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Janna Arnold
English III – Block 2
D Digby
March 15th, 2012
Should the Government Allow Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research?
In 1998, an amazing medical discovery opened the door for many medical
treatments and cures. When Stem Cells were first isolated, biologists found that these
cells were the answer to many diseases, injuries and illnesses, for humans and animals
both. While Stem Cell Research is expensive for the government and the American
population, it is a very important step in curing people and animals who have certain
illnesses and injuries.
Imagine a friend or loved one in the hospital with a certain cancer that no
medicine can help. There is hope for this person with the use of Stem Cells. There are
many different types of stem cells that come from different places in the body or are
formed at different times in a persons’ life. One type of stem cell is the Adult Stem Cell.
Adult Stem Cells are found in infants, children and adults (“Adult”). Some tissues and
organs have more Adult Stem Cells than others. Adult Stem Cells produce the different
kinds of cells that maintain the body’s tissues and organs (“Adult”). They have the ability
to divide and reproduce indefinitely. Mesenchymal stem cells are a type of Adult Stem
Cell that form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon, ligaments, muscle cells, skin cells, and
even nerve cells (“Adult”). Different organs produce different kinds of stem cells for
different purposes. For example, stem cells in the neural system can only help injuries or
illnesses within the neural system. Organs with few or no stem cells, for example, the
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heart, do not readily regenerate when they are injured or diseased (“Adult”). This means,
when dealing with organs like the heart, it is harder to help them recover because of the
fact that they do not heal quickly.
The second kind of Stem Cell is the Embryonic Stem Cell. They are derived from
eggs that have been fertilized in vitro (“Stem”). In vitro means cultured in glass, or petri
dish. There is a misconception that the eggs are taken from a pregnant woman. However,
they are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman’s body (“Stem”). They are donated
for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. Embryonic Stem Cells can
become all cell types of the body, which means they are pluripotent (“Stem”). Induced
Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) are very beneficial for doctors because it means that they
can put them anywhere in the body to help heal whatever the injury or illness is. IPSCs
are Adult Stem Cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem
cell-like state by being forced to express genes and factors important for maintaining the
defining properties of embryonic stem cells (“Stem”). Genetically reprogramming the
Adult Stem Cells could be a lengthy process; however, it is very promising for treatments
because it provides a better way to treat the injuries. IPSCs are useful tools for drug
development and modeling of diseases, and scientists hope to use them in transplantation
medicine (“Stem”). Currently, viruses are used to induce stem cells, and they can cause
cancer. However, using iPSCs will decrease the chances of getting a cancer.
There are many different kinds of stem cell therapies. The best defined and most
extensively used stem cell therapy is blood stem cell transplantation (“Top”). Blood stem
cell therapy is used to treat diseases and conditions of the blood and immune system.
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Blood stem cell therapy can also be used to restore the blood system after treatments for
specific cancers. Once transplanted inside the body, the cells need to integrate and
function in concert with the body’s other cells (“Top”). This is crucial to the healing
process, because if the cells do not function together, many complications can appear,
such as infections. Bone marrow contains blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic) that
have been used for decades to treat blood cancers and other blood disorders (“Diseases”).
Currently, viruses are used to stimulate the gene differentiation in stem cells. Researchers
are currently investigating non-viral delivery strategies because the viruses sometimes
cause cancers. Once therapies are tested in humans, ensuring patient safety becomes a
critical issue and this means, starting with very few people until the safety and side
effects are better understood. Many potential treatments are currently being tested in
animal models and are developing new treatments.
Traditional veterinary solutions such as drugs, weight loss and joint-replacement
surgery are being replaced by stem cell treatments. The cells are extracted from the dog’s
fatty tissue and re-injected into the affected limbs and joints (Knol). The cells then regrow the tissue and ligaments. According to the leading provider of the treatment, the
procedure improves the quality of life of 75% of dogs that under-go the therapy (Knol).
The stem cell treatments have higher improvement expectancy than traditional veterinary
solutions.
The following diagram shows the order of events that take place during a Stem
Cell Treatment for a dog with arthritis, or a joint/ligament injury. This surgery has many
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elements to its process but it could be very beneficial in the long term and could also
contribute to knowledge of how to use stem cells for human surgeries.
First, stem cells are
collected from the dog’s
fatty tissue.
The veterinarian injects the
stem cells directly into the
relevant area of the patient’s
body.
The fat sample is processed
in a laboratory so that the
stem cells are concentrated.
The cells are then placed in a
ready-to-inject syringe which is
then returned overnight to the
veterinary practice.
If animals are treated with cells extracted from animals, there is a higher chance
for recovery. Cells that are produced naturally by adult living animals are immunology
compatible; they can be harvested from a variety of sources (Knol). Cells can be
harvested from bone marrow and fatty tissues, and have no ethical issues related to their
use. The first animals to receive the treatment were horses. Tendon and ligament injuries
in thoroughbreds were first treated in 2003 (Knol). There is evidence of dogs with spinal
chord problems being successfully treated using stem cells. The treatment is used to treat
Osteoarthritis (OCD), ligament and tendon injuries, and bone fractures (Knol). Mostly all
of the treatments work when used, which makes veterinary stem cell treatments very
appealing to pet owners.
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On the other side of this controversial research, conservatives, Republican
lawmakers and organizations have started an opposition rally cry. According to President
Obama, “A majority of Americans have come to a consensus that we should pursue this
research. The potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight
the perils can be avoided” (Levi). Having government oversee that the treatments are
carried out ethically would decrease the chances of complications involving Stem Cell
Research. Critics of the research argue embryonic cells are destroyed while searching for
cures for Parkinson’s disease, spinal injuries, and other afflictions (Levi). The embryonic
stem cell donors know exactly what could happen to their donated embryos when they
donate them. It is their choice to donate the embryos for research purposes. Politicians
and conservatives argue that “the destruction of innocent human life” should not come
out of tax payers pockets (Levi). If the government makes sure that there is enough
Federal funding, then Americans will not have to pay taxes for Stem Cell Research.
There is also controversy in the laboratory involving stem cells. The risk that
specializing the cells will work or not is a very huge issue for everyone involved in Stem
Cell Research. If cells are grown in culture, the cells may lose the normal mechanisms
that control growth or may lose the ability to specialize into the cell types the patient
needs (“Top”). This is when the process of coaxing the cells into the specific properties
they need to be comes into play. Translating cells into effective medical treatments is a
long and difficult process. Something that looks promising in cultured cells may fail as a
therapy in an animal model when it is tried on humans (“Top”). If a treatment is not well
tested and studied, it may make the condition worse or have dangerous side effects. For
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example, a cell put into a patient that is not differentiated correctly could mutate and
cause deformed cell growth, which could lead to cancer.
Due to Stem Cell Research being new research it is very expensive. Where cost is
high, there may be long term financial implications for the patients, their families and
communities. According to Kara Kolls, “the research should be more privately funded.”
(Kolls). This is a great idea for researchers to look into because it might take some of the
stress away from American tax payers. Kolls thinks, “Americans should not be taxed for
it. It should be on the person heading the service” (Kolls). Kolls also wonders who will
monitor its use. The answer to these questions is the government. If the government
privately funded Stem Cell Research and monitored its use at the same time, Stem Cell
Research would not be such a controversial issue; people would agree with it more.
The groups that are in opposition of Stem Cell Research give good arguments, but
they base them off of the money issues. They also play on peoples’ emotions of “human
life” and destroying it. Looking at the whole picture, Stem Cell Research gives scientists
an alternate way to cure certain illnesses, diseases and injuries if the first medication or
treatment fails. It depends on the person who is going through medical issues and the
person or animals’ family to decide if it is ethical or not, and if it is worth it.
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Works Cited
“Adult Stem Cells 101.” Children’s Hospital of Boston. 2005-2012. Web. 1 Feb 2012.
Kolls, Kara. Personal Interview. 23 Feb 2012.
Knol. “Canine Health: Stem Cell Treatment for Dogs.” Canine Health. 2007-2012. WEB.
15 Feb 2012.
Levi, Michelle. “Republicans Rally Against Obama on Stem Cells.” CBS News.
9 March 2009. WEB. 1 Feb 2012.
“Stem Cell Information.” Department of Health and Human Services. 13 Sep 2010.
WEB. 6 Feb 2012.
“Stem Cells and Diseases.” National Institutes of Health. 7 Feb 2012. WEB. 9 Feb 2012.
“Top Ten Things to Know about Stem Cell Treatments.” Closer look at Stem Cells.org.
ND. WEB. 13 Feb 2012.