October 14, 2007

    The past couple decades has proven to be quite challenging for Christian moralist in the area of Stem Cell Research.  The media has done its part to sensationalize the situation while prominent figures such as politicians and entertainers from both the acting and music worlds have done their best to bring the topic to light for the general public.  The problem with this type of hype is that most people only hear what is being said from these particular sources.  Most often the information is slanted to favor the proponents of the said research. 

    The great debate over Stem Cell Research has divided our nation.  The topic is very sensitive since it involves human life (embryonic stem cells) vs. human health issues.  It is very difficult to tell people who suffer from incurable diseases that their situation cannot and will not improve because we are not willing to go the route of embryonic stem cell research.  Such as case has been made for the neutrality of the stem cell itself that most people have come to accept the fact that the embryos being used would be destroyed anyways.  The reason these embryos exist to begin with is a topic for another day.  Today, we have enough to digest the research itself.

    The good news for people who see and understand the controversy for what it is, i.e., a no win situation for at least one of the parties involved, is that there is more to the debate than has been published for the general public.  The alternative to Embryonic Stem Cell Research is the reality of Adult Stem Cell Research.  For years this alternative was not a viable one simply because it was believed that once the cells had matured it was impossible for them to be used for research purposes especially in the line of curing diseases.  Today, the world of Science has turned this around.  Research has proven that mature cells can indeed be used because it has been proven that they can develop into cells of a completely different kind once transplanted. 

    The best news is that, not only can adult cells be used but science has proven that adult stem cells have had tremendously positive reactions for curing disease.  Thus far, only adult stem cells have the ability to cure.  Adult stem cell research has several positives.  One is that there is nothing immoral about it.  Another is that the use of adult cells do not need to destroy the life of the donor.  Very often, the cell can be taken form the diseased body itself thus eliminating foreign bodies from entering the body thus preventing the rejection of the foreign bodies once transplanted.

    Once example of a cure is reported by the Medical New Today.  It reports that adult stem cells he been used to restore sight to a man who had been blind for 40 years since the age of three when he lost his sight in a chemical explosion.  One eye was lost, and he remained blind in the other until surgery involving a transplant of adult stem cells brought sight to his remaining eye.  Adult stem cells have been used to treat more than 70 diseases.  No one has been cured of anything using embryonic stem cells.

    This is great news for the Science world, the large population who suffer from incurable diseases and the embryos that should be given a chance at life.  If you want more detail on this topic simply google adult stem cell research.   
                            Lorette P. Nault