Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research has been a hot topic and a highly debated subject. Scientists are taking interest in this new field, because human embryonic stem cells have the power to become any cell in the body, offering medical advances and possible treatments for many ailments. This type of scientific research will require destroying days-old human embryos to better humanity and its research. Factions against this type of research say it is unthinkable that this can be allowed in taking lives. Another hot topic is if the government should fund this type of research where it has become the focus of a bitter political standoff, and a key issue in the presidential campaign.

In antiabortion websites, debates and critics have stood behind a person named Pretince who spoke to senators on his stance on this issue with a solution to this type of research in offering an alternative to embryonic stem cells. From a Globe staff writer Gareth Cook wrote that Prentice went before the senators, he offered a dramatic solution to this dilemma. There have been ''a wealth of scientific papers published over the last few years" showing that adult stem cells, which can be obtained without destroying an embryo, have virtually the same qualities as embryonic stem cells, he testified. The important science can go forward, he said, but without the need for either embryonic stem cells or the controversy.

Dr. Catherine Verfaillie of the University of Minnesota said she has not found a replacement for embryonic stem cells and is frustrated with the increasing politicization of the issue. Embryonic stem cells have the natural ability to become any type of cell in the body and offer a unique tool for understanding human development. But scientists have only just begun to experiment with human embryonic stem cells, which were discovered in 1998. Embryonic stem cells are not currently used to treat anything, and there are many fundamental technical hurdles that lie between today's science and the potential medicine of tomorrow.

Even though the research has a promising future in finding possible cure or treatments for a wide range of degenerative diseases it is still too early on to know for sure but, without proper funding or investments we might just never know if there is a cure. Still some politicians like George Bush have wanted to fund this type of research they find it is very difficult when the scientists have problems duplicating the success. John F. Kerry is willing to fund the research with federal money but, limit the use of cell in only of those that are considered old batches.

Either way the research on stem cells is still in its early stages but, would it be nice that a cure can come out of something that some people feel it is not right. The embryos already come from places like abortion clinics why, it would be bad to use something that was already going to be discarded since there are still places that still do abortions.