Stem cell research: technology, politics, and medical potential

Stem Cell Research

Define Stem Cell Technology

Potential of Stem Cell Research

Future Trends

Political Spectrum

Trim Tab

Action Plan

Stem Cell Research

This report will attempt to present insights into the new technology of Stem Cell Research while also presenting views into the political spectrum surrounding the use of this new technology. Through the education of the public domain into some of the potential advantages this new technology, reports like this one may open the eyes of the skeptics and the radically closed minded individuals that could be blocking the health of our nation and man's quest for immortality. The report will describe some of the significance of and problems related to regenerative medicine and why it is this important to the future of you, me and all of mankind.

In the quest for complete health and immortality, man continues to make new strides and discoveries through the use of science and technology that may one day make immortals of us all. Today, immortality as an objective may seem far fetched for the average person in this particular life time, but consider that over the course of human history man's life expectancy has continually risen.

Individuals living complete and healthy lives well into their hundreds can no longer be considered an unusual event. The splitting of the atom, new DNA technology, and robotic prosthesis are but a few examples of man's ability to alter his future through the use of new technology.

In the high tech search to eliminate disease, disability and death, disparities among cultural or ethnic lines of reasoning have made some technologies acceptable while others have been labeled as threats to the overall well being of man. Social, political and religious debate has created a dilemma surrounding the technology of cloning for example. Man can and regularly does clone or alter the physical make up of vegetation such as corn and legumes to create super crops which may eventually feed the majority of the starving world population. Through science, man can also clone sheep, monkeys and probably any living mammal if need be.

Yet, it has been classified as wrong to clone human beings because of the associated moral dilemmas. Other alternatives to cloning have been discovered that could use regenerative medicines to eliminate disabling diseases. but, once again those technologies utilize controversially cultured embryonic tissue which upsets the moral standards of a great deal of our society. Many feel that it is wrong to pursue such technologies such as Stem Cell Research which has a potential to alter the course of human history. The concept is still only in its infancy but it may change the medical profession as we know it.

Today, five years after the shy University of Wisconsin-Madison scientist published his succinct but earthshaking paper showing that stem cells -- ephemeral, blank slate cells that occur at the earliest stages of human development -- could be isolated, cultured and grown in apparently limitless quantities, enthusiasm is tempered. The public cheerleading of Varmus and others, without a doubt, helped make stem cells a household word and set a high (and unrealistic) expectation that therapies for a host of debilitating cell-based diseases were just around the corner." (Five Years Later, Stem Cells Still Tantalize)

Introduction

This report will define and provide some current and historical insights into stem cell research and technology and how that research affects the United States social, political and religious belief structures. These belief structures will affect all of Stem Cell technology's future uses including funding from both governmental and private sources, current and future regulatory initiatives, religious and social ethics, licensing and partnerships from support technologies, definition of research facilities and cost structures while also forming new oppositions in the form of opinions from different national entities or sovereignties. The objective of the newly discovered industry will be to create therapeutic medicinal arenas that generate revenue while the big picture of stem cell therapy remains in the infancy and developmental stages of the business cycle.

Stem cell research and the accompanying technologies continue to make headlines. Potentially, this new area of medicine may change the entire spectrum of life and health as we know it today. The financial potential is also enormous. Since embryonic stem cells were originally isolated in 1998 at the University of Wisconsin, new and complementary technologies affecting stem cells continue to become as prominent as the original discovery and the potential of the technology is now being appreciated by executives, investors, venture capitalists, and business development managers and analysts who work in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology areas of the scientific community.

Both new and existing companies, educational and healthcare systems and even whole nations are hoping to be responsible for the next great Stem Cell related breakthrough that could propel stem cell technology and cell and tissue culture media technology from the world of potential cure to cure all in the daily routines of the global healthcare system. Whole nations such as France, Italy and Spain are changing their approaches to work more like entrepreneurial states that compete directly with individual companies. The quest for the coveted position of leader in regard to stem cell therapy as a regenerative medicine requires investments of large sums of capitol which in return could help the winner obtain the commercial rights for the environmental factors needed to develop the cell lines. With such strong entrepreneurial and international support, stem cell research on a global scale is a viable technology that is here to stay. But in the United States, social and moral issues may keep the entrepreneurial atmosphere to a minimum.

Potential of Stem Cell Research

In the emerging field of stem cell research, real uses and products may still be a long way from being actualized or commercialized, but the potential is huge. Stem Cells were so named because, like the branches or stems of a tree, they had the ability branch out to reach new things. A stem cell literally has the potential to alter what it could be because it is still undifferentiated.

Of course, the theories are not yet in development and the overall concepts are still in the very early stages of research. Success of this new technology is currently just pure speculation. However, scientists in the field feel that the potential uses for stem cell theory is more than obvious. Because the market potential for stem cell therapies products is extremely large, there is already great media hype and political jockeying in progress surrounding the technology.

The first potential applications of human embryonic stem cell technology may be in the area of drug discovery. The ability to grow pure populations of specific cell types offers a proving ground for chemical compounds that may have medical importance." (Five Years Later, Stem Cells Still Tantalize) This area of research could potentially reduce pharmaceutical research and development costs substantially. Knowing, for example, that a particular new drug kills liver cells without having to actually put the new drug into a human test subject's liver is amazing at least and life saving at best.

The potential to treat specific cells outside of the human body first and then having the ability to systematically measure a response first and then only administer successful trials creates an opportunity to reduce trial times which in turn could bring new medicines to market faster. Stem cell technology could therefore be the new methodology used to screen any number of chemical compounds and the reaction of the specific human cell.

Another potential use is the study of human development and the associated prevention of birth defects. As the medical community understands the earliest stages of cell development, embryonic stem cells also provide insights into human developmental. The events that occur during the initial stages of development will give the medical community new weapons to use in the elimination of birth defects, infertility and even pregnancy miscarriages.

The newly found ability to cultivate human tissue will create new potential cures for burn victims as new skin tissue could be artificially created through the use of stem cells. Other diseases and transplantations could simply reproduce the damaged or missing tissue. "For example, diseases like juvenile onset diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's disease occur because of defects in one of just a few cells types. Replacing faulty cells with healthy ones offers hope of lifelong treatment." (Five Years Later, Stem Cells Still Tantalize)

The same potential in theory could apply when doctors needed to replace a damaged heart or any other organ. Veterinary use has shown that the possibilities should work in humans. "Although stem cells are being tested for nearly every disease and injury imaginable, we only address applications that are well documented such as injured tendons, ligaments, and bone. Typical uses are a strain or tear of the suspensory ligament, a bowed tendon, or fracture repair." (Stem Cell Services)

Future Trends

The future of the technology seems clear. The majority of the biological community concur that stem cell technology has great potential. Scientists have never before found cells with the biological potential that embryonic stem cells have shown. "They can morph into any one of the 220 types of cells and tissues in the human body. Nurtured in their undifferentiated state, they can proliferate endlessly in culture, and provide a vast supply of cells for research and, someday, therapy." (Five Years Later, Stem Cells Still Tantalize) recent advance in stem cell technology has created one of the broadest technology platforms in the history of biotechnology. The advance called Nuclear transfer is a process where the body cell is moved into a cell where all DNA has been removed. The potential of this new advance provides a way to reprogram cells into the egg cell, or in other words change the cell from what it was, for instance a bone-marrow cell, into an undifferentiated embryonic cell. This technique therefore creates a situation where a cell can become any cell type.

In effect, this is a type of cloning because if this type of embryonic cell was placed in a female uterus, the cell would literally grow like any normal embryo and eventually become a clone of the original. So stem cell research in the future also has the potential of full reproductive cloning. The choice of course would be to place the egg in a uterus or a Petri dish.

Problem Statement

With all of these great potential positive health solutions, how could there be such a controversy regarding stem cell regenerative medicine? In the United States, the problem goes back to constitutional items such as Roe v. Wade and a woman's ability to choose to have abortions, and the definition of when human life begins. The true cause of the controversy therefore is the fact that the procedure requires embryonic stem cells. The issue is that many here in the United States and in some parts of the world feel that once a human egg becomes fertilized, that egg is now considered a human being and it as a human being should be protected by the all of the rights and interests that we as adults are protected with. Simply put, those who oppose stem cell research are against fetuses and fertilized eggs being used for scientific research purposes. and, as has been demonstrated by the radicalism of some anti-abortion groups for example, they will go to any lengths be it legal or illegal to get their message across.

Those who support stem cell research contend that fertilized eggs that are donated with the full consent of couples no longer using the eggs that would have be discarded anyway do not need protection. The argument is that those eggs would not have become humans once discarded. It is important to note that at this time; only already fertilized eggs that were in vitro clinics are being utilized in stem cell research. but, as with any social, political or religious moral and ethical issue, the controversy on whether stem cell research violates human rights or creates opportunities for new medical breakthroughs will most likely continue for a long time.

The problem in the United States is that at the very least, for the advancements to occur in regard to Stem Cell technology and research, an insistent federal program will be required so the full potential of stem cell research can be obtained. However, as of today, there is limited federal funding and support due to the moral issues that exist.

The Stem Cell research industry in the United States as opposed to international competition is working on a compromise of sorts. Existing reserves of fertilized eggs will be allowed to be used but no new fertilized eggs can be created for the purpose of advancing this technology.

Political Spectrum

The current administration is side stepped the existing dilemma. "And he said the president's recent decision to use the existing cell lines was a political cop-out. "He found it immoral to destroy a human embryo to create stem cell lines yet in the case where there's a human who's committed a heinous crime, he'll take their life," Trosko said, referring to Bush's capital punishment record as governor of Texas." (Hughes) They have agreed to allow existing fertilized eggs to be used for research but have said no to any new sources of fertilized eggs. In effect, this stops the stem cell research process cold.

Advocates for government spending on embryonic stem cells are running scared with good reason. Even though non-embryonic-stem-cell technology is already years ahead of ES work in terms of experimentation and application, recently it has exploded like a thermo baric bomb." (Fumento) Politically, embryonic stem cell research is too touchy a subject to get much support from either republicans or democrats. My local congressman has not returned my letters, calls or emails so as of today his position on embryonic stem cell technology and research maybe that he is a supporter behind closed doors abut in the public arena there is no active t not supported. Not surprisingly however, is that there is non-profit advocacy support for stem cell technology and research but the lobbies are note very strong.

Since 1996, the United States government under George Bush Jr. has basically stopped any possible federal funding for any research that could endanger or destroy human embryos. Bill Clinton's administration supported and funded embryonic research projects. "Thus, Stabenow - who supports the extraction of stem cells from aborted embryos, a new direction in research for possible cures for debilitating diseases - was pleased President Bush didn't close the door for research opportunities. But she said last week's decision limits research." (Hughes)

Trim Tab have decided to create a website that will provide support for the embryonic stem cell research I feel will make our nation a better place to live. I will promote this advocacy in four ways:

First, I think my site should provide detailed information on the process known as nuclear transfer or therapeutic cloning. My main objective will be to ensure that this process remains a legal scientific research possibility. The purpose is to make sure the millions of people around the world get the best possible help in trying to ward of off debilitating diseases Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, heart disease, ALS, and other the many other devastating cell driven conditions that are currently incurable.

Second, I will have a web site that encourages continued federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. Without the necessary funding, this research will not be able to support itself until viable uses become profitable for the new industry.

Third, I will gather additional support by writing clear and concise informational updates into the progress of stem cell research. This will force me to stay abreast of new advances in technology.

Fourth, I will stay in touch with my local and federal representatives and voice my support for current and future funding of stem cell research and therapeutic cloning.

Action Plan

1. The action plan purpose will be to help lobby in favor of new federal and local governmental funding for stem cell research.

2. By creating a new web site, I feel I will reach a bigger potential audience.

3. My target audience will be both males and females who are supportive of expansion of the existing stem cell research process. The individuals should be at least high school graduates and between the ages of 18 and 65. The audience should also be computer literate and willing to stand up and express their thoughts and beliefs in a safe and socially acceptable manner.

4. I will use search engines, newsletter ads, and the general website in order to get my message across. SPAM emails of a tasteful manner will also be used to recruit and message dissemination. Monthly costs for a web site and SPAM list will be minimal and individual site supporters can help write site materials and email content.

5. The site will have limited competition from anti-support groups and there will always be the occasional jerk who thinks free speech is only a commodity for himself. So site vandalism and hacking are minor possibilities. The key to minimizing competition and vandalism will be the written message.

6. The site will provide facts regarding types and uses for cloning. The main objective will be to show that scientists have been cloning on a daily basis for many years and that is accepted because it helps develop new drugs like insulin and also assists tracking biological weapons such as the recent mail scares on the east coast.

7. The site will also help readers understand why adult stem cell cells and embryonic stems cells are different. Even though adult stem has begun to show some promise, our top scientists concur that embryonic stem cells have more potential because of the fact that they are undifferentiated which implies that they can be converted to grow into any cell type.

Conclusion

In conclusion, stem cell research has the potential to help mankind at all stages of the life cycle. Stem cell technology first provides man with an open door by which he can witness and understand the very early stages of a human beings development. Then, once born, the technology can help create specialized cells that could eliminate the need for a cast when a bone is broken while at the same time eliminating some if not all cell-based diseases. This report defined and provided current and historical insights into stem cell research and technology. The effect of the technology within the United States social, political and religious belief structures was also touched upon. Since embryonic stem cells were originally isolated in 1998, stem cell research and accompanying enabling technologies continue to make headlines because this area of medicine could potentially change the entire spectrum of life and health as we know it today. The financial potential is also enormous. Both new and existing companies, educational and healthcare systems and even whole nations are hoping to be responsible for the next great Stem Cell related breakthrough. Whole nations such as France, Italy and Spain are working more like entrepreneurial states that compete directly with individual Companies. The quest for the coveted position of current leader in regard to Stem Cell therapy as a regenerative medicine requires investments of large sums of capitol which in return could help the winner obtain the commercial rights for the environmental factors needed to develop the cell lines. With such strong entrepreneurial and international support, Stem Cell research is a viable technology that is here to stay.