Coreen I. Andre

Instructor Fadi Akhtar

ENGL 135

8 October 2006

Research Proposal

 

TITLE of PROJECT: Stem Cell Research: The social Impacts of this research

 

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this paper is to bring to light some of the deeper social issues involved in the debate over human stem cell research.  Some of the questions that will be address in this paper are:

Ø      Can our society survive if scientists are allowed to create embryos solely to kill them and harvest their stem cells? 

Ø      How will religious leaders react if this is allowed? 

Ø      Can stem cell research deliver what medical researchers believe it will?  

Ø      How will our political leaders attempt to mitigate the social upheavals of this technology?

BACKGROUND:

This subject is of interest because of the potential advances in medicine that it can deliver.  Alzheimer’s and strokes seem to run in the family; therefore it could be there are some selfish reasons why this subject was chosen.  The author has seen first hand the degenerative nature of Alzheimer’s and do not wish to suffer that fate.  Also interested in the final outcome of the debate on this subject, because it will define what kind of society we live in. 

SIGNIFICANCE:  

This topic is worth considering because the philosophical debate on the nature of our society is worth exploring.  Politicians have skirted around this subject for years.  They are not really interested in making this decision.  They seem to make these kinds of decision in the most politically expedient way.  If the subject of abortion is any indication; it would seem years will go by without a final decision.

ESSAY PLAN:

The potential advances in medicine that can be gained from this research will be explored.  News articles, medical journals, and dissertations will be cited to support the claims of medical advances.   The ethical debates on this subject and the social impact the final decision on the research will have on our society will be explored.  For this argument political journals and news articles will be cited.    

1. Stem cells defined:
• Stem cells are the building blocks of all the other cells in the body of an organism.
• Stem cells have the ability to become any other cell in the body because they have no template.
2. Different types of stem cells and their characteristics:
• There two types of stem cells: adult and embryonic.
• There are not many differences between the two, but the areas that are different are very important.
• Embryonic stem cells have the ability to remain viable in the laboratory for longer periods than adult cells.
3. Purpose of medical research into stem cells:
• Researchers believe they can cure a host of diseases and disorders if they can understand the mechanism that transforms stem cells into other cells.
• Biologists are searching for artificial ways to harvest stem cells especially embryonic stem cells.
4. Nature of debate over stem cell research:
• Religious groups are against harvesting embryonic stem cells because it kills the fetus.
• Religious groups are against tampering the stem cell differentiation mechanism, because they say that is in the domain of god.
• Politicians are slow to make a commitment on the issue because they are waiting to see which way their constituents are voting.
• The medical communities are uncertain of how to proceed with this research because of all the objections.