STEM CELLS: Taking Action
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Shinya Yamanaka was a stem cell research who's career changed after looking at a human embryo under a microscope. He said that he saw that "there was such a small difference between it and [his] daughters." From that point onward, he became a professor at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences at Kyoto University and researched an alternative to using Embryonic Stem Cells. After years of research, his team was able to convert adult somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells. He first found the technique using mouse cells, then was able to do it with human cells. More research must be done, but Yamanaka may have found the best compromise pertaining to the use of stem cells.
What Can YOU Do?
So what can non-scientists do about stem cells? Speak out! Share your opinions on this global debate to everyone and try to get them to favor the most moral solution. Is it saving lives with stem cells? Is it saving lives by NOT using stem cells? Or perhaps it's an alternative like Yamanaka's that you'd think is best? Perhaps you can find an influential organization such as a political party and help them get the message across? Doing this will help you discover your own morality code and create an impact in the world.
Shinya Yamanaka was a stem cell research who's career changed after looking at a human embryo under a microscope. He said that he saw that "there was such a small difference between it and [his] daughters." From that point onward, he became a professor at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences at Kyoto University and researched an alternative to using Embryonic Stem Cells. After years of research, his team was able to convert adult somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells. He first found the technique using mouse cells, then was able to do it with human cells. More research must be done, but Yamanaka may have found the best compromise pertaining to the use of stem cells.
What Can YOU Do?
So what can non-scientists do about stem cells? Speak out! Share your opinions on this global debate to everyone and try to get them to favor the most moral solution. Is it saving lives with stem cells? Is it saving lives by NOT using stem cells? Or perhaps it's an alternative like Yamanaka's that you'd think is best? Perhaps you can find an influential organization such as a political party and help them get the message across? Doing this will help you discover your own morality code and create an impact in the world.