Embryo stem cell research represents one of the most controversial issues in exploratory studies at present. Stem cells have to be collected from live embryos, a process during which the parenting cells die: this is the reason why so many pro-lifers speak of homicide. The problem is that starting from a mere embryo stem cell formation, scientists are now capable of creating all sorts of therapies and cures to deal with diseases and injuries that have always been diagnosed as irrecoverable. Stem cells can be extracted from other sources, such as adult tissues, but the treatment possibilities are limited under such circumstances.
Any embryo stem cell existent in a blastocyst (the resulting cell after the fertilization of an ovum by a spermatozoon) is infinite in terms of evolutionary potential since it contains all the incipient cells for the future body tissues and organs. It is from the early days of the blastocyst that the entire complexity of the human body results. The benefits and successes of science in this research domain have an incredible value, but many people wonder whether we are neglecting the rights of human life in its very early stages of development. From this perspective any research conducted on embryos is a violation of the sacred of the living.
Medical scientists agree unanimously that the embryo stem cell research could alleviate incredible sufferance and treat diseases that have no solutions in the traditional medical perspective. Scientists are also making efforts to come up with some substitutes for any embryo stem cell necessity by identifying other sources of stem cells. For instance, the amniotic liquid seems to be very rich in such cell formations, and the sample collection poses no threat to the fetus. Then, some researchers have managed to reverse the evolution of normal somatic cells with a clear function in the body and turn them into non-specialized cells or stem cells.
Last but not least, we ought to refer to the great success in embryo stem cell research that consists in the collection of stem cells from an embryo without harming it during the process. This achievement is definitely a novelty but it definitely solves the ethical concerns that made the foundation for so many objections. Nevertheless, there are lots of other things to consider and implement in modern medicine, before stem cells can solve the problem of the chronic diseases affecting humanity.
