2.4 Stem Cell Dilemmas

Question 1

Therapeutic cloning def

Answer 1

A process where an embryo is produced that is genetically identical to the patient so the cells can then be used in medical treatments

Question 2

What do embryonic stem cells come from?

Answer 2

• Aborted embryos
• Spare embryos for fertility treatment

Question 3

What are some problems with embryonic stem cells?

Answer 3

• Some people question the use of a potential human being as a source of cells
• Some people feel that since the embryo can’t give permission, it’s a violation of its human rights
• Religious beliefs of some people mean that they can’t accept any interference with human reproduction
• Slow, difficult, expensive and hard to control
• Difficult to persuade them to differentiate
• Divide and grow rapidly, could cause cancer
• Might trigger an immune response
• Too expensive and time consuming

Question 4

Where have embryonic stem cells been found (other than in the embryo)

Answer 4

• In the umbilical cord blood
• Amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus

Question 5

What is the problem with adult stem cells?

Answer 5

They can only develop into a limited range of cell types

Question 6

What have adult stem cells been used for?

Answer 6

• To treat some forms of heart disease
• Grow new organs such as tracheas

Question 7

Explain the process of therapeutic cloning

Answer 7

• Using cells from an adult to produce a cloned early embryo of themselves
• It would provide a source for perfectly matched embryonic stem cells
• Could be used for medical treatments such as growing new organs for the patient
• New organs wouldn’t be rejected because they are made up of the same genes as the patient

Question 8

Where have adult stem cells been found and what are they being used for?

Answer 8

• In the tubes that connect the liver and the pancreas to the small intestine
• Managed to turn stem cells into insulin-producing cells for people with type 1 diabetes

Question 9

What stem cell therapies are being researched in the UK at the moment?

Answer 9

• Spinal cord after injuries
• Diabetes
• Heart damage after heart attack
• Eyesight in the blind
• Damaged bone and cartilage