Table of Contents
What is the impact of stem cell research?
Researchers hope stem cell studies can help to: Increase understanding of how diseases occur. By watching stem cells mature into cells in bones, heart muscle, nerves, and other organs and tissue, researchers may better understand how diseases and conditions develop. Stem cells survive much longer than ordinary cells, increasing the chance that they might accumulate genetic mutations. It might take only a few mutations for one cell to lose control over its self-renewal and growth and become the source of cancer. In 2001, President George W. Bush restricted federal funding for research on stem cells obtained from human embryos because the technology required the destruction of human life. “At its core, this issue forces us to confront fundamental questions about the beginnings of life and the ends of science,” Bush said. Stem cell therapy – The beginning In 1958 the French oncologist, Georges Mathé, performed the first stem cell transplantation of bone marrow grafts to save six nuclear researchers who were accidentally exposed to radiation.
Does the US ban stem cell research?
Stem cell research is legal in the United States, however, there are restrictions on its funding and use. Currently, the only stem cells now used to treat disease are from blood cell-forming adult stem cells found in bone marrow. In India, there is no law to regulate the use of stem cells. The Indian Council of Medical Research has issued guidelines that recognise stem cell therapies only for certain treatments and say that other types of treatments are unproven and should not be offered as therapy. No federal law ever did ban stem cell research in the United States, but only placed restrictions on funding and use, under Congress’s power to spend. Currently, the only stem cell treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are products that treat certain cancers and disorders of the blood and immune system. Regulation of stem cell research In reality, the UK has put in place specific regulations for the creation and use of stem cells. These regulations require scientists to submit research proposals to government agencies (the HFEA and the HTA ) before creating or using human stem cells. Yes. Prior to starting, research using human embryonic stem cell lines that have been created outside of Canada and imported for research purposes must be approved by SCOC to ensure that the research conforms to Chapter 12, Section F of TCPS 2 (2018).
Is stem cell research legitimate?
These procedures are widely accepted as safe and effective by the medical community. All other applications of stem cells are yet to be proven in clinical trials and should be considered highly experimental. Researchers hope stem cell studies can help to: Increase understanding of how diseases occur. By watching stem cells mature into cells in bones, heart muscle, nerves, and other organs and tissue, researchers may better understand how diseases and conditions develop. Although it can be very upsetting to have this happen, these people can get treated with a second dose of stem cells, if they are available. Grafts rarely fail, but if they do it can result in death. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they can give rise to every cell type in the fully formed body, but not the placenta and umbilical cord. These cells are incredibly valuable because they provide a renewable resource for studying normal development and disease, and for testing drugs and other therapies. Opponents argue that the research is unethical, because deriving the stem cells destroys the blastocyst, an unimplanted human embryo at the sixth to eighth day of development. As Bush declared when he vetoed last year’s stem cell bill, the federal government should not support “the taking of innocent human life.” On August 9, 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush introduced a ban on federal funding for research on newly created human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines.
Why is Germany against stem cell research?
Current legal position The use of embryos for research is heavily restricted in Germany under the Embryo Protection Act (Embryonenschutzgesetz) 1991, which makes the derivation of embryonic stem cell lines a criminal offence. The embryo is also protected under the German Constitution (Grundgesetz). Whereas Germany, Austria, Italy, Finland, Portugal and the Netherlands prohibit or severely restrict the use of embryonic stem cells, Greece, Sweden, Spain and the United Kingdom have created the legal basis to support this research. Belgium bans reproductive cloning but allows therapeutic cloning of embryos. Because of the inevitable consequences of reproductive cloning, it is prohibited in Islam. However, stem cell research for therapeutic purposes is permissible with full consideration, and all possible precautions in the pre-ensoulment stages of early fetus development, if the source is legitimate. The Catholic Church has become the leading voice against any form of human cloning and even against the creation of human embryonic stem-cell lines from ‘excess’ in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos.
Who is the leader in stem cell research?
Stanford has been a leader in stem cell research for the past three decades. In 2001, President George W. Bush restricted federal funding for research on stem cells obtained from human embryos because the technology required the destruction of human life. “At its core, this issue forces us to confront fundamental questions about the beginnings of life and the ends of science,” Bush said. Though Hinduism believes that life begins at conception, the religion has no official position on stem cell research. Currently, the only stem cell treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are products that treat certain cancers and disorders of the blood and immune system. The overall rank of Stem Cell Research and Therapy is 2585. According to SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), this journal is ranked 1.33. SCImago Journal Rank is an indicator, which measures the scientific influence of journals.
What is the most controversial source of stem cells?
Embryos created specifically to be used in scientific research are the most problematic source of stem cells. Some claim that the use of spare embryos is less controversial than those created specifically for research purposes (Herder, 2002). Some Muslims are in favour of research, arguing that the embryo does not have a soul until the later stages of its development. Others agree with the Catholic Church which says that it is immoral to destroy embryos at any stage to harvest stem cells. No federal law ever did ban stem cell research in the United States, but only placed restrictions on funding and use, under Congress’s power to spend. The cells, called spermatogonial cells, are adult stem cells. They are the source of men’s lifelong supply of sperm. Now these cells may become the source of stem cells capable of treating a wide variety of illnesses, suggest Thomas Skutella and colleagues at the University of Tubingen, Germany. Patients considering an unapproved stem cell therapy should be aware that these procedures carry serious risks – and that these risks may not be managed by a qualified care team. Injecting even a person’s own tissue in a different body part has resulted in severe illness and, in some cases, blindness.