Stem cell and Medical Technology

Introduction
According to statistics, almost everybody today is affected by cancer either directly or indirectly, and everybody knows someone who is suffering from cancer, diabetes, or Alzheimer disease. How about if it was possible to successfully treat these diseases and save lives of our loved ones? Yes, it is now possible as medical researchers have found out a way to solve these medical conditions. The solution lies with stem cell technology. The most important feature for stem cells as it concerns stem cell therapy is that, they are cells that have not yet been differentiated into a specific type of cell (Hu et al., 2013). This therefore means there is the potential for doctors to use these cells as replacement for defective cells. Despite the promise that this technology holds for the medical field, it is still at its infancy and successful application is very limited. This paper presents a discussion on the possibilities available through stem cell therapy and support the adoption of the same in the medical field. This is done through analysis of arguments for, the drawbacks that limit the technology, a counter-argument, and lastly, a conclusion.
Background
Stem cells are young cells that have not yet been differentiated into a specific type of cells. Ordinarily, stem cells are obtained from young and differentiating beings mainly, oocytes and embryos. This practice has raised major concerns on the onset of human personhood, sensitive downstream research, consent for stem cell materials, stem cell therapy early clinical trials, and the oversight of stem cell therapy (Parry, 2018). These concerns have tended to cast a shadow on the promise that the technology presents in the treatment of some of the known chronic and dreaded disease and disease condition.
My opinion
Stem cell therapy has been proven to be an effective treatment for cancers, Parkinson disease, diabetes, and some of the other chronic diseases that so far, no successful treatment has been established. These diseases so far, have major consequences which range from social, financial, and social. For example, cancer robs us of our loved ones, Parkinson’s diseases render a person unproductive, and diabetes is a financial burden (Thompson et al., 2012). The benefits of exploring and introducing the use of stem cell therapy in the treatment of these diseases override the main ethical concerns that have been passed by opponents.
Stem cell therapy provides a stable solution. So far, the treatment or management strategies that have used to some of these diseases are unstable, with dire consequences, and at times, with no guaranteed results (Giachino, Orlando & Turinetto, 2013). For example, the treatment methods available for the management of cancer have been proven to have not assured positive results as some persons have undergone radiotherapy and still ended up dead. So far, research results have shown almost guaranteed positive results, with no traumatic side effects.
Counter-arguments
The primary argument against stem cell therapy is that it is unethical. This can be checked through the adoption of strong regulatory measures. This therapy requires expensive equipment and machines thus; only established organizations can practice it, thus easy to control. Other concerns are consent and the source of the stem cell materials. These concerns will be alleviated by not using embryonic stem cells. Researchers have found a way to alter adult skin cells to give them the same qualities as embryonic stem cells. Lastly, the fear of advancing stem cell therapy to cell cloning will be curbed through licensure and highly punitive measures for those who break the code of conduct (Passweg et al., 2017; Giachino et al., 2013).
Conclusion
During the process of development of a human, new stem cells are all the same and only after differentiation do they attain defined typologies. This presents an opportunity for medical experts to use the method to replace defective cells in the human body and thus, a treatment option for some of the chronic diseases e.g. cancer and diabetes. The potential of stem cell therapy is however challenged by ethical concerns. However, these can be effectively managed through a thorough regulatory and punitive framework. Before the field can be adopted in the medical field, a clear code of conduct should be developed. Based on this argument, it is concluded that stem cell therapy is a promising medical intervention that should be adopted for treatment of human diseases and condition.


References
Giachino, C., Orlando, L., & Turinetto, V. (2013). Maintenance of genomic stability in mouse embryonic stem cells: relevance in aging and disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 14(2), 2617-2636.
Hu, G., Cui, K., Northrup, D., Liu, C., Wang, C., Tang, Q., ... & Zhao, K. (2013). H2A. Z facilitates access of active and repressive complexes to chromatin in embryonic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Cell stem cell, 12(2), 180-192.
Parry, B. (2018). The Social Life of “Scaffolds” Examining Human Rights in Regenerative Medicine. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 43(1), 95-120.
Passweg, J. R., Baldomero, H., Bader, P., Bonini, C., Duarte, R. F., Dufour, C., ... & Montoto, S. (2017). Use of haploidentical stem cell transplantation continues to increase: the 2015 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplant activity survey report. Bone marrow transplantation, 52(6), 811.
Thompson, L. M., Ceja, M. E., & Yang, S. P. (2012). Stem cell transplantation for treatment of sickle cell disease: bone marrow versus cord blood transplants. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 69(15), 1295-1302.