Stem cell research has the potential to treat diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes, and heart disease. However, it is controversial due to differing opinions on when human life begins. Those against embryonic stem cell research believe life begins at conception and that this research destroys human embryos. The Catholic Church and some ethicists oppose embryonic stem cell research for these reasons. Others argue the high costs do not justify funding this over established treatments like cancer research. However, supporters believe this research could lead to medical advancements and that embryos are a cluster of cells, not life. Religions have varying views as well on the ethics of this research.

1. Running head: THE STEM CELL RESEARCH CONTROVERSY 1
The Stem Cell Research Controversy
Alvernia University
Chris Casciotti, Gina Ferrara, and Josh Streeter

2. THE STEM CELL RESEARCH CONTROVERSY 2
Intro
Stem Cell Research has proved itself in recent years to be a controversial topic in the United
States in regards to healthcare ethics. Stem cells possess different characteristics than the typical human
cell does. These cells are unspecialized cells that can renew themselves through cell division. They can
become any type of cell in the body. “Stem cells can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin,
muscles, brain”, and others (Mandal). Stem cells can be considered to be part of a repair system for the
body and could potentially divide without limits to improve other cells. Depending on the conditions
the cell is under, it can develop into cells with more specialized functions. There are three major types
of stem cells embryonic stem cells, embryonic “fetal germ cells, and adult stem cells.
It has been predicted by scientists that stem cells will eventually be the basis for treating
diseases like Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and heart disease. These diseases involve the deterioration
or death of cells in the brain, pancreas, and heart. Scientists want to differentiate stem cells to repair the
damage done by a disease process in a specific area of the body. For example, stem cells would be
differentiated into new neurons or brain cells, injected into a patient with Parkinson's and repairs would
begin, reversing the disease process.
Adult Stem Cells are undifferentiated cells “found among differentiated cells in a tissue or
organ, can renew itself, and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or
organ” (). They function to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. “Certain kinds of
adult stem cells seem to have the ability to have the ability to differentiate into a number of different
cell types, given the right conditions” (). These cells may become that basis of therapies for many
serious common diseases. Tissues in the adult body that contain stem cells include brain, bone marrow,
peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, and liver. It is the aim of many scientists to grow
adult stem cells in cell culture and manipulate them to generate specific cell types to treat injury or
disease. Potential treatments these cells can be used for “include replacing the dopamine-producing

3. THE STEM CELL RESEARCH CONTROVERSY 3
cells in the brains of Parkinson's patients, developing insulin-producing cells for type I diabetes, and
repairing damaged heart muscle following a heart attack with cardiac muscle cells” ().
Embryonic Stem Cells have been the main topic of controversy. These cells are taken from
embryos which are fertilized eggs to develop into fetuses. “Under the right conditions, human
embryonic stem cells will proliferate indefinitely without specializing or differentiating into specific
cell types” (PBS). These cells used to only be taken from surplus eggs from in vitro fertilization, a
technique used to assist women in conceiving a child, with the consent of the donors. In vitro involves
a woman's egg being fertilized with a man's sperm in a laboratory culture dish. They then develop into
pre-implantation embryos and are implanted into a healthy uterus to develop into a fetus. The embryos
that remain from in vitro can either be donated to other couples, discarded, be frozen and stored for
future use, or donated to research. These cells have been discovered to be able to “serve as replacement
cells for those that have been lost or destroyed because of disease” (PBS).
The controversy is based around the question of when does human life start. Those that oppose
the use of these stem cells believe that human embryos are human beings in the earliest stages of life.
Those that support this research believe that human life starts at conception, implantation, or further in
the pregnancy.
The Negative effects of Stem cell research
What are the real reasons people are against stem cell research? The answers vary. Some cry
“abortion” because in the process of harvesting embryonic stem cells for various medical purposes (one
of them is for body parts to regrow), fertilized human eggs are destroyed (). The bottom line for
conservatives is that stem cell research kills human life (). Many people argue about stem cell research
being immoral. However, aborting embryos in this country has already been legalized. So this
technically makes the entire process morally and ethically acceptable. Still others argue about the
astronomical cost of stem cell research and development. While stem cell research promises to cure

4. THE STEM CELL RESEARCH CONTROVERSY 4
many degenerative and deadly diseases, a lot of medical practitioners think that funding for cancer
research and other “established” illnesses would be more beneficial and useful. Focusing on the “now”
instead of the “tomorrow” seems a better option for many who are against harvesting stem cells (). The
Catholic Church is also against stem cell research for a few reasons as well.
The Catholic Church is against embryonic stem-cell research because it involves the destruction
of human embryos. Pope John Paul II said embryonic stem-cell research is related to abortion,
euthanasia and other attacks on innocent life (). The Catholic Church teaches us that the life starts at
conception. With this in mind a human life is being killed. This is why the Catholic Church has a
problem with stem cell research.
Anti-abortion groups also oppose research on stem cells derived from aborted fetuses. They
reject the argument that since abortion is already legal and women will have them, that stem cells
should be used from aborted fetuses because they would otherwise go to waste(). On the contrary, some
groups that do not oppose abortion are uneasy about the prospect of studying tissues derived from
aborted fetuses or discarded embryos. For example, the United Methodist church supports abortions
rights, but opposes the research industry's demand for embryos (). Many ethicists and scientists also
oppose embryonic research. In a July 1999 statement, 100 bioethicists, scientists and legal scholars said
they objected to embryonic stem cell research on the grounds that such research is both unethical and
unnecessary(). Many people that oppose stem cell research just don’t want their tax dollars going
towards the research weather it is beneficial or not.
In conclusion, there are a myriad of reasons why stem cell research is unethical. The main
reason is that it is killing human life. Many people believe that killing human life goes against all
humane morals. The Catholic Church also believes that stem cell research is unactable. They believe
this because they teach us that life begins at conception and that killing the embryo is the same as
killing human life. The Methodist church however supports abortion rights but does not want the

5. THE STEM CELL RESEARCH CONTROVERSY 5
research for embryos to happen. Lastly, the big reason that people are against stem cell research is
because people do not want to spend their tax dollars going toward something that they are not willing
to accept.
On the other hand, stem cell research has the ability to provide advancements in
medicine, especially healthcare. As previously mentioned, the question of when life really starts is the
cause of this controversy. The Catholic Church believes that destroying or using the embryo for
research is the destruction of a human life. Those against stem cell research believe that the embryos
used for research are already human. An embryo can be defined as a cluster of cells that will modified
and change itself over time. While those, like the Catholic Church, believe that an embryo is the start of
a human’s life and of creation. It is a process that should not been messed with only God himself has
the right to alter what he has created. With stem cell research it is needed to use that embryo and its
cells. The embryos that are aborted can be then used for stem cell research. This would prove beneficial
for those suffering from conditions where their cells are destroyed like Parkinson’s disease, diabetes,
and heart disease.
Many different religions have a say when it comes to Stem Cell Research. The Catholic Church
is a staunch opponent of embryonic stem cell research. Protestantism is split down the middle which in
many ways it is wrong but some believed that it can be done. Judaism believes that all human status is
not obtained at the point of fertilization but rather is acquired after a period of development. The
embryo gets their rights from when it is outside the womb by their parents. Islam believes that after the
40th
day of fertilization stem cell research may be permissible but it is frown upon. This shows that
each religion has their own set of rules towards this subject but all of them still share of the same views
as the Catholic Church.
Stem cell research is often considered unethical because of the use of embryonic stem cells for
research. This involves the use of abortion to obtain these cells. In some states abortion is legal so in

6. THE STEM CELL RESEARCH CONTROVERSY 6
the eyes of the government it is not unethical.
It is true that stem cell research is expensive and some believe that the money should be put
toward other concrete topics like cancer research instead of stem cell research.

7. THE STEM CELL RESEARCH CONTROVERSY 7
References
http://stemcells.nih.gov/staticresources/info/basics/StemCellBasics.pdf
http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Stem-Cells.aspx
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/innovation/print/essay6.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/08/09/cases-for-and-against-stem-cell-research/
https://www.americancatholic.org/News/StemCell/
http://www.steminventory.com/why-are-people-against-stem-cell-research/
http://embryo-ethics.smd.qmul.ac.uk/tutorials/stem-cell-research/arguments-against-stem-cell-research/
http://www.steminventory.com/why-are-people-against-stem-cell-research/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/08/09/cases-for-and-against-stem-cell-research/