U.S Opinion

     For many types of stem cells, such as adult and cord blood stem cells, there is little to no ethical issues surrounding research. Adult stem cells can be found in areas of a fully grown human body, like bone marrow. Cord blood stem cells are retrieved from the umbilical cord after childbirth. These stem cells are (relatively) easy to retrieve. However, adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells are pluripotent. The are already slightly differentiated. These cells may only differentiate to types of blood cells, and are unable to become cells like skin cells, retinal cells, or organs. This limits their capability, a problem embryonic stem cell research answers.


     Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research brings with it many ethical controversies. The cells are obtained from a newly formed embryo, and most hESCs are either donated, obtained after abortions, or created via in vitro fertilization. Research based on these cells will inevitably lead to the destruction of them, creating the ethical issue of whether research is killing a potential human being. One side of the debate is this idea. The republican and conservative idea is that human embryos are considered to be a human life, and thus should have the same protections as a developed human. The destruction of embryos would essentially be murder. Approximately 50% of Republicans condone research while 37% approve of it.


     The opposite end of the debate is that hESC research would lead to scientific breakthroughs in regenerative medicine and therapeutic cloning. These field use hESCs to create tissues and organs either on the patient or independently to be applied. An example is using stem cells to create blood cells to treat leukemia, or to create a clone of an organ to surgically replace a malfunctioning one. This would result in creating a better quality of life and survival rate of people. More liberal parties support hESC research, with 60% of Democrats pro research and only 26% against.




Sources:
Masci, David. “Declining Majority of Americans Favor Embryonic Stem Cell Research.” Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 16 July 2008. Web.


Nisbet, Matthew C. “Public Opinion About Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning.” Public Opinion About Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning. The Polls – Trends, n.d. Web.


Daar, A. S. “Stem Cell Research and Transplantation: Science Leading Ethics.”ScienceDirect. Elsevier Inc, 2004. Web.