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Definition of Stem Cells

The issue of stem cell research causes great controversy in the press and in Washington. Stem cell's potential for the medical field, along with the way they are harvested, make them a natural focal point for a debate between science and ethics. But exactly what are the uses of stem cells, and why can they do such remarkable things?

  1. The Facts

    • Stem cells are simply cells which have yet to be assigned a role in the body and thus contain the potential to become another type of cell. Humans use stem cells their entire lives, but only those gathered from the earliest stages of development, the embryonic stem cells, can become any other cell type. Throughout human development, stem cells become less differentiable and less useful to medical science.

    History

    • Stem cells became an issue when scientists first began studying cellular development through microscopes 200 years ago. One of the first significant advances in research came when researchers Ernest A McCulloch and James E Till studied the bone marrow cells of mice in the 1960s. Yet it wasn't until 1998 when James Thompson first worked with embryonic stem cells that their incredible medical potential was discovered. Since then the scientific community has been abuzz with stem cell research, and their true potential has yet to be fully tapped.

    Significance

    • Use of stem cells can help in regenerating damaged body tissue or bones for burn patients or patients with spinal injuries. For those on long organ transport lists, stem cells provide an alternative to finding a donor for a new kidney or liver. Yet stem cells accomplish more: the study of their development could help fight disease before it starts as scientists can pinpoint the origins of future medical problems.

    Potential

    • Stem cells could become the leading fighter of the United State's biggest killer since the early 20th century: heart disease. Ongoing research suggests that stem cells could be used to regenerate and repair damaged heart tissue, although the testing, conducted mostly on pigs and rats, has yet to find the correct treatment.

    Effects

    • The gathering of embryonic stem cells, the most useful type, from human fetuses divides many people over the ethical validity of stem cell research. In March 2009, after years of banning funding for stem cell research, President Obama lifted the ban, a move he claimed was consistent with a majority of American opinion. Yet Americans are still split over the cost of stem cell research, especially since, for now, the full potential has yet to be realized.

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