"But I also see the profound opportunity we have to save and transform millions of lives through this strand of medicine."
Gordon Brown (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010)
Embryonic stem cells are being used in many ways. They have an extraordinary ability to replace damaged tissue and organs like the heart, liver, and pancreas. Britain is leading the research and is accountable for most of the progress worldwide. Embryonic stem cells led to the use of adult stem cells. They needed a way around using the embryos because of the Dicky-Wicker amendment. Which led them to need to use adult stem cells, even though scientists originally thought that they didn't have as much potential. Adult stem cells have already been used in Leukemia and heart disease patients. Embryonic stem cells are able to cure more complex things, but the use is ristricted. They have the ability to cure brain and the nervous system. They also can be used to test the safety and effectiveness of drugs. Thanks to James Thomson and his barrier breaking discovery in stem cell research, we can cure diseases that have been killing mankind for hundreds of years. Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and even cancer are just a few of the diseases now a possibility to cure with stem cells. Scientists are hoping they will soon be able to cure spinal cord injuries and muscle damage.
Why Are Embryonic Stem Cells Not Being Used To Cure People Daily?
The reason embryonic stem cells are not being used daily to cure and save lives is that there is a shortage of them. There are legal problems with using embryos, it's hard to keep them alive and also there are no great sources to get them. The only source is ones that are extracted out of women that have given consent to use them for research. Scientists tried using adult and animal cells. when using the animal eggs, they remove most of the genetic material and add a human cell nucleus. With that, they are only able to be used on research for diseases. For the use of adult stem cells, they are limited in what can be done with them.