Research Paper - Stem Cell Research Expansion

[TheShadowz]

Hey everybody, I was just wondering if I could get a little proofreading from a source other than my parents/me.

This is for my English I Honors writing assignment. (That's 9th grade)

Note: The copy/paste didn't copy my "tab" hits so it looks weird here, but all paragraph beginings and my mla bibliography are in the right format already.

Any comments/suggestions/corrections are all appreciated!



Millions of people die each year from diseases. Man has learned to treat these pestilences and viruses through thousands of different kinds of treatments. A new and extremely promising treatment is now being researched. This research could find cures for many of the problems our bodies face. What is this revolutionary and seemingly miracle cure? The answer is stem cells. Stem cells are produced inside the body to replace old and damaged cells. While this is the normal function of the human body, stem cells can also adapt into any kind of cell. But there are also hurdles to jump and rivers to cross before this can be efficiently be introduced into common medicinal procedures. For example, extracting them is not a simple process, and some believe it to be immoral for various reasons. However, the benefits that could arise from perfecting this idea could be monumental to modern medicine as we know it and a pivotal tool in are war against disease. Therefore, stem cell researched should be expanded. (Stem)

The medical benefits that could come from stem cell research are enormous. Thousand of diseases could be cured as well as saving untold amounts of life. When this technology is perfected, people would actually be able to “donate” organs to themselves by allowing scientists to take their stem cells and grow them a new heart. Thousands of people who die each year because they cannot receive a compatible match with another person would also be saved because the new heart would have the same genetic material as their old one. With all of these diseases being cured including genetic ones, a feat that was once considered to be impossible before, there will be unimaginable amounts of life saved by this near miracle cure. Some treatments that have been previously used will also become obsolete, which will allow doctors to simplify treatment processes as well as research for future ways to cure diseases because all of the scientists who specialize in stem cells will be able to work on new treatments for disease. However, some question the morality of this treatment. (Stem)

Many people are opposed to the expansion of stem cell research as well as research of any kind on stem cells. These people have made the assumption that all stem cells must come from unused human embryos (which destroys them in the process), this is completely false. Stem cells can be taken from bone marrow as well as from umbilical cords. The stem cell rich cord can even be stored through cryogenics as a sort of “bodily insurance” to use as stem cells for anyone in the immediate family. The umbilical cord can be easily extracted and removed during birth, which is much less dangerous than a bone marrow extraction or the controversial embryonic stem cell extraction. Even if families do not wish to pay to keep an umbilical cord stored for later use, they can donate their own so that it may save someone else who would die without it. Technology has even advanced so far that new methods are being created to decrease risk and increase transferability. Many scientists and doctors hope that these treatments can become a staple of medicinal procedures. This is essential to the efficiency of stem cells as a whole. The reason for this is that if stem cells become the treatment option that doctors hope that it will become then they will be in very high demand. (Pros)

If stem cells reach the usability that many theorize they will reach current treatments would be simpler and involve less risk with the use of stem cells. For example, treatments that involve surgery, including eye-restoration, could possibly be completed in 45 minutes and the individual could show positive changes in mere weeks. "Readymade" patches of cells could even be made to greatly simplify the operation, making it suitable for use on millions of patients who worry over the complexity of today’s procedures. There is a good chance for the eye-restoration surgery, experts say. Clinical trials are set to begin in 4 years and they hope for it to be an extremely common practice in the coming decade. (45-minute)

Stem cells research should be expanded from its current state. The number of medical procedures it could pave the way for is gigantic, the process of extracting viable stem cells is becoming simpler, and the time it takes as well as the risks of the procedures themselves is drastically being reduced. The public should embrace this new age science due to all the low-cost high-reward benefits that it has. The discoveries that have already been made have been monumental, and the fact that there will be even greater ones to come makes this an even more promising science to examine. For these reasons, stem cell research should be expanded. (Pros)


Works Cited

"45-minute operation to restore sight to millions | Mail Online." Mail Online. 13 Mar. 2009 <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-460052/45-minute-operation-restore-sight-millions.html>.
"Pros And Cons Of Stem Cell Research." Popular Issues - AllAboutPopularIssues.org. 13 Mar. 2009 <http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/pros-and-cons-of-stem-cell-research.htm>.
"Stem Cell Basics [Stem Cell Information]." NIH Stem Cell Information Home Page. 19 Mar. 2009 <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/defaultpage>.


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[Joe-kun]

It's well written and seems well thought out. Stem Cell Research has always been rather interesting to me.

 

[Thunda-Moo]

This is pretty good, though here's my issue: If stem cell research can come from things other then embreos, what are the cons at all? There is no way that stem cell reasearch would be a contrivercy if the only downside was the thing that you cleanly refuted. Perhaps you should adress that, but on the other hand, that would be additional work and you probably already have an A-level project anyway. So maybe not. But I would certanly like to know.

 

[TheShadowz]

This is pretty good, though here's my issue: If stem cell research can come from things other then embreos, what are the cons at all? There is no way that stem cell reasearch would be a contrivercy if the only downside was the thing that you cleanly refuted. Perhaps you should adress that, but on the other hand, that would be additional work and you probably already have an A-level project anyway. So maybe not. But I would certanly like to know.

Exactly, The point of this paper is to reason that stem cell research should be expanded. So by showing that there are no cons and refuting possible evidence is very good.

 

[GoldShadow]

I hardly ever wander into this room but this caught my eye! Not sure if you're still writing this but I've put down a few suggestions here and there (replacements/additions in bold, underlines followed by comments in orange). All in all, pretty good.

Millions of people die each year from diseases. Man has learned to treat these pestilences and viruses through thousands of different kinds of treatments. A new and extremely promising treatment is now being researched. This research could find cures for many of the problems our bodies face. What is this revolutionary and seemingly miracle cure? The answer is stem cells. Stem cells are produced inside the body to replace old and damaged cells. While this is the normal function of the human body, stem cells can also adapt into any kind of cell. But there are also hurdles to jump and rivers to cross before this can be efficiently be introduced into common medical procedures. For example, extracting them is not a simple process, and some believe it to be immoral for various reasons. However, the benefits that could arise from perfecting this idea could be monumental to modern medicine as we know it and a pivotal tool in our war against disease. Therefore, stem cell researched should be expanded. (Stem)

The medical benefits that could come from stem cell research are enormous. Thousand of diseases could be cured and an untold number of lives could be saved. When this technology is perfected, people will actually be able to “donate” organs to themselves by allowing scientists to take their stem cells and grow them a new heart. Thousands of people who die each year because they cannot receive a compatible match with another person would also be saved because the new heart would have the same genetic material as their old one. With all of these diseases being cured, including genetic ones, a feat that was once considered to be impossible before, there will be unimaginable amounts (perhaps different word choice; "unimaginable amounts" of life sounds a little awkward. Maybe "an unimaginable amount"?) of life saved by this near miracle cure. Some treatments that have been previously used will also become obsolete, which will allow doctors to simplify treatment processes as well as research for future ways to cure diseases because all of the scientists who specialize in stem cells will be able to work on new treatments for disease. However, some question the morality of this treatment. (Stem)

Many people are opposed to the expansion of stem cell research as well as research of any kind on stem cells. These people have made the assumption that all stem cells must come from unused human embryos (which destroys them in the process). This is completely false. Stem cells can be taken from bone marrow as well as from umbilical cords. The stem cell rich cord can even be stored through cryogenics as a sort of “bodily insurance” to use as stem cells for anyone in the immediate family. The umbilical cord can be easily extracted and removed during birth, which is much less dangerous than a bone marrow extraction or the controversial embryonic stem cell extraction. Even if families do not wish to pay to keep an umbilical cord stored for later use, they can donate their own so that it may save someone else who would die without it. Technology has even advanced so far that new methods are being created to decrease risk and increase transferability. Many scientists and doctors hope that these treatments can become a staple of medical procedures. This is essential to the efficiency of stem cells as a whole. The reason for this is that if stem cells become the treatment option that doctors hope that it will become then they will be in very high demand. (might want to reword) (Pros)

If stem cells reach the usability that many theorize they will, reach current treatments would be simpler and involve less risk with the use of stem cells. For example, treatments that involve surgery, like eye-restoration, could possibly be completed in 45 minutes and the individual could show positive changes in mere weeks. "Readymade" patches of cells could even be made to greatly simplify the operation, making it suitable for use on millions of patients who worry over the complexity of today’s procedures. There is a good chance for the eye-restoration surgery, experts say. Clinical trials are set to begin in 4 years and they hope for it to be an extremely common practice in the coming decade. (45-minute)

Stem cells research should be expanded from its current state. The number of medical procedures it could pave the way for is gigantic, the process of extracting viable stem cells is becoming simpler, and the time it takes as well as the risks of the procedures themselves are drastically being reduced. The public should embrace this new age science (might not want to call it "new age" science; "new age" is usually a term for modern spiritual movements and alternative medicine and stuff like that. Just call it "new science" instead) due to all its low-cost, high-reward benefits. The discoveries that have already been made have been monumental, and the fact that there will be even greater ones to come makes this an even more (consider rewording. It's a bit repetitive. "even greater ones... even more..." Just use a little more variety in word choice) promising science to examine. For these reasons, stem cell research should be expanded. (Pros)