stem cells?

Question

how are they produced, why are they important to medicine, and what is controversy concerning stem cell reasearch

Answer 1

Stem cells are derived from human tissues. They can be found in placenta, umbilibal cords, and embryos. The controversy is about where scientists and doctors are getting their stem cells. They want to get them from embryos because it's cheaper and easier. The problem with that is in the process of retrieveing the stem cells the embryo is destroyed or no longer viable. Therein lies the controversy. A lot of people feel that destroying life is unacceptable when they can get their stem cells from routinely discarded materials such as placenta and umbilical cords.

They are important to medicine because they are like blank slates. All they need is the "programming" to become whatever it is a patient needs, like vital organs or tissues. The cells can be used to replace parts of damaged tissues in the body. They are also being used to help formulate better treatments for all kinds of things like Parkinson's and diabetes to name a couple. The list goes on and on. At the present time there is no end to the possibilities.

Answer 2

I don't know the actual mechanics, but stem cells are cells which can develop into any body part or organ, and are found primarily in developing humans, hence the controversy - whether it is morally right to use aborted children's tissue to get stem cells for research, whether an embryo created by in-vitro fertilization is a person, and whether it is morally right to create embryo specifically for the purpose of gathering stem cells. Essentially, it boils down to, when does "life" begin.

Because stem cells are so versitile, they can theoretically be used to cure cancer, repair damaged organs, "re-program" ailing body systems and the like.
(I recently read a study, however, where it was found that if incorrectly inserted, stem cells can also learn to grow into cancer themselves)

Also, in a recent editorial I read in the Patriot Post 07-01 Digest, "To date, 72 treatments using adult and umbilical stem cells have been tested successfully; zero for embryonic stem cells. "

That's right - stem cells can be cheaply harvested without harming ANYONE by collecting the blood from the umbilical cords of newborns, and there's not single law out there that would stop this. I don't know why this one isn't being published by the mainstream. Instead, politicians are fighting over the morality of killing human embryos. Very sad.

Answer 3

Stem cells are cells that... well. do almost nothing but sit there in a persons body. If we can some how change those cells into another type of cell, then we could help disabled people and they could come in handy during surgery, and lots of other important stuff that could revolutionize man kind even more!!!

Answer 4

Stem cells are very valuable because they are so versatile. They will take on the properties of nearby cells if injected into that area. Eg. If stem cells are injected into the liver, they will become liver cells and work as liver cells too.