From a ball of cells, <br />the Blastocyst: <br />(Smaller than a grain of sand, <br />Aged 5-6 days Intra-uterine Life) , <br />Develop tissues, organs <br />and the fetus whole! <br /> <br />Stem-cells are pluripotent, <br />Cultured in lab nutrient media; <br />They heal disorders- <br />inherited and degenerative; <br />Doing wonders which drugs <br />couldn’t do till now; <br /> <br />They help in organ-transplant; <br />Fill defects in bone; <br />They cure Parkinson’s <br />And Motor Neuron Disease; <br />They form nervous tissue <br />And Bone marrow transplants; <br />Like Dolly, the cloned sheep, <br />Their benefits will pay off some day. <br /> <br />Getting them, using them <br />Is unethical, some say; <br />It leads to religious queries <br />That none can ever answer; <br />A matter of heated debate global, <br />Hope springs too eternal; <br />It offers miracles which <br />Can’t be denied to man; <br /> <br />Pumped is ‘big money’ <br />into research on stem cell lines; <br />Challenging, complex, all agree, <br />It could cure many illnesses. <br /> <br />Some states/nations have banned the work; <br />Others have mellowed their stand; <br />Few are going ‘full steam ahead’, <br />Despite the controversies. <br />It’s an exciting, tricky, promising <br />Ambitious and murky field; <br />The cells are ‘immortal’! <br />But do they cause cancer? <br /> <br />How safe are they? <br />Who owns them? <br />Who must fund? <br />How to use? <br />These are queries, <br />Scientists must resolve; <br /> <br />Yet, progress can’t come <br />Without taking great risks; <br />Courts will decide problems; <br />Stem cells are a reality <br />today! <br /> <br />Copyright by Dr John Celes 11-25-2005<br /><br />Dr John Celes<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/human-embryonic-stem-cell-lines/
