Stem Cells

In the many years that biotechnology has existed, there has never been a greater biotechnological discovery such as stem cells. Discovered by scientists Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till, although it has not reached its maximum potential, stem cell research has already begun to dramatically affect human life.

Stem cells can be described as "...undifferentiated cells, which retain the ability to differentiate into other cell types." This means that stem cells can become any cell in the human anatomy. Irreparable cells such as ones in the brain rely on stem cells for this purpose. Although stem cells are found in tiny amounts within the human body, a more abundant supply is required for it to be of use in biotechnology. Stem cells pre-existing in the human body, though, are used to replace damaged cells. When a stem cell divides, each new cell can either remain a stem cell or it can become a specialized cell depending on what the body requires. For biotechnological uses, however, stem cells are used in mass quantities to replace entire tissues or damaged parts of organs.

If the maximum capacity for stem cell research were to be reached, human life would be revolutionized. Cancer, heart disease, stroke and AIDS cause around eighty percent of all deaths; consequently, stem cell research has the potential to cure all of these. Imagine that eighty percent of deaths could be prevented. By putting more research into stem cells, this is made probable. Currently, stem-cell therapy is used to treat leukemia, a form of cancer, and it has progressed significantly over the years. Stem cells are now able to treat animals that have the disorders stated above with high success rates. Human treatment is the next step, but there are many obstacles standing in the way of stem-cell research.

Before stem cells can be researched fully, issues surrounding stem cells must be resolved. There are three general types of stem cells: cord blood, adult, and embryonic stem cells. Cord blood stem cells are found in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. Adult stem cells are pre-existing stem cells found in all adults and young adults. Embryonic stem cells are found in a blastocyst, a human embryo during its first week of development. Embryonic stem cells are the most efficient and abundant supply of stem cells, which is why there are issues surrounding stem-cell research. Although embryonic