Video: "Stem Cells Breakthrough" and "Stem Cells: Seeds of Hope?"

Here are some questions related to the last two videos we watched about Stem Cells. In this post, I present my answers.

1) Why are stem cells considered so valuable for medical research?
This is because Stem Cells are flexible and can turn into any specialized cell, that's why they're called Pluripotent.

2) Why did the researchers have to narrow the spectrum of genes within stem cells? (video 1)
Because there are over 20 thousand genes, which were narrowed to 100, then 24 and finally only 4. 

3) What are the sources of stem cells and the advantages and disadvantages associated with using each?
They can be taken from embryos, or can be produced from some specific cells taken from any cell. The advantages of stem cells are obvious, as they could eventually turn into any organ and help doctors cure almost every disease. However, their main drawback is related with ethics, as an embryo must be created to extract a specific organ, which means that doctors would "kill" the embryo (there is a similar problem with abortion)

4) What are the three cases presented at the beginning of the second video?
A hockey player with a problem in his spinal cord, a man with diabetes and two cousins that had a genetic brain problem (Tay Sachs disease)

5) How might a stem cell be used to treat spinal cord injuries?
They could replace the dead cells and build a bridge along the spinal cord by communicating with the closest cells.

6) Explain the outcome of the experiment with injured rats presented in the second video?
The stem cells were placed in a section of the rat's spinal cord, and they turned into spinal cells by communicating with the nearby cells. However, the result was not completely perfect. 

7) What issues surround the debate over of stem cell research?
The ethical problem related with embryos is the main issue, as in some methods a embryo is created and then it dies.

8) What issue do you think needs to be debated as we make decisions about stem cell research?
Just as with abortion, life should be respected. I think that healing diseases is something great, but it cannot go over other's life. I believe that killing an embryo to heal someone else is something selfish and it might generate deep problems in our society.