Stem Cells

In a last-ditch effort to save the life of teenager Dave Stahl in 1975, Dr. John Kersey of the University of
Minnesota performed the first successful bone marrow transplant to treat Burkitt's lymphoma, a fatal form of
cancer. Bone marrow contains stem cells, cells that are capable of developing into any of number of related cell
types. Kersey had learned from his mentor, Dr. Robert Good, that these cells might be used to attack cancer.
Kersey's pioneering operation was successful and initiated three decades of research into the medical potential
of stem cells — as well as three decades of controversy.

Why? Because although stem cells can be harvested from a variety of sources, including adult cells, or what
are known as induced-pluripotent cells, researchers still believe the stem cells most effective in fighting human
diseases come from human embryos. A number of groups, many from religious backgrounds, have vocally
opposed stem cell research because they believe harvesting cells from human embryos is ethically wrong.
Other groups have argued just as vocally that the benefits to human life from stem cell research are profound,
and that such research is therefore a moral imperative.

What is your opinion regarding the use of stem cells in medicine? Should the federal government publicly fund
stem cell research, as it funds many other kinds of therapeutic research?

The ethical nuances of these questions make your position on this issue a very personal matter. But the ability
to articulate your position cogently requires a rich understanding of the scientific and medical facts behind this
debate, as well as a deep familiarity with the nature of the relationship between government and science. In
this Spotlight, you will find a range of resources intended to help you master the details and subtle distinctions
in the stem cell debate.

Image: Nissim Benvenisty.

Close
https://www.nature.com/scitable/spotlight/stem-cells-6969855