Stem Cell Therapy free essay sample

In December 1988 Sarah Smith was in a serious car accident. Sarah became paralyzed from the waist down. She seldom felt nerves in her legs and feet when touched or tested and she could not walk or stand. The muscles in her hands had atrophied, making it impossible for her to open them. Sarah’s’s health gradually got worse due to lack of exercise and movement. In essence she lived in a motorized wheel chair. After reading an article Sarah contacted the Rehabilitation Institute of Detroit, Michigan. Following grueling tests and therapy Sarah flew to Beijing, China and received Olfactory Ensheathing cell surgery. They implanted stem cells above and below the injured portion of her spine. Immediately she could feel a reaction. Her legs were tingling with sensation. Her right hand opened and closed. Today she is in a manual wheel chair and can kick both legs. With adequate knowledge of stem cell research, learning the benefits acquired through stem cell therapy, and recognizing that support for stem cells is on the rise; it is apparent that even though people believe it is against the laws of God, the positive medical benefits resulting from stem cell research out weigh the negative social penalties. Due to confusion and general lack of knowledge stem cell research is sometimes wrongly thought of as unethical. Stem cells are model cells found all through the body that have the ability to possess concentrated roles. These cells are grown to imitate blood, bone, brain, or skin cells among others (Heled, 2008). There are different kinds of stem cells deriving from different areas that produce different results. Embryonic or fetal stem cells are believed to be the most influential and controversial in stem cell research. According to the American Journal of Health Education, â€Å"(embryonic stem cells) can differentiate into almost any type of cell that makes up the body† (2008). They originate from four different places: existing stem cell lines, aborted or miscarried fetuses, discarded embryos from fertilization, or cloned embryos. Adult stem cells are harder to manipulate; however, they do offer great insight into stem cell research. Adult stem cells can be found in different parts of the brain and bone marrow (Eve, Marty, McDermott, Klasko, Sanberg, 2008). Because of federal funding there is more adaptability with adult stem cells making them more available. Placental or umbilical cord blood stem cells contain a smaller level of stem cells, but have resulted to be beneficial in the treatment of different disorders. Current research of these cells has brought about encouraging possibilities, but as with all new ideas it does need to be explored more. Stem cell research and the cloning of humans and animals is not the same thing. The cloning of humans to full term is banned more or less across the globe. In some cases short term cloning was performed to allow for the creation and mining of stem cells; however, following the tests the cloned embryos were terminated (Eve, Marty, McDermott, Klasko, Sanberg, 2008). World wide a handful of animals have been cloned, but were inundated with problems resulting in tighter restrictions on human stem cell research. Recent research on cloned animals implies that the duplicated cells do not restart their lifespan, insuring an earlier death. Stem cells are thought to be the foremost uncultivated source for deterrence and healing of many diseases (see Chart 1). The process has shown new hope for many horrible degenerative diseases. Mice reproduced to show signs of Sandhoff disease, an adolescent disorder, implanted with stem cells revealed progress. Depleted levels of the Hexosaminidase trigger the disease. It was found that by implanting the stem cells it replenished the low levels rebuilding the dwindling amount. Additionally, with the help of stem cells scientists are initiating modern methods to regenerate brain cells used to treat Parkinson’s disease. By replacing defective cells with vigorous stem cells proposes optimism and a lasting remedy (Devitt, 2007). In another study scientists injected stem cells in primates with Parkinson’s disease who were said to have made an improvement after the surgery (Haugen Musser, 2007). In 2006 researchers at the University of Vermont injected diabetic mice with stem cells in attempt to cure them. The procedure paid off. Within a month insulin in the immune deficient mice had increased 34%. When evaluated along side the mice that were untouched there was 34% less blood glucose. The scientists plan to start testing human patients in an effort to gain more knowledge and save lives (Walker, 2006). Stem cell research might be the answer for curing heart related issues and diseases. Roughly 58 million people suffering from cardiovascular disease may benefit from stem cell research. Author, Ian Wilmut states â€Å"cells cloned from embryos would be most valuable in conditions such as cardiovascular disease† (2007). Moreover, scientists successfully created a heart valve derived from bone marrow stem cells (Eve, Marty, McDermott, Klasko, Sanberg, 2008). Further testing should qualify the procedure and establish if the valve will perform normally in a heart. Additionally, scientists discovered they could regenerate fetal stem cells to form working myocytes, heart tissue. This process alone could revive the lives of numerous people. There have been promising results when tests were performed on humans, as well as rats, with hepatic malignancies. There was proof of liver regeneration from bone marrow stems cells. Studies executed on rats showed sufficient levels of liver renewal due to stem cell implantation (Eve, Marty, McDermott, Klasko, Sanberg, 2008). Stem cell research may also be the answer for fetuses in utero with liver related problems. A study at the University of California at San Francisco stated â€Å"with the right culture conditions, transduced cells remain a viable method for delivering gene therapies targeting birth defects† (Treating Congenital Problems With Gene Therapy In Utero Believed Possible, 2001) Many people affected by spinal cord injury can also be helped by innovations learned through stem cell implantation. People with incomplete spinal injuries, injuries were the spinal cord is not completely severed, are benefiting from stem cell research. An experiment conducted at the John Hopkins University conducted on paralyzed rats showed â€Å"restored motor function† in the tested rats (Lindsay, 2008). Overseas large progress is being made in stem cell research. For instance, The China Post (2007) reports that researcher’s boasted successful results when animal test patients with spinal injuries were injected with embryonic stem cells. Also, in Portugal studies were conducted on people with severe spinal cord injuries. Every test subject showed some sort of improvement. Dr.