11/4/2023 0 Comments Mother cells definitionAlong the way we must reduce the emotional valence of phrases such as “therapeutic cloning” and “destruction of embryos.” To engage in this debate, it is important to have an overview of stem cell biology. It is important, therefore, to define the relevant terminology and discuss it objectively. Indeed, the integrity of the scientific process and its independence from politics and from fundamentalist dogma are at stake. The outcome of this debate will have an impact on the way we conduct the science of hESCs, a field still very much in its infancy. What is the moral status of the blastocyst? Should blastocysts be protected under the same laws that govern research on human subjects? These and related questions are at the center of a debate that involves the lay public, the scientific community, the press, and the United States Congress. Debate currently centers on the moral status of these embryos, which are now stored at in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics or created by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT discussed in detail below). Many in the international scientific community believe that the promise of stem cell–based studies or therapies will be realized only if we can derive new human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines.Īt the present time, the production of new cell lines involves destruction of preimplantation embryos at the 100–200 cell (blastocyst) stage. However, the word “promise” must be underscored - to date, no cures have been realized, no disease mechanisms have been uncovered, and no new drugs have been developed. Beyond tissue repair, cultured stem cells might also find application in the analyses of disease mechanisms and normal development, as assays for screening new drugs, and as vehicles for gene therapy ( 1).Įach potential use of stem cells promises revolutionary advances. Because they may be able to replace cells that have atrophied or have been lost entirely, stem cells offer the hope of restoration of cellular function and relief from suffering associated with many disabling disorders. Few subjects in biomedical science have captured the imagination of both the scientific community and the public as has the use of stem cells for the repair of damaged tissues.
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