Is Umbilical cord blood the answer to the ethical problem of stem cell research?
Students post their perspective and research on whether or not they feel umbilical cord blood is the answer to the ethical problem of stem cell research.
30 Replies
The umbilical cord blood is one answer to the ethical problem. However, cord blood is not the only answer, as the majority of the population do not have their cord blood saved at the cord blood banks. As an alternative adult stem cell and induced pluripotent stem cell research are the other viable option.
The comments below are adapted from Nature 451, 858 (14 February 2008).
Although an incredible step forward in stem-cell research, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are in fact at the beginning of a long road. iPS cells as we make them today are riddled with viruses...so at the moment iPS cells remain a research tool and not a potential therapeutic agent.
One of the next big milestones will be making these cells without the use of viruses — leaving the cells in a genetically pristine state. But even if iPS cells can be created without genetic modifications, the question researchers are asking is, "do these cells really have the same properties and potentials as embryonic stem cells?
iPS cells may not differentiate the same way as embryonic stem cells. If you have to make ten lines for each patient — is patient-specific therapy really realistic or will large banks of iPS cells that are tissue typed be required?"
Public cord blood banks would be beneficial to the general population, yet keeping these stem cells for private use would only benefit one individual. Since public banks benefit all of a country’s denizens, it could gain funding through taxes, much like a public health care system does. Who would fund the private cord blood banks?
Hi Terry,
My class is online at the moment and was wondering why they cannot see total viewing of all the posts. We are new at this and students are telling me a new window is popping up saying "error." Thanks for all your help.
Dawn
Umbilical cord blood can be used in transplants to treat a variety of pediatric disorders. These include, leukemia, sickle cell disease, and metabolic disorders. Those who do not have their umbilical cord blood cell saved in a blood bank would need to find a match from a sibling or an unrelated person. I think that it is very ethical to save the Umbilical cord blood in private bank so that if an issue or disease come there is a reliable medical treatment avaible to you.
I think that the Umbilical cord blood could be the start of the answer to the ethical problem to stem cell research. I think that the umbilical Cord would be the better anser than other suggestions, like abortion. But the Umbilical Cord could help save a life later on, like someone with alzheimers or even cancer. So, this could be the start of something great.
I believe that the blood from the umbilical cord could be one of the answers to the ethical problem of stem cell research. Mainly because no human being or animal is getting tested on, harmed or hurt in any way. The umbilical cord gets thrown away after it's cut, so a better use for it than the garbage would be to use the stem cells from it, and benefit people who need them. The stem cells from the umbilical cord can help so much with certain problems in the human body and can also cure some diseases.
Umbilical cords are the future because it is rich stem cells. These cells are pluripotent(stem cells have the ability to give rise to any type of cell, but notto an entire organism). We can use these cells instead of hurting the embryos (to take the blastocysts).
This way the public who believe in preserving the life will be appeased and the public who dont believe that all the embryos are humans will be able to obtain stem cells for research!
Cord Blood Bank of Canada states that stem cells also have a personal gain as well. "Stem cells can be used to repair damaged hearts, brains, and spinal cords, heal injury from strokes and heart attacks and minimize and/or potentially cure diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and possibly diabetes." It can also be used for immediate and extended family.
There are also new applications of this technolody and idea being found every day. So yea... i think its a good idea! =)
This post was edited on: 2010-10-12 at 10:14 AM by: Dhannya Shaji
Your right it isn't the only option but its a good one. It's either you just get rid of the umbilical cord blood or you actually help someone and maybe save a life. Even though is might not always work its worth a try.
Umbilical cord blood transplants have had success in the past and they have had participents in these transplants since 1997. Although the cord blood may help the individual or their families in the future, all of the umbilical stem cells are going to be needing a place to stay. And where will the hospitals keep all of the umbilical cord blood stem cells? Well that is the part of this issue that i have an issue with. The blood has been prooven to work but is the place to keep all of them stem cells going to cost us money? Am i going to have to pay to put up building for other people's umbilical cords?
So, YES, it is the answer to the ethical issue of stem cell research but much further investigation is needed in how to control what they do and how they do it.
I agree with Kayla 100%. If the umbilical cord blood is just going to be wasted, why not use them? It could save a life. Even if it doesn't work its still worth a try if the cord blood is just going to get rid of it.
Yes, it could be an ethnical problem to stem cell research. You either can save a life from it, which after the baby is boirn the umbilical cord is not used for anything so why not use it if it is to save lifes?
I think that umbilical cord could be an answer to the ethical problem of stem cell research. Afer birth the umbilical cord is thrown out. So why not use umbilical cord blood for reasearch. It isn't hurting anyone and we could be learning from it.
I agree, adults have the option to choose if they want their stem cells researched on or not. An embryonic stem cell has no say in the matter of course. I think that Umbilical cord blood is the ethical solution. Most people are against embryonic stem cell research, not adult stem cell research.
I beleive that there need to be more research in this. I know that the umbilical cord stem cells are proven to work. I think it would be ok to to this if its helping people with certain diseases like leukemia and diabetes, then i think there should be nothing wrong with it. As long as its not hurting anyone else then it shouldbe okay.
i agree with lydia. i believe that the Umbilical cord blood could be the start of the answer to the ethical problem to stem cell research and it could help us
save more lives.
I would have to agree with Lydia and how she said that the Umbilical Cord Blood could be the new start of the ethical problems to the stem cell reasearch. Maybe someday the Umbilical Cord Blood could save someone life and make their lives a lot better.
Umbilical cord blood is not the answer, but one of the answers. In my opinion, saving umbilical blood is a sense of self assurance. If you did develop leukemia, sickle cell disease, or a metabolic disorder you don’t have to look for someone to match your blood type. Saving blood in a bank is more than ethical.
I agree with your statement. I think instead of killing something that could be a person one day, we could just use adult tissue. We don't even know whitch one would work better, so there for we should pick the safer one frist, the choice that doesnt hurt people.
I strongly believe the Umbilical cord blood is the answer to the ethical problem of stem cell research. After a child is born, they cut the umbilical cord off and toss it out; so why not preserve them and put the umbilical cord blood to a good use to help study stem cells. It's not hurting anyone by saving the umbilical cord to further study and possibly cure a disease they once couldn't cure before. So yes I agree the umbilical cord blood needs to be saved to further the study of stem cell research.
I agree with the people who think it okay to use the blood. It just going to be wasted anyway so why not try to help save someones life. It is definatly worth the try, I think.
Stem cells are cells that have not been specialized yet. They don't die and they can split to form several different types of cells. These stem cells can produce cells to take over damaged or diseased cells. This can treat or even cure heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and many other diseases. There are many ways to get stem cells. They can be derived from adult tissues, but that is very difficult to do. Retrieving stem cells from embryos is widely debated because of the ways they actually get them. Embryonic stem cells can be taken from discarded embryos, unused IVF (in vitro fertilization) embryos, and discarded embryos. This can be the expectant mother’s choice to either discard or store the unused embryos after going though IVF. By taking the stem cells from the embryo, they are taking a life. The embryo becomes incapable of resulting in an organism. This is why many people believe that the use of embryonic stem cells is unethical. They believe that an embryo is a living human, and by destructing the embryo, you are destroying a life. Another way of getting stem cells is from umbilical cord blood.
After a baby is born, its umbilical cord contains a little blood. This blood is rich in a certain type of stem cell. These stem cells, called hematopoietic stem cells, can produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and clotting cells. Taking these stem cells from the umbilical cord blood does not harm the baby. There is no way that it would take a life, like other ways of retrieving stem cells do. A new mother can allow the umbilical cord blood to be stored after birth. These stem cells can be used to treat an abundance of blood, bone, and immune disorders and diseases in mostly children but also adults. There is absolutely no part of the use umbilical cord blood that is unethical. I definitely think that this is the answer to the unethical problem of stem cell research.
The umbilical cord blood is a one good solution to stem cell research but scientists always ask for the best things even if it means harming others. Im not meaning to say that all scientists are terrible people but they truly want the best resources to be able to study the best and find the best cures. So although this may be a good answer to stem cell research scientists wont stop until they find something as good if not better than using the embryos.
To me the umbilical cord blood is one of many choices to answer this ethical problem. I in my own words would have to say that I believe in the use of the umbilical cord blood. Think about it, the placenta after a child is born is just simply tossed in the medical waste. So instead of wasting, you extract umbilical cord blood and place into a private bank. So that we can treat diseases that maybe in an effect later in life.
Umbilical Blood is one of the possible solutions to an ethical problem that has been stirring around stem cell research. The only problem is that these stem cells that are extracted from the umbilical cord don't have the potential that the stem cells that can be gathered form other areas have.
I agree that there are other methods of obtaining stem cells rather than cord blood. Likewise tring to extract adult setm cells is more difficult then thoes out of a new born. So my individual views are neutral. Cord blood could solve the ethical issues we face in this delema.
These umbilical cord blood transplants have been successful in the past and if they are helping and improving the lives of others why not? These cells are not part of the baby they will be thrown out any ways; they can be thrown out or used to change lives. Some cases people are paralyzed and they are right now using the stem cells from the umbilicus to help make new cells to connect tissues and form new nerve cells. These cases have been successful in showing improvement of the patients. Why are we freaking out about cells that can be used to help people? If the donor is okay with it, then let it happen.
I do belieive that umbilical cord blood could be extremely helpful. It something that is not going to be kept and comes along with every baby that is born. Therefore, we are not hurting anyone by taking it the only thing we are doing, is opening up new doors for opportunites in health preactices.
I believe that the umbilical cord blood is definitely an answer to the ethical problem of stem cell research. Everyone knows that when a baby is born that the umbilical cord is cut. But what happens after that? The umbilical cord ends up just being thrown away. Every time an umbilical cord is thrown away, a potential treatment for a disease is also thrown away. The blood from an umbilical cord could cure or at least help treat numerous conditions. Some of the examples include cancers, bone marrow failure disorders, hemoglobinopathies, histiocytic disorders, myelodysplastic / myeloproliferative disorders, inherited metabolic disorders, inherited immune system disorders, and many other diseases. If someones life could be saved by a parent allowing their newborn baby's ubilical cord blood to be used to potentially save someones life and isn't of any use to them, then why wouldn't they?
This post was edited on: 2010-10-13 at 01:32 PM by: Hailey Gutierrez
These umbilical cord blood transplants have been successful in the past and if they are helping and improving the lives of others why not? These cells are not part of the baby they will be thrown out any ways; they can be thrown out or used to change lives. Some cases people are paralyzed and they are right now using the stem cells from the umbilicus to help make new cells to connect tissues and form new nerve cells. These cases have been successful in showing improvement of the patients. Why are we freaking out about cells that can be used to help people? If the donor is okay with it, then let it happen.
George Haddad
Mar 15, 2010 at 6:21 PM