Research Ethics and Stem Cells
The successful derivation of the human stem cell is arguably the most important biomedical breakthrough of the past fifty years. Traditionally the scope of modern medicine has been limited to treating irreparable cell and organ damage with various drugs; the introduction of stem cell biotechnology has opened up a broad vista of possibilities and potential.
Stem cells are defined by two important characteristics: firstly, the ability to differentiate (i.e. the process where unspecialised cells under certain physiological conditions give rise to cells of a different, more specialised type) (lecture slide reference) and secondly, the ability to self-renew for an indefinite period of time, sometimes after long terms of inactivity. (1)
Broadly speaking, there are four categories of human stem cells:
1. Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC)
2. Adult (Somatic) Stem Cells
3. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)
4. Cancer Stem Cells
Overview of each stem cell type
Overview of how they’re harvested
Overview of how they’re used to treat specific diseases (blindness and iPSC!!)
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The controversy surrounding stem cell research arises with the use of embryonic stem cells. The basic moral dilemma at its core can be simmered down to two fundamental moral principles: the obligation to alleviate suffering and the obligation to respect human life. (2) As previously outlined, the cultivation of human embryonic stem cells has remarkable potential to treat debilitating conditions and organ damage, thus satisfying the first principle. (2) Scientific research that calls for the use of human embryonic stem cells brings these two principles into direct conflict, and as such, a moral calculation must be