The stem cell controversy is the ethical debate primarily concerning the creation, treatment, and destruction of human embryos incident to research involving embryonic stem cells. Not all stem cell research involves the creation, use, or destruction of human embryos. For example, adult stem cells, amniotic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells do not involve human embryos. So in that regard, it's not quite as controversial.
While stem cell research has, for years, been stymied by concerns of ethics and morals, in recent years there have been advances in obtaining and using stem cells extracted from adult subjects. By using stem cells taken from an adult,scientists have been able to treat some of the worst diseases that continue to plague our species, including various forms of cancer as well as muscular and neurological degenerative diseases. Taking these stem cells from adults does not permanently harm the patient and has none of the ethical or moral pitfalls that embryonic stem cell research has been associated with. While this new form of stem cell research is gaining in popularity, it still has a stigma attached to it solely by being “stem cell research”. If the public can be educated about this, a new form of medicine may be fast approaching from the horizon.
Where do you stand on the issue? Should we pursue stem cell research and/or genetic therapy in order to combat many of the diseases and disorders that plague mankind? Do you ever think adult stem cell research will lose the stigma associated with embryonic stem cell research? The kicker: do you feel we should conduct embryonic stem cell research as well?