No issue in the medical community polarizes more people than stem cell research. Although the benefits of stem cell therapy are clear, the controversy remains.
Whether it is a religious or moral objection, there is always a dissenting side when it comes to this subject. Many people believe that stem cell research is going to change our very existence. Some people, including me, find this comforting and some find this terrifying.
Amazing Results
Scientists believe that stem cells may be the key to erasing the biological clock completely. With past research data and future implications, there seems to be no end to the good that can be done with stem cells. From reversing the effects of cardiovascular disease and replacing damaged heart tissue to turning off the damaged cells in cancer, stem cells are showing amazing results in almost every aspect of modern medicine. It is believed that the future of mankind will be healthier, stronger and longer with this research.
Increased research in the areas of cancer and other progressive diseases has shown that stem cell therapies can benefit even those patients who were deemed hopeless in the past. Stem cells injected into cancerous tumors have been shown to reduce the size and progression of these tumors immensely. Some studies showed an 80% reduction in tumor size with stem cell therapy.
For a cancer patient, this news could mean the difference between life and death.
Research conducted within the United States, mostly on animals, has shown that stem cell therapies can reverse the crippling effects of arthritis and cartilage degeneration in the elderly. Smaller studies using human volunteers have shown that the data translates to people, as well.
Do We Need Government Intervention?
Research that goes unfunded and unregulated by the government might not benefit all of the public. Most insurance companies won’t cover stem cell treatments as they consider them to be “experimental”. This issue has become one of the most controversial topics in the stem cell debate. The hope that stem cell therapies will benefit all of mankind cannot be realized without the intervention of the government. Many researchers believe that regardless of the laws, stem cell therapy and its research will continue but in order to make it useful for all, regulation and government assistance is necessary. The future of stem cell research and therapy rests in the hands of the people.
If a long and healthy life is what most people wish for themselves and for their families, stem cell therapy is working to give them this future. Looking ahead to a world where diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease are no longer prevalent, stem cell therapy gives hope to humanity. Because the future of this therapy is uncertain, the implications are unknown. There is only the belief that within the community that morality and science will someday work together for a brighter world.