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Cayla Lakey
Dr. White
English 1302
Date
To Infinity and Beyond
Science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be, and outside of its domain, value
judgments of all kinds remain necessary. –Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein believed that science needs to remain within the lines of judgment. This
statement is still true today. Just because science can achieve something does not make it morally
correct or viable to do so. In the New England Journal of Medicine, Professor Michael J. Sandel
writes “biomedical ethics is not only about ends but also about means; even research that
achieves great good is unjustified if it comes at the price of violating fundamental human rights”
(Embryo Ethics — The Moral Logic of Stem-Cell Research). The same is true with stem cell
research. Stem cell research must be limited to strictly adult stem cells and completely exclude
the use of embryonic stem cells. The cures for so many diseases that plague today’s society are
waiting to be found in stem cell research but there is absolutely no need to use embryos in the
process. Science without morals is inhumane and in order to protect the people, regulations need
to be made.
There are two leading types of stem cell research, embryonic and adult. The University of
Michigan defines embryonic stem cells as “‘pluripotent,’ meaning they are like a blank slate and
have the ability to differentiate into any of the more than 220 cell types in the human body” and,
under the right conditions, they “are capable of replicating themselves indefinitely” (Stem Cell
Research). The ability to transform into anything and the ability to replicate makes them very
appealing for research but it is also what limits them. Embryonic stem cells have a tendency to
replicate so much when used in living things, that they become tumorous and an actually hazard
to the life of whatever it is growing inside of. Also, to harvest the stem cells, the embryos from
which they are taken must be terminated. This brings up the question at what point does life
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begin? Because there are so many different opinions on this topic, it is hard to determine whether
or not the embryo has the same rights as a living individual that has been born. The controversy
surrounding this topic is completely irrelevant in regards to adult stem cells because the donor is
not harmed when the cells are extracted.
According to the National Institute of Health, an adult stem cell or somatic stem cell is
defined as “an undifferentiated cell, found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ that can
renew itself and can differentiate to yield some or all of the major specialized cell types of the
tissue or organ” (Frequently Asked Questions). For example, if the adult stem cells in question
were taken from bone marrow then they have the potential to be anything that relates to bones
and bone marrow but could not become a heart or brain cell. Although these cells may seem
limited compared to embryonic stem cells, they are useful in the sense that the stem cells could
