One World EssaySeung Hee Shin, Grade 9

Today, many researchers are focusing on the stem cells. Stem cells are amazing, we can use them in lots of ways. One of the amazing work that stem cell can do is cloning. Much of the stem cell research is directed towards human cloning because of the stem cell's ability about transform into any other types of cells. There are two types of human cloning. They are reproductive and therapeutic. Reproductive cloning is an essential cloning way to produce children. However therapeutic cloning is used only for scientific research. While cloning to produce children is impossible yet, stem cell researchers hope that one day it will become a feasible option. (Interesting Facts About Stem Cell Research .2009) As you read, the ability of the stem cell is nice. Now, I will introduce about the stem cell, I am going to tell you 3 advantages of stem cell and 3 disadvantages or limitations of stem cell. Also, I am going to discuss ethical and economic issues of the stem cells.

[Figure 1, Stem Cell Therapy Effective in Treatment of 12-Year-Old with Diabetes.2010]

Stem cells are not differentiated cells. They can differentiate into specialized cell types, and they are used to birth of the tissues. For example, it can be skin cell, heart cell etc(Figure 1). Also they are using in medicine, so the person who has disease can be treated by stem cells. We use them in regenerative machine, because stem cells can be various of organs. For example, Parkinson's diseases, Neuron is dead and the person get hands and feet paralysis. We can put stem cells in his dead to treat Parkinson's diseases.

There are 3 benefits of using stem cells. First, National income would be increased. All the people can sell their stem cells, also the beggars can sell their stem cells, when they need money. However, it can be illegal to sell the stem cells. Today, there are lots of people doing trafficking of human organs. So that selling of stem cells can be illegal. I will talk about this problem in detail later. Second, stem cells are very useful. Stem cell can differentiate into lots of cells in our body. So we use them in the medicine that can treat diseases. Stem cell is pluripotent cell. Third, the lifespan will be increased when researcher invents the methods how to use stem cells in the medicine, and when the stem cell therapy becomes legal.

There are 3 difficulties or limitations to using stem cells. First, we need lots of ovum to make embryo, but there are limited. However at 18th of december in 2008, a korean scientist said that they have successfully used nano and bio technologies. So that they can grow nerves, muscles and liver tissues from stem cells. The discovery made by a team led by Park Se-pill, a life engineering professor at Cheju National University, used magnetized nano particles to insert genes into the stem cells of laboratory animals that differentiated into specific tissues. The research published in the latest issue of the international Stem Cells and Development journal is noteworthy because it did not use the dangerous retrovirus or inefficient chemical-electrical techniques that are currently employed in these experiments. Retroviruses are used in so-called gene delivery systems, but they are believed to cause serious side effects since the tainted stem cells could trigger cancer and immune disorders. In the chemical-electrical technique, a high percentage of genes are lost in the delivery process. (Koreans succeed in stem cell work .2008)

[Figure2, made by Seung Hee Shin]In result, the problem of the limitation of the ovum is resolved. As you read before, while a stem cell researcher Hwang Woo-Suk used ovum to make stem cell, Park Se-Pil didn't use ovum.(Figure 2)

Second, when uses the medicine which contains the stem cells, the failure rate is high. However, at 27th of June in 2008, a Pusan high school professor Kang Soo-Kyeong removed the weak point of the stem cells made from somatic cell. About 3years ago, we used the stem cells which is made from somatic cell with virus or gene. So the failure rate was really high, because the virus or gene in the stem cells could be cause of malformed child, cancer etc. A team led by Kang Soo-Kyeong changed the method of making stem cells to use somatic cell. They used low molecular compound from the plant instead of virus or gene. So that this new cell differentiation became safer. In result, the problem of the failure rate of the stem cells is resolved. As you read before, Kang Soo-Kyeong changed the method of making stem cells, so that the failure rate of the stem cell treatment is getting lower. However there is really serious problem after making stem cell. I will talk about it in detail later.

Third, if we want embryonic stem cells, we must break the embryo. The embryo can be a life(living thing). Also the embryo is limited. Breaking the fertilized is murder if it is life. I think it is a life, because it becomes human. The first figures of all of us are the embryos. Some people say that it is not a life, so some ethical problems are occurring even now.

I state 3 disadvantages; failure rate of the stem cells, whether embryo is the life or not and the limitation of ovum. However one of them are already resolved. I hope to resolve other 2 problems of stem cell.

I chose ethical Issue of the stem cell. Today, some ethical problems are occurring. For example, whether embryo is life or not. I already talked about this problem. What I am going to talk about for my one world essay is that the illegal therapy of the stem cells.

Today, there isn't any skill for control the stem cells, it means that even scientist can't be sure that what stem cells differentiate into. For example, a doctor put the stem cells in a patient's brain to make the stem cells differentiate into the brain cells, but the stem cells differentiated into skin cells. This situation can be occurred, because we don't have a skill to control them. So the stem cells therapy is illegal yet.

There are 2 different kinds of experiment to the living thing. They are animal experimentation and a medical experiment on a living body. Many researchers are doing animal experimentation of stem cells therapy. However it is essential to a medical experiment on a living body to make sure. Then now, the doctors have to say that The failure rate is high, it is dangerous. to the patients. Then let them choose whether do it or not. Actually, the doctors exaggerate the facts, it means that they say that This stem cell therapy is really nice, I can guarantee the therapy is safe. to the patients. Then of course the patient say yes. It is very unethical situation. But in many hospitals, that situations are still occurring.

There are 2 evidences why stem cell therapy is an ethical issue. First, I found an article in BBC news site that is about the exaggerated claims.

-> 'The GMC will consider allegations that Dr Trossel acted dishonestly, abused his position as a doctor and exploited vulnerable patients with multiple sclerosis and Hodgkins' disease by offering treatments which were not in patients' interests and not justifiable on the basis of scientific evidence.

He is accused of failing to warn patients of the potential risks of stem cell therapy and exaggerating the benefits.

He is said to have sent literature to one patient in 2006 which claimed that he personally had treated "approximately 120 patients over the last year and a half of which half had MS and 10% were now walking out of a wheelchair. Another 80% have had a proven significant clinical benefit.....". '(Stem cell doctor GMC hearing begins .2010)

As you read, Dr Trossel exaggerated the facts. It is unethical. I found an article in Health Korea News that the first person who got side effect of stem cell therapy.

->'Using stem cells to treat adverse events occurred in the world are keen to have the medical community.

Bangkok, Thailand, led by Dr. Duyangpen in Chulalongkorn University- Canadian co-researchers reported in the Journal of the 17th American Society of Nephrology materials treated with stem cells from the damaged kidney tissue of patients detected cases, he said....'(Joo Min-Woo ,2010)

A control skill has to be discovered quickly before many people would be sacrificed.

I chose economic issue for this one world essay. An issue is that the range of the stem cell market will be getting increase, and bigger. So that the country income will be increased. The stem cell markets have grown from zero to $87 million in less than three years, and analysts at the year's stem cell summit were bullishly forecasting its growth to $8.5 billion over the next decade. Most of the initial growth is likely to come from the adult stem cell side, where developers have focused on new therapies. In result, the stem cell markets will be the best market in every countries.

There are 2 evidences to support my issue. First, I found an article in the news site which is about the stem cell market.

'Stem cell research companies in the stem cell therapy as early as within 5 years would go on sale in the country are expected. The minimum size of the industry in 2011-2015 was expected to be about 1 trillion won. Because of this, the economic expectations of investors, as well as the treatment of incurable diseases is growing hope.

People with incurable diseases permitting stem cell therapy, Russia, India, Thailand, Mexico and so stem cells is also possible to undertake medical tourism. Although accurate statistics are yet in Korea, these patients are increasingly it is an analysis of the industry. (Stem cell therapy comes to age.2010)'

The second evidence is about the stem cell market and therapeutics. Stem cell therapeutic is very important, because the stem sell market can be formed of stem cell therapeutic.

'Political and business events presage change for stem cell therapeutics, most notably the expected move by President Barack Obama to lift federal funding restrictions on stem-cell research. The U.S. Congress has also indicated a desire to move forward with stem cell research. The momentum in two branches of American government, along with scientific developments and the competition of world markets presages good market conditions for stem cell research.

With their ability to differentiate and become an ongoing source of cells that make up critical tissues and organs, stem cells have potential for new regenerative therapies and as new research tools for drug developers to test emerging therapies on diseased cells.(New Report On Stem Cell Therapeutics Markets Added In Visionshopsters.2010)'

Work Cited

":::: Korean Times THE IVY NEWS ::::." :::: Korean Times THE IVY NEWS ::::. Unknown, 19 Feb. 2008. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. .

"Interesting Facts About Stem Cell Research | eHow.com." eHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. an eHow Contributor , 31 Dec. 2009. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. .

"Stem Cell Therapy Effective in Treatment of 12-Year-Old with Diabetes." Elements4Health - Research Based Health and Fitness. Unknown, 25 Aug. 2010. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. .

"BBC News - Stem cell doctor GMC hearing begins." BBC News - Home. N.p., 11 Jan. 2010. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. .

Joo, Min-Woo. "Hope destroyed or incurable diseases? The world's first stem cells occur adverse events." Health Korea News. Joo Min-Woo, 18 June 2010. Web. 23 Sept. 2010.