Division III

The Stem of a New Lease on Life, The Cells That Heal Stem cell research has offered many therapeutic options for debilitating diseases. Despite the stigma surrounding stem cell research, it continues to grow rapidly through its invasive research. It had elucidated the many benefits along with the potential of overcoming the controversy and playing a large role in shaping the future of medicine. Stem cell research is a topic that everyone across the world has his or her own view or opinion on.…

First, they are unspecialized( or infant cells) cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division like mitosis. Second, under certain conditions, they can be forced to be made into a tissue or organ specific cells with special functions. In some organs, stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out or damaged tissues. For example…

The use of human embryonic stem cells has been hailed as the next major step in the battle against serious degenerative disorders such as diabetes and heart disease, and for some, debilitating for lethal neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s. (Braude, Minger & Warwick). However this is a hotly debated issue. Ethical Dilemma The main controversy surrounding stem cell research isn’t about “if” it should be done or not, but rather what source of stem cells are okay to use and what methods are…

Normal Healthy Cells Versus Cancer Cells All living organisms are composed of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled manner in order for the organism to function properly. Changes in normal cells can cause them to grow uncontrollably. This uncontrollable growth is the sign of cancer cells. Normal cells have certain characteristics that are important for the proper functioning of tissues, organs, and body systems. These cells have the ability to reproduce correctly, stop…

Scientists consider stem cell research and stem cell therapy as having a positive impact on treating different forms of cancer. While embryonic stem cell research is extremely controversial, stem cells used in cancer treatment such as leukemia are different. Unlike embryonic stem cells that use an embryo for regeneration of healthy cells, the cells used in leukemia treatment are called hematopoietic stem cells. The use of stem cell therapy has increased the survival rate of leukemia patients…

The idea of taking stem cells and using them to create more stem cells is hardly new. With the experiments dating back to the 1950s, new breakthroughs are making it a viable option for these stem cells to be used to find cures for cancer, and help heal heart, brain, and spinal injuries that otherwise would have been debilitating or fatal. The controversial question that has arose from this research is whether or not it is ethical to kill an embryo to harvest these stem cells. The answer is no.…

“Stem cell research is the key to developing cures for degenerative conditions like Parkinson's and motor neuron disease from which I and many others suffer”- Stephen Hawking, 2006. At first glance, the idea might seem cruel and mortifying to some that one would kill a helpless baby and destroy the life of an innocent for the purpose of curing others. However, research has shown that embryonic stem cells can potentially cure Alzheimer’s, spinal injuries and find a long term treatment for…

stem cell or become a different type of cell that would undergo a certain function such as a muscle cell in the heart. Not only they can turn into nearly any cell in the human body, but they are capable of renovating themselves by undergoing cell division,…

Stem cell research is a widely controversial topic in many different areas of everyday life; science and religion are the big two. People in the religious field find embryonic stem cell research to be against what God says about human life. Scientists see stem cell research as the best way to learn as much about human life as possible. A new breakthrough in stem cell research, the idea of encapsulated cell therapy, may be just what scientists need to change the opinions of many people. Stem cell…

Senescence is a robust tumor suppressive mechanism that inhibits the proliferation of damaged as well as initiated cells in response to a diverse range of stresses. The observations that human benign cancer precursor lesions are comprised of senescent cells further provide evidence that senescence is a physiological mechanism that prevents cancer progression in humans, possibly at an early stage. Senescence is clearly not fail-safe, since cells in pre-cursor lesions occasionally progress towards…