Stem Cell Research

by :
Edgar Raygoza

Stem cells have the potential to develop into other

cells in their early life, with this ability they can lead to
cure diseases and make new treatments for diseases that
there are no cure for. There are many different types of
stem cells but embryonic stem cells are the stem cells that
help the most in new medical research for cures and
treatments. According to a research done by Monica
Maribel Mata-Miranda, Virginia Sanchez-Monroy, and
Gustavo Jesus Vazuez-Zapien, embryonic stem cells
contain three unique capacities; the capacities are selfrenewal, pluripotentiality, and low immunogenicity
compared to other type of stem cells.
With all these extraordinary capacities of the
embryonic stem cell, there is a problem that has set back
studies and new research with the embryonic stem cells;
people think it is unmoral to destroy a human embryo, as
it could potentially become a person. This ethical problem
has become a concern for people that think that gathering
stem cells this /way is not a good way to do so, the
problem has become a very controversial topic that the
funds have been delayed due to this problem. Having said
this, stem cell research needs more funds to do the
necessary research to accomplish what scientist are using
embryonic stem cells with. The possible outcomes with
the use of embryonic stem cells, as described by by
Monica Maribel Mata-Miranda, Virginia SanchezMonroy, and Gustavo Jesus Vazuez-Zapien, the use of
embryonic stem cells will eventually lead to find new
cures for diseases humanity does not have an effective
response to it.

Having more funds in this field can also lead to the

potential development of man made stem cells. This new
way of creating stem cells that contain the same
capacities as an embryonic stem cell, will lead to the
same results as with embryonic stem cells. Accordingly
to Susan Solomon, a healthcare advocate and member of
different organizations related to medicine, for example
the NYAMR, this new system can generate thousands
and thousands of genetically diverse stem cells, and this
is going to allow us to understand better the sequencing
of the human genome, and generate new and improved
medicines.
Scientist need more funds to do this type of
advancements and with the controversy some people
have with the use of embryonic stem cells and weather
or not is unethical to destroy an human embryo, this type
of problems are delaying stem cell research and all of its
capacities, and maybe in the future we may not need to
destroy an human embryo as advancements like the one
explained by Susan Solomon, creating lab made stem
cells. Although scientist still have a long way to go, they
need the necessary funds to complete all of their
research, and funds can start with donations to different
organizations that fund stem cells, and as well the
government should put more effort into this field. With
stem cells in their full potentiality, we would not have to
worry for diseases like Cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrigs
Diseases), diabetes and other diseases that are affecting a
large amount of humans through out the world.

Sources:
Mata-Miranda, M., Snchez-Monroy, V., & Vzquez-Zapin, G. (2014). Investigacin
clulas madre pluripotentes en la Escuela Mdico Militar. (Spanish).

bsica con

Revista De

Sanidad

Militar, 68(4), 233-237.

Solomon, S. (2012, June). Susan Solomon: The promise research with stem cells [Video file]. Retrieved
from

https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_solomon_the_promise_of_research_with_stem_cells