Behind the Scenes

Scientists push cells to differentiate by recreating the

embryonic environment
Growth factors
Co-culture environments
Cell culture substrate
3-D culture
Signal inhibition
Behind the Scenes
Scientists know the stem cell has differentiated based
on its...
Appearance
Certain genes turned on or off
Unique shape correlates with function
Behavior
Experiments to determine if it acts the way the
specialized cell should
Are Stem Cells Legal?
1995, Human and Health Services Appropriations Bill
Dickey-Wicker Amendment
2001, President Bush allows 21 stem cell line research
Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005
Somatic Stem Cells only
2009, President Obama removes certain funding
restrictions
2011, Sherley v. Sebelius
Are Stem Cells Legal?
Oregon Health & Sciences University has an Oregon
Stem Cell Center
Autologous Stem Cell Transplant has yet to be
approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration
2016 REGROW Act
Stem Cells and Religion
Buddhism is split into two tenets:
1. The prohibition against harming
or destroying others (ahimsa)

2. Stem cell research is in accordance

with the Buddhist tenet of seeking
knowledge (praja) and ending
human suffering (karua)
Stem Cells and Religion
Catholicism teaches:
The prohibition against using embryonic stem
cells because it creates or destroys human
embryos
Are okay with using adult stem cells for
research
Stem Cells and Religion
Episcopal
In favor of stem cell research as long as
The embryos used would have been destroyed
otherwise
The embryos were not created solely for
research purposes
The embryos were not bought or sold
Stem Cells and Religion
All major Jewish denominations (the Reform,
Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist
movements )
Support both embryonic and adult stem cell
research as long as it is for medical or therapeutic
purposes
DRAWBACKS of Stem Cell Research
Finance
Treatment is expensive and more abroad (8,000 to
25,000 in US)
Abroad: Travel
Anti-rejection medicine
BENEFITS of Stem Cell Research
Finance
Stem Cells can cure expensive diseases
Fetuses can be sold for research (form of income)
Eggs may be sold for research ($4000- $10,000)
Less lawsuits due to clinical trials
If more procedures are legalized, treatment cost
less
DRAWBACKS of Stem Cell Research
Moral
Duty to respect the value of human life
Selling a fetus/embryo
Destroys blastocysts
Cloning proves life begins at conception
Murder? (artificially conceiving to not live)
BENEFITS of Stem Cell Research
Moral
Duty to prevent or alleviate suffering
Unethical to waste aborted fetuses
Potential to save lives
DRAWBACKS of Stem Cell Research
Societal Impact
Unknown consequences of potential discoveries
Contribute to artificial selection
Poor people would be sicker
BENEFITS of Stem Cell Research
Societal Impact
Help treat diseases
Alzheimers, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes,
Spinal Cord Injuries, Birth Defects, Corneal
Restoration, Parkinson's
Xenotransplantation
Questions:
1.7 million embryos created for IVF have been thrown away,
while just 7 percent lead to pregnancy
Is it okay to use the spare embryos for stem cell research
because they are going to be discarded anyway?
Questions:

Since ES cells can grow indefinitely in a dish and can,

in theory, still grow into a human being, is the
embryo really destroyed?
Questions:
Do you think religious leaders should be involved in
the discussion over stem cell research?
Questions:
Would you help fund stem cell research if it helped
cure people you know from illness?
Questions:
Do you think stem cell research will be a normal and
generally accepted part of medicine in the future?
THATS ALL FOLKS!!!
THATS ALL FOLKS!!!
Citations
Center for Rehabilitation Sciences Research. (2013, January 10). Stem Cell Research: Science,
Federal Research Funding, and Regulatory Oversight. Retrieved on February 21, 2017 from
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL33540.html.
CurioCity. (2013). Stem Cell Differentiation. Retrieved February 21, 2017 from
http://www.explorecuriocity.org/Portals/2/Themes/Stem%20Cell%20Differentiation.pdf.
EuroStemCell. (2015, November 5). Embryonic stem cell research: an ethical dilemma. Retrieved
February 21, 2017 from eurostemcell.org.
Explorable. (n.d.). Stem Cell Research. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from
https://explorable.com/stem-cell-pros-and-cons.
Hollowell, K. (2002). Ten Problems with Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Retrieved February 22,
2017, from http://www.icr.org/article/ten-problems-with-embryonic-stem-cell-research/.
Hyun, Insoo. (2010, January 4). The bioethics of stem cell research and therapy. Retrieved
February 21, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2798696/.
Keller, Gordon. (n.d) Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation: emergence of a new era in biology
and medicine. Retrieved February 21, 2017 from
http://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/19/10/1129.full.pdf+html.
Citations
Lehrer, J. (2012, April 16). Why Did Kobe Go to Germany? Retrieved February 22, 2017, from
http://grantland.com/features/kobe-bryant-dr-chris-renna-regenokine-knee-treatment/.
Liu, J. (2008, July 17). Religious Groups Official Positions on Stem Cell Research. Retrieved
February 21, 2017, from
http://www.pewforum.org/2008/07/17/religious-groups-official-positions-on-stem-cell-researc
h
N.a. (n.d.). Macular Degeneration. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from
http://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/stem-cells-and-medicine/macular-degeneration#what-i
s-macular-degeneration.
National Institutes of Health. (2016). Stem Cell Information. Retrieved February 21, 2017,
from https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/2.htm.
Oregon Stem Cell Center. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2017, from
http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/stem-cell-center/
Osteoarthritis Stem Cell Therapy. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2017, from
https://stemgenex.com/studies/osteoarthritis-stem-cell-studies/
Citations
Regeneration Center of Thailand. (2017, January 20). Stem Cell Therapy for Congestive Heart
Failure CHF. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from
http://stemcellthailand.org/therapies/congestive-heart-failure-chf/.
Ryan, William. (2006, May 31). A New Poll: Americans Continue to Oppose Funding Stem Cell
Research That Destroys Human Embryos. Retrieved February 21, 2017 from
http://www.stemcellresearch.org/blog/new-poll-americans-continue-to-oppose-funding-stem-
cell-research-that-destroys-human-embryos/.
Scripps Research Institute. (2009, October 19). Major Step In Making Better Stem Cells From
Adult Tissue. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 21, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141615.htm.
Selvaraj, V., Plane, J. M., Williams, A. J., & Deng, W. (2010, February 9). Switching cell fate: the
remarkable rise of iPS cells and lineage reprogramming technologies. Retrieved February 21,
2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2843790/
University of Cambridge. (2014, February 27). Mini-Livers May Reduce Animal Testing.
Retrieved February 21, 2017 from
http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/videos/2014/02/mini-livers-may-reduce-animal-testing
.