![]() All embryonic stem cells are harvested with consent. Many of the embryos are frozen and have their development stopped for some time before researchers harvest the cells in the first place.Ĥ. Embryos that are used for stem cell research are harvested and then destroyed long before this development would occur. The required components of the central nervous system for a developing fetus to sense pain are not developed until around 20 weeks after conception. Embryos do not have the capability of feeling pain. The only way this type of stem cell harvest would be considered unethical would be if the umbilical cord stayed attached to the child, which we know does not happen.ģ. Even if the cord blood is being stored for future personal treatments, it is still possible to obtain a line of stem cells that can be used for research purposes. This research allows for the embryos to serve a useful purpose.Įmbryonic stem cells can be harvested from the umbilical cord after a child has been born. At best, before embryonic stem cell research, these embryos were kept frozen and then stored indefinitely until they became non-viable. The IVF process which couples undergo to have children often creates numerous embryos that are discarded. Most embryonic stem cells are from discarded embryos. What Are the Pros of Embryonic Stem Cell Research?ġ. These embryonic stem cell research pros and cons cannot answer to the ethics of such practices, but they can highlight the key points of this avenue of medical research. When does human life begin? And if it begins with the creation of cells, does the destruction of an embryo for research or medical treatment constitute murder? Obtaining these stem cells means the embryo must be destroyed in the process, which creates an ethical question which must be answered. Because they can grow into all three derivatives of the 3 primary germ layers, it becomes possible to grow them into every one of the 200+ cell types in the human body when specified to do so. These cells are derived from the undifferentiated inner mass of cells that are formed within a human embryo. Certain genes and retroviruses utilized for the reprogramming may trigger a process leading to cancer.One of the most promising avenues of medical research in the last generation has been embryonic stem cells. Once the reprogramming is effective, the cell, which was differentiated to begin with, can multiply and produce all kinds of cells.Īlthough these iPS cells may be used for basic research, their utilization on patients cannot be envisaged at the moment. The scientists rejuvenated these adult cells by feeding them a cocktail of genes using a retrovirus. Researcher John Gurdon and scientist Shinya Yamanaka received the Nobel prize for medicine in 2012 for their work on iPS cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, are adult stem cells which scientists have succeeded in transforming into cells with the characteristics of embryonic stem cells. In France, the Biomedical Agency can exceptionally authorize research on embryos and embryonic stem cells for 5 years for therapeutic purposes, under strictly controlled conditions. They are easy to grow, and capable of proliferating indefinitely.Their capacity for differentiation is unlimited: they can become skin cells, muscle cells, liver cells, or other cell types. ![]() These are found in the embryo when it consists of only a few cells, between the 5 th and 7 th day of development. Today we know another type of stem cell which is particularly interesting: the embryonic stem cell, said to be pluripotent. Furthermore, they are rather rare and difficult to isolate and cultivate. ![]() Thus a stem cell from the bone marrow can differentiate into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, but cannot differentiate into a muscle cell or a nerve cell, for example. Their disadvantage is that they have a limited capacity for differentiation. There are no ethical issues related to their utilization.They can be removed directly from the patient, cultivated and re-injected.These adult stem cells have several advantages. When it divides, an adult stem cell gives rise to another stem cell and a cell which will differentiate and specialize. They participate in the renewal of all of our tissues. There are numerous types of stem cells in the adult organism-skin, bone marrow, liver, muscle, etc. But what exactly is a stem cell? A stem cell is a cell which is capable of self-renewal and of giving rise to several different types of cells. Cell therapy consists in utilizing stem cells to repair damaged tissues and organs in an organism. ![]()
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