Pros for Stem Cell Research

The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) explains, "Stem cells can become one of more than 200 specialized cells in the body. They serve as the body's repair system by renewing themselves and replenishing more specialized cells in the body." Research focusing on the cells has the potential to educate scientists, as well as provide medical care innovations.

Education

• Stem cell research provides insight into human cell formation. KUMC reports that stem cell researchers are now able to study the blastocyst, an early cell formation.

Human Therapies

• Research using stem cells results in new medical treatments. More than 50 human therapies currently in use today are the direct result of research using mature stem cells, according to the KUMC.

Drug Safety

• Safety increases in drug testing on human subjects when the drug is initially tested on stem cells. The Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Society of Canada speculates that medical researchers may now study the effects of new medications on human cells, without the risk of harming seriously ill people.

Avoiding Birth Defects

• The study of stem cells may provide critical information regarding the abnormal cell division that leads to birth defects. The National Institutes of Health reports, "A more complex understanding of the genetic and molecular controls of these processes may yield information about how such diseases arise and suggest new strategies for therapy."

Advances in Regenerative Medicine

• Medical researchers study stem cells to provide insights into the regenerative abilities of the cells. Advances in this area provide information on alternative reconstruction materials for surgeries, including bones and tissue.