Stem Cells

Biotechnology is an exciting science and contrary to what my friends believe, I do have a passion for it which they some how fail to see. It is an incredible science and everything about it is amazing. The ability to modify a living organism to perform additional functionality, to be able to understand what truly goes on a living organism, and to be able to create totally new forms of life, everything about it is god like. It deals with absolute raw power, for there can be nothing greater. However, it is this very power that makes it the most controversial science ever. It has been subjected to far too many ethical debates. Every one seems to take their go at it. At times I face people who think of me as nothing less than a monster. I think it is their fear and inability to understand what the real deal is.

I believe you have all heard of Stem Cell Technology. A truly amazing branch of medical biotechnology which enables us to repair any living tissue or organ in the human body, which makes every known human disease curable. It enables us to treat diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart failures, liver failures, kidney failures, etc etc etc. You name it, and we can treat it. It is a simple technique. I guess I should try to explain it to you-

The human body consist of different organs, which further consist of different tissues, that further consist of various cells. Most disease involve breaking down of this structure and causing damage to particular organs. As in diabetes, the pancreas is damaged rendering it unable to secrete enzymes that are essential for digestion of glucose in body. Stem cells are special cells that exist in the body naturally. They are special repair cells, which can replace a damaged cell and thus reviving the functionality of an organ. However stem cells occur in fairly low numbers and thus impossible to extract from the body. Thus we have to look at other ways of making them. For this we use a procedure similar o cloning, or actually cloning itself. Each cell in your body has DNA, and this DNA is found in a special compartment inside the cell called Nucleus. In cloning, the DNA from one of your body's cells (any cell) is taken and inserted into an unfertilized human egg. This when allowed to grow in a petri dish, multiplies and assumes a form identical to the early stages of a human embryo. This stage is known as blastula. If further this is implanted into the womb of a human female, has the ability to grow into a complete organism much identical to the nucleus donor. However blastula is just a collection of 32 cells that are capable of developing into one human being but not human yet. The 32 cells in this stage are stem cells and can be used for therapeutic purposes.

So now you tell me what is wrong with this? For those still skeptical, here is a picture of blastula for you...


Now, does it like a human being to you? It doesn't look like a human being to me at least. So the thing is that extraction of stem cells from this blastula would seal it's fate, and it wont be able to become a human being. But then again it is not human yet!

This makes it one of the most controversial techniques ever. You must have heard about it, or read of it in the news papers. Haven't you? This science is capable of lending sight to the blind, rid your grandmother of her joint pains, cure arthritis, repair holes in heart, rid you of diabetes, and maybe at some stage even cure AIDS. Amazing isn't it? However, what if I told you, that this science is banned in most of the countries across the world. India being an exception ofcourse, we people were never concerned about ethics!