M6D1: Examining the Latest Research Using Stem CellsNo unread replies. No replies.Stem cells are the basis for every organ and tissue in our bodies. We continually rely on stem cells to replace and re
M6D1: Examining the Latest Research Using Stem Cells
No unread replies. No replies.
Stem cells are the basis for every organ and tissue in our bodies. We continually rely on stem cells to replace and rejuvenate tissues lost every day, such as hair, blood, and skin. Currently researchers in this exciting field are working with patients suffering from a host of diseases and conditions that do not respond well to other therapies. These experimental procedures are termed “clinical trials” and are used to begin the study of how the human body responds to stem cell treatment. Early research is often done with laboratory animals, but success with animals does not always translate well into that same level of success with humans. Further research must be done to test both the safety and efficacy of the treatment for human patients before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can approve the therapy.
Completing this activity will assist you in mastering Module Level Outcomes 2 and 3.
First:
Review these assigned readings; they will serve as your scientific sources of accurate information:
Understanding Stem Cells
[PDF, file size 974 KB] from the National Academies.Nine Things to Know About Stem Cell Treatments (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
How Science Becomes Medicine (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Fighting aging using stem cell therapy (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Stem cells in Texas: Cowboy culture (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Goldman, B. (2016) White coat, black art: Stem cell hype and risk (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. CBC Radio
Kamenova, K., & Caulfield, T. (2015) Stem cell hype: Media portrayal of therapy translation (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Science Translational Medicine, V7, Issue 278, pp. 278
Next:
Examine the Medical News Today (MNT) page on stem cells (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. . Under the blue banner “Featured news in this category,” you will see a list of links to recent stories about research in this area. Below this is another blue banner, “Featured reading in this category.” Select one article from either area.
Then, submit your responses to the following questions/prompts in your initial post:
Give the title, publication date, and author of the MNT article you selected.
Give the name of the scientist and the journal where the original research was published.
Describe in 2-3 sentences what the MNT article tells us about this area of stem cell research.
How reliable do you think this MNT report is, and why do you think this is the case?
Did you find that the author of the MNT article used a lot of sensationalist terms and implied that people with this condition would be able to receive such a treatment very soon?
If you or a family member was suffering from the condition you selected to examine, would you recommend they seek out stem cell therapy at this time? Why or why not?
Your initial post responding to this assignment should be no shorter than 250 words. Include both in-text citations and complete APA style references for all the sources you used to inform your work. Once you have posted your own discussion response, you are required to comment on the posts of at least two of your classmates. You can agree or disagree with their posts, but you must explain why you have chosen to do so. Also, be sure to read the feedback on your own major postings and reply to it throughout the module.
Always be sure that your posts are respectful, polite, and considerate. Please see the Excelsior policy “Guidelines for Online Interaction (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.” if you have any questions or concerns.
You are also encouraged to do your own research through our library on the topic. Do not forget to include in-text citations and complete APA style references for all sources. The Excelsior Library Citation Tip Sheets and Resources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. will be a helpful guide. You may also wish to use a citation generator – you just insert the information, and it creates the citation in the format you indicate (MLA or APA, for example). Here are 3 citation generators to choose from:
Citation Machine (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Bibme (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
EasyBib (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Your initial post is due by Thursday at 11:59 PM EST. Your responses are due by Sunday at 11:59 PM EST.
Consult the Discussion Posting Guide for information about writing your discussion posts. It is recommended that you write your post in a document first. Check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. When you are ready to make your initial post, click on "Reply." Then copy/paste the text into the message field, and click “Post Reply.”
This is a “post first” discussion forum. You must submit your initial post before you can view other students’ posts.
To respond to a peer, click “Reply” beneath her or his post and continue as with an initial post.
Evaluation
This discussion will be graded using a rubric. Please review this rubric prior to beginning your work. View the rubric by clicking on the gear icon 
at the top right side of this page or on the Course Rubrics page within the Start Here module. All discussions combined are worth 30% of your final course grade.
Image credit:
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