Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world without harmful diseases, serious medical conditions or debilitating illnesses? With the way current medical research is going society could potentially get there one day, and one of the main contributors to this eventuality is embryonic stem cell research. So why would we ever want to hinder this sort of progress? Some people don't believe that it is worth the risks associated with it, but it is something that could revolutionize modern medicine, and if the government increased funding for this field of research it could potentially change the world.

 Humans have made so many advancements in technology from entertainment to transportation. One of the most progressive fields of technology nowadays is the field of medicine, with discoveries being made daily that could benefit the entire human race. One such discoveries is the ability to use embryonic stem cells to cure diseases ranging from blindness to diabetes to cancer. Embryonic stem cells are extremely versatile and have proven themselves to be safe and effective. Although they are regarded to be one of the most innovative medical advancements of this century, embryonic stem cell research is shrouded in controversy, mostly due to the way these stem cells are harvested. These cells were discovered over 30 years ago in 1981 using mice, and the ability to extract them for use with humans was discovered in 1998. The reason behind their controversy is the way these cells are harvested. Embryonic stem cells are derived from a 3-5 day old embryo called a blastocyst, which gives rise to all the cells in the organism including the heart, bones, brain and skin (National Institute of Health). Their ability to turn into any type of cell is why these cells are so versatile. If someone, for example, needed neurons or brain cells to recover from a stroke, embryonic stem cells could be converted to that type of cell and then used to help the patient in need. So why is such a beneficial type of medical treatment regarded to be so disputed? Many people do not condone the destruction of a human embryo, even if it is used to benefit others. These discoveries have already proven their worth, especially in the past few years. Now it is time to further develop this field of research so that we may change not only medicine, but the world and to do so the government must increase the funding of these research projects. Medical advancements across the globe are being made daily, and it is time for the United States to take their spot on the international podium just as they did in everything from the industrial revolution to the space race. 

Stem cells, unlike other treatments in modern medicine, have extremely broad uses. From diabetes to cancer stem cells have the ability to hinder the continuation of many medical issues. In 2014, CNN reported that scientists were able to use embryonic stem cells to reverse the effects of the most common causes of blindness. This experiment began with 18 tests subjects who suffered from macular degeneration of the eyes. Macular degeneration is categorized into two types, atrophic and Stargardt, which are the leading causes of blindness in people over 50 and juveniles respectively. Like most efficient experiments there was a control group who did not have any sort of medical treatment and the test group, who received stem cell implants. The subjects were then monitored for three years after the initial operations. The control subjects lacked any sort of progression towards getting their eyesight back, whereas the people who had the stem cell treatment had almost completely reversed the effects of their blindness. This, in addition to proving that stem cells can actually cure diseases such as blindness, also proved that stem cells seemed to have been safe for use in the long term. None of the patients reported any sort of complications with the procedure or the span of time where they were monitored. The fact that no problems occurred during the entire process is a huge step in the medical field, as not only is the use of stem cells becoming more successful by the day, it is also becoming increasingly safe for patients both immediately and in the long term. 

There are many claims against the use of embryonic stem cell research. It is regarded as an immoral and unethical process, but at the same time is very beneficial to the field of medicine. This is what makes it such a controversial topic, but there are other reasons. According to the European Molecular Biology Organization, embryonic stem cells "would be very expensive and available only to rich countries and to rich people" (EMPO). This however should not be a reason to stop the development of stem cell technologies. Just because it is expensive at first does not mean that it won't become cheaper eventually, just as many other medical treatment trends have shown. Plus it could still benefit people and in countries with free health care it may be able to work its way into government funded treatment. EMBO also believes that embryonic stem cell research would "deviate efforts from other health strategies" (EMBO) but that is not necessarily true. There are too many different fields in medicine to be limited and dominated by just one type of research. Also even if it is, embryonic stem cell research could be further developed to become safer in their extraction and could potentially become the modern standard in medicine, eliminating the need for some less successful areas of development. 

Embryonic stem cells have led to some very avant-garde advancements in medical therapies but these are considered to be some of the more controversial as well. Many people believe that embryos have full moral status from fertilization, meaning they have rights and therefore should not be killed. Others believe that after 14 days the embryo deserves special protection, due to the fact that that is when it develops a central nervous system. As the embryo develops its status as a "human" increases. The feeling of losing a life tends to differ depending on the stage of the life lost. An egg being destroyed for example is better than a full fetus, but still is considered a loss. Extracting embryonic stem cells results in the prevention of allowing the embryo to be what it was programmed to be, a human being. Many religions (Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism) believe embryos have human status from conception, whereas others (Judaism, Islam) believe human status forms after 40 days. The debate whether it is okay to destroy embryos to help others is a widely discussed topic and will be for a while. 

Although stem cells have a serious moral dilemma associated with them, the outcome of their use is definitely worth it. According to the EuroStemCell group embryonic stem cell research "forces us to choose between two moral principles: The duty to prevent or alleviate suffering [and] the duty to respect the value of human life" (EuroStemCell). The issue with stem cells is that in order to obtain them we must destroy an unborn fetus, but if they aren't harvested then the people who needed that medical treatment to survive won't. So a person who has a life must have it taken away from them, whereas an embryo that lacks emotional and psychological properties is destroyed without it even knowing. Although "a human embryo is a human being in the embryonic stage, just as an infant is a human being in the infant stage" (EuroStemCell) they lack any sort of feelings or emotions, and therefor might be considered a human, but not a person, whereas a patient with a life threatening illness has those emotions and therefor is a person. So why deny those patients the right to a healthy life over something that doesn't understand it is alive, let alone human? Many people also believe that embryos are considered humans at the "appearance of the primitive streak-the beginnings of the nervous system- around 14 days" (EuroStemCell) but does that mean that someone who loses nerve cells due to a stroke or similar issue is less human? Embryonic stem cell research could lead to the discovery of revolutionary medical treatments at the cost of consensual surrender of the embryos being destroyed. Although the use of stem cells could be considered immoral and unethical, it is not more immoral and unethical than stripping an already living person the right to continue their life. This field of research is used to benefit all of society and the medical advancements that come out of it greatly outweigh the burden of extracting an unaware embryo.  

Embryonic stem cells have proven to be a lot safer than most people expect, yet this does not mean that they don't come with any repercussions. According to Lisa Ikemoto, professor of bioethics and health care law at the University Of California Davis School Of Law, embryonic stem cell research has a negative effect on society but not because of the destruction of fetuses. Many beneficial developments have been made in embryonic stem cell research in the past 3 years. "Between May 2013 and April 2014, three United States-based research teams reported success at creating pluripotent human stem cell lines derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer." This means that researchers have achieved the ability to personalize tissue repair or replacement. Now through the use of embryonic stem cells and human oocytes (a type of cell in an ovary) researchers have been able to transplant the nucleus of one cell into a stem cell creating stem cells that are already compatible with the body they are put into. Although ESCR has been controversial in the past due to the process behind acquiring stem cells, this milestone has only concerned people that "SCNT will lead to reproductive cloning" but other than that "Mainstream media coverage made brief, obligatory reference to controversy over use of embryos" (Ikemoto). Many people are behind this research, with many women even selling they're oocytes (whether it's because they make $8000 a cell or because they want to benefit the medical research is unbeknown to me). This process has actually stirred up more controversy than the research itself, with "Ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval present not only known short-term risks but also uncertainty about long-term health effects." and because of these concerns payment restrictions for oocytes have been instituted. These protocols have been assessed and were flagged for ethical violations. It seems the old worries of aborting fetuses for stem cells have been replaced by newer worries of hurting the women who voluntarily donate their cells for science; but nonetheless stem cell research has become less of a stigma to society, and now it is merely the repercussions caused by people that pose any issues. 

Some people who oppose embryonic stem cell research truly don't understand what it could mean for some people. It could change their life completely. People with spinal cord injuries could walk again, people with Alzheimer's can get their memory back, and people with lung diseases can breathe normally again. Sometimes life throws people curve balls, and they can't do anything but try to swing at them. In December of 2014 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease that affects the intestines. At first I was doing fine with minimal medication, but as it can flare up with stress, going off to college started to greatly take its toll on my health. It's difficult to monitor diet when you can only eat campus food, which let's be real is disgusting and processed like no others. I can't even go out drinking with friends too often because it hurts my stomach too much (and it's illegal of course). I truly feel like an important part of my life has just been taken away from me, and I can't do anything to get it back. I have to take 10 pills every morning, have to get bloodwork and other lab tests done monthly, and have to deal with multiple doctors in addition to all of my classwork and my social life. It's hard for me, but I know that there are other people who have it worse than I do and the pain they must endure is unbelievable. Embryonic stem cells are a promising cure to many different ailments, and can potentially give people like me and people worse off than me their life back. It is not fair to extract people from society and make them sit and watch as their life flies past them, so the government needs to realize that and do their part to help so that one day people can live their life to its fullest potential. 

The National Institute of Health dedicated about $180 million to human embryonic stem cell research in 2015 out of the $32.3 billion it invests annually (NIH) which in reality is a tiny percentage of all of their funding. If the government would put in some more money to be used by stem cell research groups it could drastically change the world of medicine. Of course there are other fields of medical research that are important too, but none that are comparable and have as much potential as this specific kind of stem cells research. Backing research of stem cells could lead to cheaper ways of conducting the therapies and could make stem cell therapy available to everyone, but the only way to achieve that is to dedicate more funding. Although there are obviously other things that the government must spend money on, none have the potential of having this sort of payoff. The low risk-high reward of stem cells needs to be considered by the government because it will be a flourishing investment in the long run.

Embryonic stem cells are easily some of the most useful medical advancements in the history of medicine, and they have such a wide variety of uses that make them some of the safest ways to cure different ailments and diseases. Although it has a very controversial past caused by its ethical and moral questionability, many people don't understand the importance of these cells. The only comparable alternative to embryonic stem cells are adult stem cells. Many people who are opposed to the process of extracting embryonic stem cells (which involves destroying a human embryo) suggest that adult stem cells be used in lieu of them. This however eliminates one of the key positive factors about embryonic stem cells. According to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, adult stem cells are "very restricted in what they can do. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which can grow into virtually any cell type in the body, adult stem cells can only follow certain paths." Adult stem cells don't grow indefinitely, meaning that there is a limit to how many cells can subdivide from the original stem cell. Embryonic stem cells meanwhile can grow until they don't need to anymore, allowing them to reach the full potential of their healing properties. Another rather large difference between the two, is that embryonic stem cells can be converted into any kind of cell. A blood-forming embryonic stem cell can turn into a neuron, but in the case of adult stem cells a blood forming stem cell can only be turned into a blood cell, severely limiting the possibilities for treatment. This also means that adult stem cells cannot be made personalized, whereas embryonic stem cells can be made to fit and work with the patient's immune system, which greatly reduces the short and long term health risks associated with stem cell implantation.  "At this time the most effective way of doing that is by exploring all types of stem cells" says CIRM, whose "goal is to accelerate new treatments for diseases in need." Although adult stem cells are beneficial in their own way, embryonic stem cells regardless of their contentious history are the pathway to the future.

Embryonic stem cells are the gateway to extremely successful regenerative medicine, and sadly people do not see that. Giving people the right to live a life worth living shouldn't even be a debate. Increasing the funds provided to these research groups could change the way modern medicine works and could help not only the United States prosper and thrive, but all of a humanity as a whole. As ex-First Lady Nancy Reagan once said "Embryonic stem cell research has the potential to alleviate so much suffering. Surely, by working together we can harness its life-giving potential." So let's take those first steps towards a brighter, and healthier future.

