One of the first things President Barack Obama did upon taking office was lift the controversial ban on stem cell research. The National Institute of Health informs us that human stem cells are very important to scientific research because they have the potential to differentiate into almost any type of cell, tissue or organ in the body. Additionally, stem cell therapies may make it possible for humans to regenerate damaged parts of their own bodies more naturally, without using artificial materials or drugs. In the future, scientists hope to treat cancer, Parkinson’s, heart disease and diabetes with stem cells.
In an embryo that is just three days old, stem cells are found that will later transform into the heart, lungs, skin, tissues, bone marrow, muscle and brain. Advocates of stem cell research believe that there may be a way to generate replacement cells for parts of the body lost through injury, disease or aging. What makes stemcells different than blood, muscle or nerve cells is their innate ability to replicate for months in a laboratory setting. Scientists are hopeful about the potential for long term rejuvenation using these self-renewing human stem cells.
There are two varieties used in modern stem cell research: stem cells embryonic and stem cells adult. Embryonic stem cells are cultivated in a Petri dish from in vitro fertilization. This type of stem cell is extremely versatile and can differentiate into more than 220 cell types in the body for more than a year in a research setting, which is promising for many future medical treatments. Scientists are still trying to understand why embryonic cells are so much more flexible than adult stem cells. Some Americans feel it is inherently wrong to tamper with human cells, by creating, manipulating and destroying fertilized cells that could otherwise continue to grow into human life within a host.
While stem cell research has been full of controversy in America, other nations, notably Iran, have nothing against stem cell research at all. “Policies that may be classified as liberal in the American political system seem to be common sense to Iranian politicians,” explains Hassan Ashktorab of the Howard University Cancer Center in Washington, DC. While George W. Bush banned research on fetal stem cells, Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei embraced the modern science. While human cloning is still condemned in Iranian culture, they believe it is their duty to do their best to prevent illness and protect human life.