Stem cells are the root generators of all other cells. Stem cells divide and form other cells, called daughter cells. The daughter cells can either generate new stem cells (a process called self-renewal) or can be manipulated into specialized cells (a process called differentiation) that have a specific function in certain body parts.
It is this regeneration process that makes them so promising to researchers. No other cell in the human body has the ability to generate new cells. If the secret to stimulating them in specific ways can be unlocked, a whole new toolbox of treatments to grow limbs, organs and cure diseases caused by genetic problems potentially could be developed.
The possibilities are almost like a fictional novel. Imagine a way to help those with spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, cancer, heart disease and osteoarthritis. The stem cells might also be used for burns and other skin or limb regeneration inside or outside the body.
It sounds fantastic. But there is controversy surrounding the use of certain kinds of stem cells, specifically embryonic stem cells.
Embryonic Stem Cell Controversy
As the name suggests, embryonic stem cells are obtained from embryos, the cells that form when a woman’s egg is fertilized with a man’s sperm in an in-vitro fertilization clinic. The cells that are created from that procedure but are not implanted are harvested for use in research. Because those cells are human, some question whether they should be used for experimentation.