Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the reports of the isolation of human stem cells from embryonic tissues. The paper explains the controversy involved in embryonic stem cell research, the main issue being the source of the embryos. The paper contends that these reports sparked much excitement because researchers could now design experiments to determine how human embryonic cells differentiate into various types of tissues, leading to the development of the human body, and moreover, because of the capability of these cells, a wide range of clinical applications were predicted.

From the Paper:

"In November 1998, two research groups independently announced that they had isolated human stem cells from embryonic tissues, had cultivated the cells, and shown these cells could develop into all three basic layers of cells in the human embryo (Lysaught 1999). Because these cells could potentially develop into nearly every type of human cell and tissue, they held great promise for applications in medicine and human development (Lysaught 1999). Upon announcement of the news, Harold Varmus, director of the National Institutes of Health, was quoted as saying that human embryonic stem cell research "had the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine and improve the quality and length of life" (Lysaught 1999). Concerns arose regarding the fact that the techniques by which stem cells were derived involved the destruction of human embryos, thus depriving them of their potential to develop into human beings (Lysaught 1999)"

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