Stem cells - Ethical issues
Adult stem cells
Embryonic Stem cells (ESC'S)
Source of stem cells
Adult stem cells vs embryonic
(Adult benefits)
- Stem cells are found in many organisms e.g bone marrow, the brain, skin muscle
- Adult stem cells maintain and repair damaged tissue but can usually only make a small number of cell types
- Occur in early development - 5-7 days old embryos
- Their use in research is strongly critised as people believe it is unethical to kill embryos for their cells
- Can turn into any type of cell
- Stem cells from fetuses are almost as powerful and can be taken from the blood of the umbilical cords
- Aborted foetus
- Spare embryos from IVF
- Cloned embryos
- A patents own stem cells could be used to treat their own disease ---> avoiding immune rejections
- Easier to control stem cells to develop into specific cell types ---> less risk of uncontrolled growth (Cancer)
- Adult stem cells come from volunteers --> which is more ethically acceptiable
- Deliberately create embryos
- remove cells from 5 days old ball of cells and discard embryo
- 5-10 weeks old fetus
- stem cells isolated from tissues
have already started to specialise (Limited use)
- Embryos created in vitro can be used as a source of stem cells