Disadvantages of Stem Cells
Biology: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 2.1.11
Disadvantages of Stem Cells
Using stem cells in medical treatment can have some downsides:
Viral infections
- Stem cell transplantation could transfer viral infections.
Ethical beliefs
- Some people disagree with the use of stem cells on ethical or religious grounds:
- They believe that life begins at conception, which means that the embryo is alive.
- They therefore view the use of embryonic stem cells as 'killing' an embryo.
Rejection
- As with other organ transplants, introducing stem cells into a patient could cause the patient's immune system to reject and destroy the new cells.