Godinez 1 Roberto Godinez Mr.

Moberly 12/09/ 2013 Writing 1

Stem Cell Research Dear California Voters,

Heart disease and cancer are among the top two leading causes of death in America, together they make 46.1% of total death in the United States (Schneider 187). The forms of therapies and medicine that help people deal with the disease are expensive People who cannot afford to pay for their medication or therapies deal with a slow painful death, and those that do receive treatment relay on government funded efforts that are paid with tax dollars. Humans cannot expect to live forever, nor do they wish to, but there are ways to ease the pain and anguish that people suffer towards the end of their lives, and stem cell research is a window of opportunity for the American people. If we were able to specialize cell into organs, bone marrow, or muscles, disease that would other wise kill the host would be a thing of the past. In California, voters saw the need for stem cell research as a biomedical advancement and economic benefits and in 2004 Proposition 71 was passed and allocate $3 billion dollars over a period of ten years to stem cell research and research facilities (Stem Cell Research in California). It is in the hands of California voters to say Yes on the on going funding of stem cells in California with more funds as needed since there is no other way to combat disease that

Godinez 2 are killing people and leaving them handicap than to do research on stem cells that hold the key to a healthier human life. Our understanding of stem cells have progress and brought us a step closer to being able to combat disease with our continue research. Today our research has lead us to know that stem cells have two remarkable characteristics that distinguish themselves from other types. First is that stem cells are unspecialized and they can reproduce through cell division. Second is that they can become tissue- or organ-specific cells (Stem Cell Basics 1-2). The source from where these stem cells are gathered is from embryotic cells or adult stem cells. Embryotic stem cells derive from embryos from an in vitro fertilization clinic that have being donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors (Stem Cell Basics 5). Adult Stem cells are found from cells in a tissue or organ that have the ability to renew its self and differentiate into some cell types. Unlike adult stem cells, embryotic stems are not able to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin (Stem Cell Basics 12). Patients with Alzheimer's disease die or constantly need medication as a result of having damaged neuron cells in their spinal cords, stem cells have that patient to replace damaged neurons, but to do so a large number of stem cells are need, embryotic cells are more efficient in producing large numbers of stem cells since they easily grown into our bodies culture. California Proposition 71 has helped continue research for stem cell research. The proposition allocated $3 billion dollars over a period of ten years to stem cell research and research facilities through the means of bonds which will not take away any funds from the states budget (California Proposition 71). With 59.1 percent of California voters (California Proposition 71) in alliance to save millions of lives and cut

Godinez 3 health care cost, the proposition passed on November 2nd 2004. Our progress has continued to grow as we begin the first trails of embryotic stem cells. It is important to realize that results from the trail will not be available, the next day because scientist need to complete many trails that will show the effectiveness of treating different disease. In order to step closer in supplying stem cell therapies in mass quantities California voter are needed to continue supporting the great cause of stem cells that will save lives by eradicating certain disease and producing better therapies for other disease.

People often behave in ways that cause them to get sick or injured. For example, we know that excessive of amount of intake of calories with lack of exercise is a reason for the high prevalence of diabetes. Yet with many intervention programs that educate people to develop healthier habits, the number of case of diabetes keeps on increasing in America. The cost of treating disease such as diabetes, which is among the most expensive chronic diseases (CIRM), require regular visits to the doctor and regular doses of medication, because of the eye, kidney, cardiovascular, and neural effects of the disease (CIRM). Since the prevalence rates keeps on increasing in America, and because most people who develop diabetes are of low-income, the cost of treating a disease like diabetes leaves a huge footprint in the US allocation of money.

However there is a way to kill two birds with one stone with stem cell research since it creates medical advancement, and also develop better forms of medical therapies that currently have high health care costs (CIRM) which is economically beneficial for the US economy. Stem cell research can create cells to form as insulin that could treat

Godinez 4 people with diabetes and heart muscle cells could repair damage after a heart attack (CIRM). Moreover the loss of productivity due to the inability for the person to work causes the US healthcare debt into a bigger hole. With stem cell research a person who suffered a spinal cord injury, will have the ability to recover from the injury and once again be able to walk and be able to provide for himself. Not only will we be giving a person to be functional in society again, but also we will be eliminating health care cost, and people will be abled to go back to work increasing productivity. It would be unethical to not continue stem cell research since stem cell based therapies save lives, and access to medication to low-income people that would otherwise die a slow, painful death. As mentioned before, stem cells create a more economically accessible form of therapy which reduces the about spent on healthcare, but the funding for stem cell researcher also creates jobs, since people are need for the construction of research facilities and scientist are need to continue stem cell research. Currently there are 12 major stem cells facilities that are generating 13,000 job years of employment, bringing in over $100 million in new tax revenue (CIRM). Tax revenues that are collected as a result of people working, can be allocated to other resources such as education and public resources. The therapies developed by these research facilities will only save the state money because funds for stem research are collected through bonds at no cost to the states budget, and by providing therapies at a reduced cost, reducing state spending on health care (CIRM). California needs to continue the on-going research of stem cell research since it will only benefits its economy and create new medical advancement.

Godinez 5 Unintended accidents, such as disability because of a fall or the more sever case, car accident, leaves some people with spinal cord injuries which leaves them disabled forever. Stem cell research offers patience a new source remedy because of their unique property to dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive (Stem Cell Basics 1). This unique property will replace neurons damaged by spinal cord injury (CIRM), and give the opportunity for a person to once again stand on his or her feet. Stem cell research has potential to make breakthroughs in any disease,(CIRM), we can treat any disease that currently are killing people left and rights. The benefits of stem cells research are endless, our only limitation is if we stop our funding for stem cells, which will only result in the loss of American lives that will die hopelessly, since stem cell therapies will not be available.

Opponents of stem cell research argue that the use of embryotic stem cell research is unethical and see more promising results in the use of adult stem cells. However all the human embryonic stem cell lines currently in use come from four to five day old embryos left over from in vitro fertilization (CIRM). The embryos use in stem cell research have being donated for research by couples with their consent instead of being discarded when they no longer contribute to the donors' desires (Clark). Also when scientist conduct research on stem cell research they must follow strict guidelines set by the NIH, but if we allow stem cell research to get into private companies they are more likely to bypass ethical and scientific standard for gain (Clemmits 700) and the NIH will not be able to act as watchdog since they are privately funded. Moreover there is strong evidence that demonstrates that they (adult stem cells) may not have the same capacity

Godinez 6 to multiply as embryonic stem cells do (Speciale). As mentioned before, stem cell research has the ability to create new form of therapies and eradicate certain disease, but in order to do so an abundance of cells are required. Adult stem cells do not have the property to replicate its self many times and many form of therapies require many cells in order for the therapy to work efficiently. Therefore, since the sources of obtaining embryos are donated by donors, its use strictly regulated by the NIH, and it provides better results then adult stem cells research continuing stem cells research does not cross ethical standards.

Californias funding for stem cell research has brought us closer to create better forms of therapies that will help people who currently have disease that have poor quality of treatment or no form of treatment at all. We need to ensure that stem cells are safe and effective before they go into human trail and therefore we need to continue funding stem cells (CIRM). As stated by Senator Byron Dorgan, in Marcia Clemmitt article on Stem Cell Research, I believe we ought to proceed with thoughtful ethical guide lines on stem cell research in order to give people the opportunity to a better life since stem cell research provides medical advancements. California voter need to continue to support stem cell research since its medical advancements will save lives. Sincerely, Roberto Godinez

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Work Cited Clark, Chap. "Stem Cell Choices." Sojourners. N.p., Apr. 2007. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. Clemmitt, Marcia. "Stem Cell Research." CQ Researcher 1 Sept. 2006: 697-720. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. Schneider, Mary-Jane. "Public Health Threat Number Two and Growing Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity." Introduction to Public Health. Vol. 3. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2011. 261-81. Print. Speciale, Alessandro. "Vatican Gets Behind Adult Stem Cell Stem Cell Basics. In Stem Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009 [cited Thursday, December 05, 2013] " Stem Cell Research in California." California's Stem Cell Agency. N.p., 10 Jan. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.