Ethical Issues Concerning Stem Cell Research Debate

Some researchers believe that by using stem cells we will be able to find cures for many diseases and common ailments. The primary ethical concern is where the stem cells are coming from. In 1998, the work of Dr. James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin and Dr. John Gearhart at Johns Hopkins University used privately funded laboratories to isolate and culture human embryonic stem cells. The problem with human embryonic stem cell research is once the stem cells have been harvested, the embryo is destroyed, and so is the potential human life. (Heather, J. K., 2002) In 2001, U.S. government legislation restricted embryonic stem cell research. Five years later, one scientist at Kyoto University, Shinya Yamanaka, and his fellow student, Kazutoshi

In 1996, the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, named after representatives Jay Dickey and Roger Wicker, was passed and prohibits the use of federal funds for the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes, or research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero. (Timeline of major events in stem cell research policy., 2016) This amendment is a deontological guideline used by the National Institute of Health (NIH) with respect to embryonic stem cells. While this amendment does not impede stem cell research, it means that most embryonic stem cell research must be done with private funding. This amendment has also influenced current public policy regarding stem cell

People’s minds and attitudes about an issue can be changed or reinforced, and such changes can also affect public policy. Therefore, it is important to understand what arguments are being made in media and whether they’re valid, and good reasons to justify a position. A scholarly article published in 2009, Emerging Ethical, Legal and Social Issues Associated with Stem Cell Research & and the Current Role of the Moral Status of the Embryo, discovered that in print Canadian media “issues associated with the moral status of the embryo continue to have an undisputable presence in the literature surrounding stem cell research. However, in many cases they do not appear to play a central role and the focus they receive and the contexts in which they arise vary widely both between and within different realms.” (Zarzeczny, A., & Caulfield, T., 2009) This article also found that in media the focus is not on the morality of stem cell research, but on the general science and future expectations. Also, that arguments are called a person’s “point-of-view” rather than a position to be debated on. If we just refer to a person’s stance as their point-of-view it implies more subjectivity than