Table of ContentsDefinitions What is Stem Cell Research?The Ethics Involved in Stem Cell TreatmentPotential Risks of Patient TreatmentDefinitions Ethics: The branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.Cellular differentiation: This is the process by which "less specialized cells" undergo maturation to become more specific in their form and function. It's basically when a cell changes from one specific type to another. It most often differentiates into a more specialized cell. This happens several times during the growth of multicellular organisms, as cells in the zygote differentiate into tissues and then into complex organ systems, each with its own cell type. Through fetal development, humans also experience cell differentiation as they grow. For a zygote to grow further, the cells differentiate into another form suitable for the next stage of growth. Somatic cell: Any cell that is part of a biological body within a multicellular organism that is not not a gamete, a gametocyte, an undifferentiated stem cell or a germ. cell.Regenerative medicine: It involves the treatment of damaged cells, aiming either to repair or replace cells or to regenerate tissues or organs to restore normal bodily function. IVF Embryos: IN VITRO FERTILIZATION – this is basically the entire fertilization process taking place externally. of the body. Sperm and eggs are combined in the laboratory, in vitro, outside the body. The process involves monitoring a woman's ovulatory process and subsequently extracting one or more eggs, allowing a man's sperm to fertilize the egg in the laboratory.IPSC: Induced pluripotent stem cells - these cells are obtained from skin cells. or blood cells that have then been reprogrammed into an embryonic-like pluripotent state that allows the development of any human cell needed for therapeutic or research purposes. They have been studied to become beta islet cells that treat diabetes and blood cells to create new blood free of cancer cells. These cells were then used in the treatment received by a patient suffering from leukemia. They have also been studied to form neurons to treat neurological disorders. SCNT Technology: NUCLEAR SOMATIC CELL TRANSFER - This is a laboratory strategy that involves the creation of a viable embryo from a body or an egg. The process involves the removal of an enucleated oocyte (ovum) and implantation of that cell into a donor nucleus from a somatic cell. In short, the nucleus of a somatic cell and an egg cell is removed from the overall cell body, while the rest of the cells are then no longer needed. Hemorrhage: leaking blood from an injured blood vessel that has been damaged, often following surgery. Neurosurgery: This is simply a surgical procedure performed on the nervous system, particularly the spinal cord and brain. What is stem cell research? Stem cell research is the field of study that seeks to identify the uses of stem cells and better understand their potential in medicine. He studies the different properties of stem cells, seeking to acquire knowledge about their functioning in order to be able to implement them in the treatment of certain diseases and/or disorders. It is also calledregenerative medicine. It is for this reason that it is studied and researched to promote the restorative response of diseased, dysfunctional and damaged tissues. Instead of using donor organs, stem cells have the potential to play a major role in organ transplant operations, using cells rather than organs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Many serious medical conditions in humans arise due to abnormal cell division which can then have life-threatening implications for the patient. Understanding how stem cells work and their potential functions can help scientists understand why these conditions occur and eventually, hopefully, provide appropriate treatment options. This means that the research obtained from stem cell studies and experiments forms the basis on which ingenious new treatments can be found for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Stem cells have the innate ability to divide easily and replace dead or damaged cells. Currently, stem cells are widely used in drug testing and development. The stem cells used for this purpose are called induced pluripotent stem cells which have already undergone differentiation but have been reprogrammed by scientists using viruses to divide and take the shape of any cell. When reprogrammed and forced to take on the role of another cell, these pluripotent cells now act like undifferentiated cells. This research then leads to the process by which differentiated cells can be grown from these pluripotent stem cells to resemble cells currently being treated. research, such as cancer cells. This allows scientists to test cancer drugs. In theory, stem cell research contributes greatly to the revolutionary concept of regenerative medicine. This approach to modern medicine aims to provide better healthcare to patients by focusing on the cause of disease and looking for ways to regenerate, repair or replace the cells in question, thereby affecting quality of life. Because stem cells have the potential to repair or replace cells, test drugs, and treat serious medical conditions, stem cell research is occurring in many areas of medical study. The Ethics Involved in Stem Cell Treatment Stem cell research and treatment in particular have always had controversial factors that add to the possible issues regarding the use of stem cells in the medical industry. The study of stem cells and their use in the treatment of serious illnesses that are very often life-threatening or diminish a patient's quality of life first emerged in the early 1900s. At that time, there was great opposition to the idea of ​​stem cells because of where they were taken from, which raised many ethical questions regarding the foundations of what it means to be human. But the stem cell research we undertake today is much more advanced and complex than if it simply considers ethics as the sole reason for disagreement with the use of stem cells as regenerative medicine. The potential risks, benefits and reality of stem cell treatment are currently so vast andcomplicated that ethics is only one part of a much larger medical inquiry. In short, the origin of the most commonly used stem cells in the past comes from an embryo. When embryonic stem cells are collected, the embryo is essentially destroyed. Historically, this doesn't bode well for the support this treatment has received, let alone research. In his early days, President George W. Bush had pro-life religious views which meant he would ban funding for stem cell research in 2001. The basis on which the ban was based was controversy over the timing where a human permanently becomes a human with all basic human rights. When does a person truly become aware of the rights of a fully functioning human being? There are many points of view on this issue. Some people believed that a human being is called that from the moment of conception and that the destruction of the embryo is therefore, in the literal sense, murder. Others have argued that a person has, above all, the same moral status as another as soon as the fetus develops into an embryo. Some have said that the birth of a child signifies their right to basic human rights from their first breath. All of this meant that the destruction of an embryo was morally wrong and thus prevented stem cell research from being carried out in its entirety due to the inability to collectively identify when a person is truly human.At the time , those who supported the use of stem cells in treatment and research claimed that scientists obtained consent from the men and women whose eggs and sperm were involved in producing the embryo. It is also true that the fertilized eggs created during in vitro fertilization are thrown away anyway and could therefore just as easily be used for the benefit of suffering patients. Today, embryonic stem cells are not the only ones used in stem cell treatments. In 2006, induced pluripotent stem cells were discovered and used in research. But the design of iPSCs in treatment also raises the question of whether human cloning is ethical or not. Since iPSCs can potentially create a clone of a donor embryo, there is now a whole other basis on which ethics comes in. Cloning has not yet been achieved. Some countries even have laws that prevent it. But now we must ask whether or not a clone has the same rights over a naturally produced child. Stem cell research spans many fields and involves many factors. Logistically, there is much more than just embryonic stem cells that could provide revolutionary treatment methods. Ethical complications concern how far stem cell research and treatment can extend before they become morally unethical or wrong. Potential Risks of Patient Treatment Stem cell treatment carries potential risks for patients undergoing treatment procedures, particularly those who are participating in trials or studying treatments. One of these potential risks or concerns is whether the use of stem cells can cause tumors. The great potential of embryonic stem cells lies in their ability to form any type of cell in the body. When implanted into an animal, there have been cases in which the cells form tumors called teratomas due to this.