Stem Cell Research could hold possibilities to find cures or treatments for dreadful injuries and diseases. In 1998, James Thomson and John Gearhart were the first scientists to achieve the task of isolating the stem cells ("stem cell time"). There are two main types of stem cells: adult and embryonic (Clouthier). Embryonic stem cells are important as they can transform into any other cell type, such as but not limited to: skin cells, brain cells, nerve cells. Whereas, adults stem cells are permanently the cell type they started off as. Meaning a skin cell cannot transform into a brain cell, it will always be a skin cell. One of aspect of this debate is how the stem cells are taken from the source. It is has been proven that if you derive embryonic stem cells from an embryo then that embryo is destroyed (Clouthier). On the other hand the adult stem cells are able to reproduce and regenerate faster in order to replenish the cells taken. Also, another aspect of the debate of stem cell research has revolved around federal funding for embryonic stem cells in addition to adult stem cells. Many people ask what are the pros and cons of each type and what could the outcome be for this research. There are many perspectives and opinions on this topic but the main ones include: the medical point of view, political stance, public position, and a company outlook.
Special qualities that embryonic stem cells have that adults do not carry have led scientists to believe that embryonic stem cells are just as deserving for funding as adult stem cells (Clouthier).These qualities include being able to divide and regenerate while remaining unspecialized for years. William Hoffman (Writer and Editor for 25 Years) and Leo T. Furcht, (chairman of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University Of Minnesota Medical School) wrote the article The Holy Grail of Medicine: On the Mystery and Power of Stem Cells (Hoffman, Furcht).