The promise of new therapeutic remedies has led researchers to investigate the use of stem cells to cure a wide spectrum of persistent diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Stem cells can evolve into some or all of the human body’s 200 different cell types, therefore acting as a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues. Many expect that eventually, these incredible cells will allow us to form complete organs, thus contributing to transplant therapy and regenerative medicine.
There are three different types of stem cells. Adult stem cells (multipotent) are found in just about every tissue of the human body and play a key role in tissue regeneration. Embryonic stem cells (pluripotent) are obtained only during the blastocyst stage (5-6 days old) of the human embryo before differentiation and specialisation; embryos of this age are unwanted results of in vitro fertility treatments donated by people for research. Cord blood stem cells (multipotent) are retrieved from the umbilical cord and can be used to treat blood and immune disorders.
While the use of adult and cord blood stem cells in research have widely been deemed ethical, the majority of the trouble is credited to embryonic stem cells.
The key ethical issue is the destruction of the early human embryo to derive the stem cells; some equate this to destroying an unborn child, the rationale being that the blastocyst is a human life, after all, consequently having moral value. The reasoning is that although in the embryonic stage of development, the blastocyst is as much human as an infant in the infant stage, and will eventually gain the physical, psychological and emotional characteristics of a human. On these grounds, the embryo has the right to receive the respect and dignity of a human.
Others argue that the blastocyst is not a child and has no chance to become one unless it's embedded into a uterus wall - therefore it does not have moral value and can be used to benefit ailing people. It is believed that something that 'can' be human is not human yet, the same way a presidential candidate is not president yet, and will not be treated with the rights of a president until elected into office! Advocates of embryonic research also reason that each year, thousands of excess blastocysts are destroyed in fertility clinics and using them for literal life-changing medical research is better than discarding them.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that groups on either side of the discussion aim to help and protect human lives, even if in contrasting ways. Debates about the ethical status of embryonic stem cells enable governing bodies to establish rules and regulations for their research, and find a middle ground.