Research Paper on:
Stem Cell Research/A Position Paper

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
were first recognized by research in 1945, when Owen found lifelong "blood chimerism" between twin cows (Cogle, et al, 2003, p. 993). Researchers speculate that stem cell research could offer  a plethora of new treatments for a variety of chronic and deadly diseases (DeGrazia, 2006). For example, it may become possible to treat a burn victim with skin cells grown  from a patients DNA pattern (DeGrazia, 2006). This would mean that there would be no tissue mismatches resulting in immune rejection because skin grafts would be genetically identical to  the patients own skin. Yet, despite possible benefits from stem cell research, this is an issue of tremendous controversy in the United States because of the view by many that  human status begins at conception. This view holds it as immoral to destroy embryos in order to aid others. The following overview of stem cell research looks at possible benefits,  but primarily focuses on the issues being debated and the biological realities involved, before arguing a stance regarding US guidelines on this topic. The potential benefits from stem  cell research are truly extraordinary. Scientists in the United Kingdom (UK) have succeeded in growing both human brain and lung tissue (Tucker, 2006). This raises hopes that these innovations could  lead to successful treatment for Alzheimers disease, as well as the possibility of being able to grow lungs for transplantation purposes (Tucker, 2006). To create the lung tissue, researchers associated  with Imperial College in London created a process that changes "embryonic stem cells into mature small-airway ephithalimum cells," which are the cells that line the lungs where oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange  takes place (Tucker, 2006, p. 16). Nevertheless, in the US, this sort of research is viewed by many as unethical because it employs embryonic stem cells. The principal argument