Stem Cells and the Presidential Candidates' positions
...re, and their ability to give rise to different types of cells. Unlike other cells in the body such as nerve and muscle cells, stem cells can replicate themselves many times over, providing for millions of cells in a laboratory. Stem cells which are unspecialized can give rise to specialized cells, such as nerve and muscle cells, a process called differentiation. The signals that cause the differentiation in stem cells is the key to stem cell research. If scientists are able to identify the inner and outer cell signals that cause differentiation, they theoretically can grow specific types of cells and tissues for cell-based therapies. However, there are two distinctive stem cells, the difference between the two has enormous implications for research and causes the main divide between the two candidates. Embryonic stem cells are stem cells that are derived from embryos fertilized during in vitro fertilization in laboratories. If these cells were left alone, they would clump together and differentiate into specialized cells. Scientists after years of research have developed methods to keep stem cells undifferentiated. If scientists can develop ways to direct the differentiation of these cells, they theoretically use the specialized resulting cells to treat certain diseases. Adult stem cells are unspecialized cells found among specialized cells in tissues and organs. These stem cells in the body specialize into different types of cells in the tissue or organ when needed. Adult stem cells may also have the ability to form specialized cell types of other tissues. A potential advantage for the use of adult stem cells is that a person’s own cells reintrodu...