RJA #10c: Ideas for the Application project

1. Journal Entry. I would write a journal entry to my cousin lived most of his life in a wheel chair because of a spinal cord injury that he experienced at age 18. I would tell him all that I have learned about the progress that has been made in the field of stem cell therapy, and how close scientists are to having therapy available for people with spinal cord injuries. I would tell him how the research is being conducted, where it is being conducted, and about the trials and tests that are being done. I would share with him the hope that because of stem cell research and developed applications, those who are paralyzed from spinal cord injuries might someday walk again. My cousin did not live to see this day, he died in 1988, due to complications created from his spinal cord injury, he was 44.

2. Short Story. This would be a story of how stem cell therapy has been able to help someone with cerebral palsy. This disorder has shown marked success in the field of stem cell therapy and I would like to share a story using dialogue between patient and doctor about how successful it has been and how it has changed individual lives.

3. News Article. In this article I would relate how stem cell research and therapeutic application have been used around the world to help individuals suffering from debilitating illnesses and injuries. I would report on current therapies that are being performed, and where they are being done. I would address the controversies still plaguing stem cell research and development and what lies ahead for this type of therapy.

4. Editorial. In my editorial I would give my views on how important stem cell therapy is in the world of medicine. I would like to voice my opinion of why the United States lags behind the world in this therapy and the frustrations felt by many because of this issue. I would like to talk about the ethics involved and how they apply or don’t apply to stem cell therapy.

RJA #10b: Progress Report for Argumentative Paper

What I have accomplished on my argumentative paper:

So far I have gathered most of the resources, books, articles, videos, and forum websites that will be using for my research and bookmarked them. Using my outline as a guide, I have begun to put down on paper some of my thoughts and have organized the resources I have compiled so far. I have also started on my presentation ideas.

What I still have to do:

Even though I have put down thoughts I need to begin to write my paper. I also need to finish one interview, which I plan to do this week. I plan to begin my rough draft this week as well. I also need to spend more time organizing to make sure that I have all the resources that I want to use for my paper, as well as for the application project and bookmark them.

RJA #10a: Annotated Bibliography, Part 1

Ostnor, Lars, et al. “The Moral Status of Human Embryos with Special Regard to Stem cell Research and Therapy.” Stem Cells, Human Embryos and Ethics. 4-18. Springer 2008. Print

This is a multidisciplinary study from many different professionals investigating the field of embryonic stem cells. This chapter is comprised of studies done by the Norwegian project group and deals with embryo and fetal cell development and their potential use in the field of stem cell therapy. The group examines the advantages of using embryonic stem cells in the field of medicine as well as stem cell alternatives. They look at adult stem cells and the importance they can play in research and therapy as an viable and more ethical alternative to using embryonic stem cells. Their differing views are represented continually and the authors remain divided as they represent both sides of this endless debate. The first position emphasizing the use of embryonic stem cells especially for the treatment of currently untreatable serious disease and injuries. The second position being the continuation of research on all human stem cells excepting those that come from human embryos.

Chu, Jennifer. “Testing Drugs with Stem Cells.” Technology Review 13 December 2007. Web. http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19893/?a=f

This article is focused on the studies of Gabriela Cezar, assistant professor of animal science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her novel way of testing for drug toxicity using embryonic stem cells . By monitoring the results of these tests Cezar and her colleagues feel that they should be able to have a far more accurate prediction of a drug’s potential toxicity than they get with conventional animal testing. Cezar’s group tested the drug valproate, an anti-epileptic drug that has been linked to cases of autism and spina bifida in the offspring of mothers treated with the drug. Cezar was able to see in these tests that the ES cell samples tested with valproate exhibited significant changes in what would represent early brain development. Steven Tannenbaum, professor of chemistry and toxicology at MIT does not agree with Cezar and her findings. He points out that drugs taken into the body are processed first in the liver, not the brain, and that drug metabolism in the body is a very complex process. Recognizing the abilites to have embryonic stem cells develop into liver cells, Cezar feels that the research she is doing is capable of bringing safer and more effective drugs to the consumer.

Schwartz, Philip H., and Peter J. Bryant. “Therapeutic Uses of Stem Cells.” Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate, The Scientific, Religious, Ethical, and Political Issues. Ed. Kristen Renwick Monroe, et al. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2008. 38-49. Print.

The therapeutic uses of stem cells are of course, the main reason for stem cell research. In this chapter the authors recognize that the current therapeutic applications of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) such as in bone marrow transplantation have been successfully treating patients with Leukemia and Lymphoma for many years. Umbilical cord stem cells have also been used to treat blood disorders and are especially preferred in pediatric patients. The experimental therapeutic applications noted by the authors include testing with patients who have multilple sclerosis. Neural stem cells (NSC) and embryonic stem cells (ESC) have both shown signs of effectiveness against this disease. Potential therapeutic applications for use in Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, retinal degeneration, Diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are being researched and tested using HSC, NSC and ESC. Testing with different types of stem cells is important to the research. It enables the scientists to learn which therapy might cause potential problems with immune rejection for the patient. Autologous transplantation has been found to eliminate the problems of rejection for the patient since those stem cells come from the patient who is being treated. Research continues to show improvements in the current therapeutic applications as well as in the experimental and potential phases of stem cell therapy.