Stem cell research is a topic that is typically met with heated debate, and in some cases, complete apathy. At the center of the debate is the controversial use of human embryonic stem cells.To understand the controversies behind the destruction of these stem cells, the issue of when life begins must be addressed. 

Science identifies the beginning of life as the moment of conception, when a sperm and egg combine their 23 chromosomes to form a new individual with 46 chromosomes. This cell is distinct from the sperm and egg cell. In cloning, a single donor cell has its 46 chromosomes removed and inserted into an egg with its nucleus removed.

The website for the Westchester Institute For Ethics and the Human Person, states “Scientific evidence supports the conclusion that a zygote is a human organism and that the life of a new human being commences at a scientifically well defined “moment of conception.” This conclusion is objective, consistent with the factual evidence, and independent of any specific ethical, moral, political, or religious view of human life or of human embryos.” 

At this stage, the individual is referred to as a zygote, and if left as nature intended, it will grow to old age and eventually die, as we all must. This zygote will not grow into a cat, or a mass of skin cells, or a tree–if left untampered with, this organism will fulfill its ultimate purpose: the cycle of a human life. 

To deny the definition of life to an embryo because it does not look or act like a baby is unfounded and unscientific. Do we expect babies to be born looking like teenagers? Or toddlers to act like adults? The term human is not simply defined by physical characteristics; conversely, humanity can be defined in many different ways, perhaps the most basic being “a member of the species homo sapiens.” Humans begin developing at fertilization, and they never stop. 

Where does life begin if not at the beginning? Who would determine the stage that must be reached before an individual could be deemed human? Doctors? Mothers? Politicians?

 The question is no longer when does human life begin? That has already been established. It is now when is that human life valued? It is a sobering realization that our society limits human dignity only to those who look a certain way. History has seen far too many cases, and to perpetuate the same mentality in our culture today is unacceptable.  Regardless of religion, politics or rhetoric, a society that does not cherish human life is a society without hope.

Adult stem cell research does not involve the destruction of embryos; instead, stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, neural stem cells, placental blood, amniotic fluid, adipose tissue, and many other sources are used.

One of the standard arguments for embryonic stem cell research pits the value of one human life against another, and the younger one always loses. When a loved one is suffering from a debilitating disease like Parkinson’s, any chance of a cure is welcome. But while human embryonic stem cells research claims to hold more potential to treat these diseases, these have “inherent risks of immunological reactions, infectious transmission, and intractable dyskinesias, in addition to serious ethical concerns,” according to a study published in The Open Stem Cell Journal in 2009. 

This same study concluded that an adult stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s “has the potential to make neural stem cell therapy acceptable and available to a large number of patients.” The adult neural stem cells from the patients’ own bodies enabled them to experience an 83 percent improvement for five years. The results here are far greater than the potential so far reported by human embryonic stem cells research, which has yet to produce any successful treatments in humans.

Adult stem cells have been used in treatments for a vast array of diseases, including Type I Diabetes, Crohn’s Disease, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, Parkinson’s Disease, spinal cord injuries, Sickle Cell Anemia, corneal regeneration and many different kinds of cancers.

The first embryonic stem cell trial done on humans was approved by the FDA in 2009, although “this first trial is mainly testing the safety of these procedures and if everything goes well, it could lead to future studies that involve people with more severe disabilities.”

This trial involves the destruction of embryonic human lives, and if everything goes well, it could lead to future studies. In other words, human embryonic research is behind the times and struggling to keep up with the established adult stem cell treatments that have improved life for so many individuals. 

Federal funding is necessary for stem cell research and treatments.  That much is certain. But this research must be safe, effective and it must not compromise the value of human life. Anything less is not worthy of taxpayers’ dollars, and it is most certainly not worth the toll it exacts on basic human dignity.