Revolution Towards The Field of Biomedical Research and Modern Medicine

The subject of stem cells involves biological scientific research that proposes the potential development of treatment methods to prevent various illnesses and diseases. Stem cells have the distinct possibility to revolutionise modern medicine, whilst contributing to an uprise of professional scientists and modern biology. Alternatively, the subject of stem cells is extremely controversial, affecting several religious beliefs and contrasting societies. This paper identifies thorough research implicating the many aspects and properties of stem cells. Focusing on the classification and importance in stem cell research, as well as highlighting the controversy surrounding the topic. Further describing the nature of stem cells associated with other cells and medical research. The work is summarized by the prominence of stem cell research and the beneficial significance for the future of science. A wide variety of opportunities makes this cutting-edge therapy a turning point in medicine, providing hope for untreatable diseases.

The human body encompasses several specialised cells that exist with different structures and functions. For example, a brain cell transmits electrical signals as part of the nervous system and a liver helps remove toxins from the blood. In contrast, stem cells are undifferentiated cells of the human body. Meaning they do not have a specific job or function. They are able to differentiate into any specialised cell of an organism, whilst having the ability of a biological process known as ‘self-renewal’, defined as generating perfect copies upon division. The promise of stem cells as new tools to benefit human health resides in these twin properties, that allow the production of unlimited quantities of defined cell types. Subsequently, the research is currently being applied and thoroughly integrated into the field of biological science.

Beyond the definition, stem cells can be divided into two broad sources, based on the range of specialised cells they are capable of regenerating. Tissue-specific (or adult) stem cells are sourced throughout the body, where they function to maintain and replace the existing cells in organs as they deteriorate. Tissue stem cells have a limited capacity to generate other cell types. For example, a brain cell can become any cell type of the brain, but not a muscle cell, thus they are considered multipotent; capable of producing only certain cell types within the body. Tissue stem cells are obtained from the organ or tissue in which they are found, and further investigated for health treatments involving several illnesses and diseases. Pluripotent stem cells, in contrast, have the potential to generate any type of cell found in the body. Embryonic stem cells (ES) are an example. These cells are derived from early-stage, pre-implementation embryos. Specifically, they are obtained from the inner mass of the blastocyst, the ball of cells which, in humans, develops from the fertilised egg after 3-8 days. Interestingly, ES cells were the first type of pluripotent stem cells to be discovered in 1981, originally investigated in mice and then in humans. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) are a different type of pluripotent stem cell, recently developed to mimic the characteristics of an ES cell. iPS cells are produced from specialised cells by implementing a technique called ‘reprogramming’. These cells are reassembled through genetic manipulation and other techniques for further potential within the research. Modern scientists have been developing this technique and thoroughly implementing the research for the prevention of embryonic use. Together, the development and adaptation of these stem cell groups are, and have, contributed to the promise for the present and future of regenerative medicine.

Scientists have obtained stem cells from sources throughout the human body. Tissue-specific stem cells have been found and extracted in the brain, bone marrow, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, liver and other (although not all) organs and tissues. Researchers believe, the cells are dominant in a specific area of each tissue, where they remain and divide to create new cells only when they are activated by tissue injury, disease or other properties that forces the body to generate additional cells. The umbilical cord is the cord that connects the unborn baby to the placenta. This allows the baby to access nutrients and oxygen while still inside the mother’s body. This cord contains stem cells that can develop into only certain types of cells, such as blood cells and cells useful for fighting diseases. Doctors extract the umbilical cord as the baby is born for scientists to develop and advance the stem cells for treatments such as leukaemia, anaemias and other blood diseases. As stated before, embryonic stem cells can be obtained from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst. The blastocyst is the term used to describe the mass of cells formed at an early stage of an embryo’s development.

Stem cell research is at the beginning of a development that will likely address many important diseases for society, particularly in the ageing population. Stem cells do not only offer the hope of reconstructive therapies, they deliver us a better understanding that distinguishes them from normal cells. In 2007, scientists announced they had developed a new way to cause human cells to resemble as pluripotent cells, mimicking the similar characteristics of embryonic stem cells. By simply altering the expression of the cells using genetic modification, they were ‘induced’ to become stem cells and are now referred to as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Originally, iPS cells were produced using viruses to change the gene, although this technique proved to cause permanent and potentially harmful changes in cells. However, as written before, since the discovery of the cells, scientific reprogramming technologies were advancing and allowed researchers to investigate new methods to prevent the use of viruses. Currently, scientists are using this method to create disease-specific cells by extracting a cell from a patient with a genetic disorder, following the use of iPS cells to further study the disease in the laboratory. More research would need to be addressed to discover if iPS cells will offer the same value and potential treatment as embryonic stem cells.

Stem cell research offers great promise for understanding basic mechanisms of human development and differentiation, as well as the hope for new treatments for several diseases. However, human stem cell research raises sharp ethical and political controversies. The derivation of stem cell lines from embryos is filled with disagreements regarding the nature of human reproduction and personhood. The human embryonic stem cell is ethically controversial, as it involves the destruction of human embryos. This uprises a scandalous question of when human life begins and brings linked debates over abortion. It is not disputed that embryos are classified as human beings. Some people, however, believe that an embryo is a person with the same status as an adult or a child. As a matter of religious belief and contrasting societies, believe that “human life begins at conception”, thus an embryo is a person. In this perspective, removing the inner-cell mass to harness the embryonic stem cell is considered murder. The production of iPS cells has several severe downstream research methods, involving further ethical controversies towards the government and society. Injection of human stem cells into the brains of nonhuman animals will be required for the testing of cell-based therapies for many conditions.

Several groups and communities all over the world have different perspectives regarding the controversy of stem cell research. For example, the embryo only becomes a person at a later stage of development than fertilisation. Few people, however, believe that the embryo contains just cells that can be used for research without restriction. In considering the case of stem cell research, my opinion, thought and judgement would be that the early embryo deserves respect as a human being, but if acceptable to use it for certain research then there is a good justification that the woman or couple has given consent for donating their embryo. This belief is suitable for my perspective as it is the most sensible and rational manner to resolve this subject.

This writing thoroughly described stem cells as a revolution in the field of biomedical research and modern medicine. An adaptation contributing to the prominence of regenerative medicine. A foundation of opportunities providing hope for untreatable diseases and illnesses. Respectfully acknowledging the controversy and contrasting beliefs involving stem cell research. Various challenges must be overcome before stem cell treatments become a reality, but there is optimism behind the potential for this subject. It is hoped that from a detailed understanding of stem cell behaviour, safe and reliable stem cell-based treatments will emerge. Much has been achieved but much more remains to be done.