Stem Cells

What are stem cells? Stem cells are, to put it simply, blank cells. As such, they can become almost any other kind of cell given the proper coaxing. The possibilities for this are enormous. A patient needs a heart transplant? With stem cells you could grow him a new heart. Liver, lungs, kidney, stem cells could grow each of these. No more would patients have to wait for donors in order to get a life saving transplant. They could gain the organ they need by simply growing a compatible one.

Sadly, this remarkable possibility is not without naysayers. The most useful and flexible stem cells comes from the embryo a few days after conception. Pro-life advocates have thus placed the harvesting of such cells in the same light as abortion, as a detestable and evil practice. There has been firm resistance to research funding as such, and some have even proposed to outright ban all types of stem cell research completely.

The writer of this article did an excellent job staying unbiased in his report on this issue, but I fear I could not do this. I have a brother who is mentally handicapped. Stem cells are increasingly looking like a possible cure for his condition. Since this is the case, I do not feel I could give an unbiased report. I am in favor of this research, I want it to happen. My writing would naturally lean toward gaining its approval. As I am now, I do not think I could avoid singing its praises and bashing its resisters.

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/07/11/stem.cell.fact/