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The Advantages of Embryonic Cell Research

The most common type of research done on cells from embryos is embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic stem cells are a special type of cell that scientists have become very interested in recently. However, controversy surrounds the use of these cells because scientists may need to destroy embryos in order to perform this research. Currently, the scientific community only works with embryos that are discarded from fertility clinics or donated by patients.

  1. Embryonic Stem Cells

    • Most cells in your body do not change types; blood cells will always be blood cells and neurons will always be neurons. However, embryonic stem cells do have the ability to change cell types, which is important for their therapeutic ability. This is particularly important in cases where patients have degenerative diseases that ruin a part of their body, because embryonic stem cells may eventually be able to replace the dead cells.

    Technical Advantages

    • One of the reasons that scientists can easily perform research on embryonic stem cells is because these cells are relatively easy to grow in dishes inside a laboratory. This is called "culturing" cells. Some adult cells are actually very difficult to grow in culture, because they have very specific requirements that dictate that their lab environment matches their natural environment in the body. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, grow easily in culture and do not have as many specific requirements. This makes it much easier to do experiments with them.

    Therapeutic Research

    • Embryonic stem cells have a great deal of potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Your body has no capacity to make new neurons, so in diseases that kill neurons, like Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease, your body cannot regenerate the dead cells, creating devastating neural deficits. Scientists are therefore working on embryonic stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative disorders that may help people regain some lost function by replacing dead neurons.

    Organ Research

    • Organogenesis, or the creation of organs, is another exciting new area of embryonic cell research. Thousands of Americans every year place their names on waiting lists for organ transplants, in the hopes that they will be able to receive a kidney, heart or liver to keep them alive. One major advantage of embryonic stem cells is that scientists may be able to change them into different types of cells to create new organs for patients, so that people in desperate need of a new organ will not die waiting for transplant.

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