacks on human life”, (American Catholics.org) They did state however that they have no moral issues with adult stem cell research as the bone marrow extraction does not involve the destruction of human life (as they see it).In fact I could not find any controversy about the morality of adult stem cell research, only embryonic. While I can see an analogy to abortion I fail to see one concerning euthanasia because this refers to a clearly living person taking their own life usually because of unbearable pain, whereas abortion like embryonic stem cell research pertains to destruction of embryos in a pre life form. Calling an embryo a life form is in my view the fundamental flaw in the argument of the Catholic bishops and those who adopt a similar position. It is a necessary precursor to life, but not life itself. Life begins when we are born, that is when we physically separate from our mothers and begin to live apart from her body. If life begins at the moment of conception our birthdays should be on that date and who would know exactly when that date is? Therefore I would argue that the necessary destruction of an embryo for research like the destruction of one by abortion is not destruction of life because in both cases it has not yet begun. The bishops also argue that using embryos for stem cell research is unnecessary because adult stem cells can be used. While much productive research can be done using adult stem cells they are more limited than embryo stem cells in the types of specialized cells they can become. The potential benefit in finding treatments and cures for various serious health issues in stem cell research especially embryonic is enormous .The bishops dismiss this argument claiming that no benefit is worth the destruction of human life but again I would argue that embryos are not yet “human life”, Another article describes the legal battle Boston Children’s Hospital is having to restore federal funding for embryonic stem cell research carried on at University of Maryland and John Hopkins.( Boston Children’s Hospital 2010) Apparently a lower court applied an injunction based on a 1996 law forbidding research on embryos. On August 23, 2010 a US Appeals Court vacated the injunction and it is expected the Obama administration will appeal the injunction on the basis the embryos were already destroyed before going to the university labs for research. In my opinion there should be a constitutional amendment or declaration by the US Supreme Court to the effect that life begins at birth, not conception an therefore any laws forbidding embryo research on the basis it is destruction of life should be declared unconstitutional V. Conclusion I am in favor of stem cell research because of the ability shown by stem cells to divide from undifferentiated ones to specialized cells organ cells such as brain, muscle and other specialized cells within the human body to repair or replaced those damaged by disease, injury, wear and tear or other abnormal physical conditions. Cell based therapies give medicine another tool for combating serious human diseases and physical conditions such as diabetes, cancer and birth defects. In particular I am in favor of embryonic stem cell research because embryonic cells have shown a capacity to differentiate into almost any type of human cell whereas with adult stem cells there are some limitations in differentiation capabilities. Therefore it shows even greater promise for effective treatment of ailments. I reject the argument that embryonic stem cell research should be prohibited because the necessary destruction of the embryo is destroying human life since embryos are not yet “alive” until they form into human beings and separate from their mothers, tat is they are born. However I think that baring exceptional circumstances, research should be limited to seeking medical therapies and cloning research should be prohibited. I also feel that there should be strict ethical standards preferably worldwide to ensure that research using embryos is carried out only with the informed, voluntary consent of the women providing the embryos and that the process is not commercialized in any way. Finally I would argue that cross species research should be banned because protein differences could produce harmful results. References 1). “Adult Stem Cell Research Shows Promise” FDA US Food and Drug Administration April 23, 2014 retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/. 2) “Children’s Responds to Ongoing Court Battle on Federal Funds For Embryo Stem Cells” Boston’ Children’s Hospital retrieved from http://stemcell.children’shospital.org. 3) “Stem Cell Information National Institute of Health Department of Health and Human Services retrieved from http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics/aspx. 4) “International Society for Stem Cell Research” retrieved from http://www.cell.com/stem_cell_reports/. 5) “Presidential Documents .Executive Order 13505 of March 9, 2009” retrieved from http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/Pages/Defaultspx. 6) “Stem Cell Research” Elsevier retrieved from http://www.journals.elsevier.com/stem-cell-research/. 7) “Stem Cell Research and the Catholic Church” American Catholic.org retrieved from http://www.americancatholic.org/StemCell/. 8) “Stem Cell Research Facts.org” retrieved from http://www.stemcellresearchfacts.org/about-our-mission/. 9) “Stem Cell Research News” MNT retrieved from http://www.medianewstoday.com/categories/stem_cell. 10)”Stem Cell Research” University of Michigan retrieved from http://www.stemcellresearch.umich.edu/. . 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