The Advantages and Disadvantages of Both Adult and Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Terms of Reference

This report was compiled by Lawrence Cruickshank and considers the advantages and disadvantages of both adult and embryonic stem cell research. This report will also cover the ethical debates surrounding this topic. The report was written to meet the SWAP Access to Health and Biological Sciences class written task assessment. The report was to be submitted by 170921 and it was to include recommendations.

Key Findings

Embryotic stem cell advantages:

• Embryotic stem cells have the capability to generate any cell
• Are immortal, from just one cell scientists can create an infinite yield of cells, with ranging aspects.
• Embryotic stem cells can be received by anyone

Embryotic stem cell disadvantages:

• Destruction of potential human life
• Tumorigenic - capable of forming tumors
• Difficult to establish uniform and specialized lines

Adult stem cells advantages:

• Patients which choose to have their own stem cells used in treatment, will not be exposed to tissue rejection.
• These stem cells are relevantly simple to procure and can be located in skin, fat, and bone marrow
• Non-tumorigenic - not found to create tumors

Adult stem cells disadvantages:

• Limited in volume and found to be problematic to secure vast amounts of cells
• Have a short shelf life compared to embryonic stem cells
• It has not yet been discovered how to make these cells malleable, making them specific to one function only

Methodology

The author of this report used online sources to find most of the information on this topic. As the pandemic is still happening, other sources were unavailable to the author, such as in-person surveys or interviews with local churches and mosques. Harvard referencing has been utilized to avoid plagiarism. A lot of the information found online was quite repetitive and limited as this is a science in its infancy.

Stem cells are, the building blocks of life, each individual cell takes on a specific role. In the perfect setting, these cells can divide to create new cells called daughter cells. The new cell can either become a duplicate of the original cell or develop a definitive role such as: brain or skin tissue. This is the only cell that has ever been discovered to have this ability.

Advantages and disadvantages of adult stem cell research

Advantages:

The therapeutical analysis is feasible by securing stem cells from the individual. These cells can then be altered into various therapies that have a minimal risk of rejection because the cells are taken from the individual who requires treatment. Even when familiar umbilical cord blood cells are used to develop treatments, the rejection rates remain low. This limits the need for immunosuppressant treatments which would allow a patient to continue an improved quality of life.

Adult stem cells retrieved from bone marrow have been found to be very malleable giving them extensive capabilities. Procuring the cells causes limited impairment to the individual, this is a straightforward procedure, with no recorded fatality to date. It is possible to re-program adult stem cells but there needs to be a more conclusive investigation, to see their full ability. No embryo is destroyed which removes the ethical issues surrounding the use of stem cells.

Disadvantages

There are limitations on the cellâs ability to be able to re-program and perform functions that differ from where they were originally harvested from. For example, it has not yet been discovered how to change an adult skin stem cell into a brain cell. This, therefore, limits the potential and functionality of the cell.

Adult stem cells are limited in quantity, often very small, can be difficult to purify, and can be challenging to collect in large quantities. For example, brain stem cells are procedurally demanding to collect and carry considerable risk for the patient. These cells do not survive long after being cultivated, which means they carry a short shelf life under supervised conditions.

At this time, scientists do not have the advanced ability or the access to resources to create or maintain vast amounts of stem cells in culture. Scientists have discovered that adult stem cells have the potential to develop into cancerous cells. Once harvested, the cell can only be used for one particular treatment. If the patient had another ailment or illness, those cells could not be reused.

Advantages and disadvantages of embryonic stem cell research

Advantages

Can maintain and grow in culture for upwards of 1 year, which is a much longer shelf life than adult stem cells. Embryotic cells have established protocols that can be maintained in culture. Embryotic cells are classified as undifferentiated cells, meaning that they can be utilized on essentially any area of the human body. They provide great potential to treat diseases and conditions that there is presently no cure for such as: diabetes, mental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancer.

Various parts of the human body - even internal organs can be manufactured from embryonic stem cell cultures from within the lab. These could be used for transplant operations, which would dramatically reduce patient waiting times. Embryotic cells can be used multiple times for multiple afflictions or conditions. For example, if the patient had a brain injury and then had another illness, the same cells could be used to help treat both conditions.

Disadvantages

One of the most heated debates in this field is around the loss of life. The research that is conducted in the development of embryonic stem cell research ultimately requires the embryo to be rendered obsolete. This is regarded as unethical from certain groups including religious and pro-life factions, who consider human life and individual potential to commence at the point of fertilization. The ending of this potential can be regarded as ‘immoral’.

Embryotic stem cell research costs large sums of taxpayer money. For example, in 2014 George Bush ended all government funding for the explorations into stem cells. The patients who use embryotic stem cell procedures will be subject to anti-rejection medication long-term after the initial treatment to stop the tissue from being rejected. This is because they come from cells not belonging to the treated individual, therefore the body can identify them and reject them. It has been found that the cells also have the potential to develop into cancer cells.

Ethical debate surrounding these topics

The writer of this report discovered through online research that there is two main arguments for and against stem cell research. These are the main points found below:

Against

The main ethical point that is against the use of embryonic stem cells is due to the ending of potential human life. As the egg has been fertilized, it arguably has the potential to continue and become an autonomous human being. The stem cells can only be harvested through breaking the bioplast and destroying the cell, which is immoral to those who believe that there is an infant created at the point of fertilization.

People of faith also argue that it is against the will of God. People believe that scientists should adhere to the moral code. There are concerns that once scientists have the ability to create stem cells with ease, they will attempt to start human cloning or human-animal clone crossovers, at which point some people believe that scientists will ultimately be playing God.

For

Scientists believe that through the continuous development, experimentation, and utilization of stem cells, the future of discovering treatments and cures for previously incurable diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer's, dementia, and diabetes can be found. They will also be facilitated in the repairing of limbs and brain tissue.

Scientists have argued that the use of embryonic stem cells collected from abortion clinics can be the most ethical and expedient way to further research, as these cells have ultimately already been discarded as waste. No other cells react the same way as embryonic cells and carry the potential to become any part of the body they are purposed for.

The general consensus

The debate on stem cells on whether it is morally right or wrong to use embryonic cells has no definitive answer. One can observe trends from 2013 to 2021 located within the graph below which displays a rise from 52% to 64% (over 10% increase) in people's beliefs that it is morally correct to use embryonic stem cells. This trend will likely increase in the future as more work and research is conducted by scientists.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the benefits to patient welfare of both embryonic and adult stem cells is immense. The cells can effectively replace and repair cells detrimental to the patient with healthy cells. Unfortunately, there is a risk that they can both develop into cancerous cells. A prime benefit to embryonic stem cells is that they have the capacity to become any kind of cell, although research and scientific discovery into them is stunted due to the ethical and religious debates on their usage. Alternatively, adult stem cells are limited in their ability as they can only replicate the specific type of cell that they have been procured from. Thus, more research needs to be conducted in both embryonic and adult stem cell research, as each could have immeasurable potential if thoroughly explored.

Recommendations

The author of this report recommends that further research should be put into the potential uses of adult and embryonic stem cells. There is so much potential to protect and further human life.

I also feel that embryonic stem cells that are discarded after abortions should be used for future research with the person's consent, as these are being discarded anyway - using them for scientific research removes them as a waste product and uses them for invaluable research. Allowing this would allow much more research to continue.

Through research I have attained a much better understanding of adult and embryotic cells - I have learned that some people have placed such a value on these cells that you can now insure your umbilical cord stem cells after a baby is born in case the child develops any future problems. This can cost upwards of £100,000. I feel this shows how important these cells are, yet how inaccessible and exclusive the scientific market can be to save and protect a child's life.