Stem Cell Research
Posted by York RN on March 15, 2009
President Obama recently lifted restrictions on stem cell research funding.
There are great hopes that stem cell research will lead to therapy for problems such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and paralysis.
Partly, the controversy around stem cell research lies in the fact that embryos, only days old, have to be destroyed. Normally, the cells are gathered from unneeded fertility clinic embryos.
Stem cells can also be gathered from the placenta and umbilical cord blood.
During my labour and delivery placement, it was common for umbilical cord blood to be drawn and kept with the mother’s consent. At times, the placenta was kept for the same reason and frozen for potential later use.
One of the general fears about stem cell research is the potential for human cloning. This is a little x-file, but in one of my first year science courses my prof, a biochemist, was quite prepared to admit to the class that he was quite certain a human fetus had already been cloned…that was early 90’s.
So does risk outweigh the benefit? In this case, does the potential for science creating outside what is known (i.e., cloning) outweigh the benefit of potentially curing a devastating disease or injury? Is it ethical to destroy days old embryos in the name of research?
I worked in an Alzheimer’s clinic. Families watched as their loved ones slowly deteriorated over time. Stem cells may well lead to therapy or even a cure for this disease. One would be hard put to refuse a future treatment to these victims.
