stem cell controversy

Stem cells treatment has widely affected the medication world for both its research and miraculous abilities in curing many diseases. Generally, stem cells treatment is stem cells transplant for patients with heart diseases, diabetes, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer, Parkinson, disabilities and cancers. And scientists believe that stem cells treatment can do more than what it has done so far.
However, following the growing need and research of stem cells treatment, many stem cells controversy responses arise from the public.

The controversy in stem cells research

Most controversy in stem cells research is related to moral and ethical manners.

Before we go on, it is necessary to know the types of stem cells :
1. The embryonic stem cells which are derived from an embryonic cell
2. The adult stem cells which are derived from the adult tissues
3. Cord Blood stem cells which are derived from the placental of the umbilical cord

Stem cells research controversy only against the embryonic stem cells research and treatment. Why? Because embryonic stem cells research is using an embryo which has the ability to grow into a complete human being. When stem cells are derived from the embryo, the process can damage the embryo or even kill it. By doing so, it is just like killing a life to save another life.

This is the point that makes the politicians, religious groups, commoners and some scientists disagree with the embryonic stem cells research and treatment. But they agree with the adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells treatments. However, both adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells treatments are less efficient compare to embryonic stem cells treatment.

These are the reasons :
1. The adult stem cells are taken from adult tissues in human body, therefore it will not sacrifice any embryos. But unlike embryonic stem cells which can be specialized into 220 types of cells, adult stem cells can only specialized into limited types of cells and sometimes they may have some abnormalities.

2. Cord blood stem cells are taken from the placental umbilical cord at birth, and this type of treatment is newly found. Most of the adult patients do not keep their umbilical cord because there was no such treatment in the past. So, is there no solution for them?

3. Embryonic stem cells are derived from the embryo in IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) process at the laboratory. Many embryos can be made through IVF process and therefore supports the supply of embryonic stem cells which are needed in large amount to cure many diseases. And indeed, the embryonic stem cells are the most useful stem cells for they can be specialized into 220 types of cells.

Solutions for stem cells research controversy

All the controversy in stem cells research has somehow contributed improvements to the research.

At present, scientists have found three solutions to avoid the moral or ethical condemn :
1. Deriving the embryonic stem cells without damaging or kill the embryo. This can be done through blastomere extraction. When the derivation is made on two days old embryo, it won't damage the embryo.

2. Deriving the embryonic stem cells when the fetus is not yet formed. This can be done through ANT (Altered Nuclear Transfer). It is the nucleus derivation of any somatic / body cells but the egg. In this case, the DNA of somatic cells still produces stem cells but not forming the fetus.

3. Only derive embryonic stem cells from aborted fetus