Why are some people concerned about stem-cell research?

Answer 1

Stem cells offer so much promise that to be against them is to be against finding the cure for cancer. Being against stem cell research is like being against reading, it just won't do anyone any good.

Answer 2

One source of stem cells is from aborted embryos - it's a non issue, as the embryo would have been discarded anyway and the stem cells wouldn't be harvested without the consent of the parent, but lots of right-wingers like to use that as a scare tactic to fight scientific progress. That's not even the only place to get stem cells from. Others worry that curing debilitating diseases is "playing god," and therefore bad.

Answer 3

Pros

It shows great potential in the treatment of a number of conditions like Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, cancer, Diabetes and many others.

• It helps the researchers know more about the growth of human cells and their development.

• In future, the stem cell research can allow the scientists to test a number of potential medicines and drugs without carrying out any test on animals and humans. The drug can be tested on a population of cells directly.

• The stem cell therapy also allows researchers to study the developmental stages that cannot be known directly through the human embryo and can be used in the treatment of a number of birth defects, infertility problems and also pregnancy loss. A higher understanding will allow the treatment of the abnormal development in the human body.

• The stem cell therapy puts into use the cells of the patient's own body and hence the risk of rejection can be reduced because the cells belong to the same human body.

· The benefits of stem cell research have such a great outcome, that it outweighs the ethical issues. (Cost-benefit-analysis)

Cons

• The long term side effects of the therapy are still unknown.

• The disadvantage of adult stem cells is that the cells of a particular origin would generate cells only of that type, like brain cells would generate only brain cells and so on.

• If the cells used in the therapy are embryonic then the disadvantage is that the cells will not be from the same human body and there are chances of rejection.

The stem cell therapy is still under the process of research and there are a number of things that needs to be established before it used as a treatment line.

· Critics against stem cell research, argue that there are ethical issues do not justify the benefits.

· A life is a life and that should never be compromised. A fertilized egg should be valued as a human life even if it is in its very first weeks. Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical.

· We should (and will) develop more ethical methods (such as using adult stem cells) which will enable us to research ethically. We should wait to those methods are available.

Answer 4

Some people have ethical concerns about stem-cell research because it often involves using human embryos, which they view as potential human life. Others worry about the potential for misuse or exploitation of the technology.

Answer 5

for medical reasons- stem cell's can cure over 70 of the most major diseases.

Answer 6

cause wherever it is coming from many think of it as a baby, a life or a person therefore it is wrong for people to kill it.