STEM CELL RESEARCH: ETHICS AND MORAL
Human life would be greatly improved if we, as a society, are able to treat a health problem or prevent a disease process from developing. Human stem cell (hSC) research allows the scientists to intervene and treat a disease at a cellular level.
A stem cell is a primitive cell that can indefinitely replicate making identical copies of itself. These cells can create specialized cells for various body tissues such as: brain tissue, heart muscle, liver tissue and many more. There are two basic types of stem cells: embryonic cells and adult cells. Embryonic cells can only be harvested from pre-implantation embryos such as fertilized eggs left over after IVF procedures in fertilization clinics and also from …show more content…
A research involving human embryos requires donation of biological materials and thus voluntary informed consent. There is also the issue of protecting the reproductive interests of women in infertility treatment. The embryonic stem cells as a main object of the research are derived from human embryos obtained from fertility clinics or produced specifically for that purpose. The dominant ethical issue has two sides. Can a human embryo be viewed as a potential person and thus is it ethical to use it in research and destroy it. If the hSC research is suspended or halted for ethical reasons, what harm would that cause to advancing the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of many diseases that are currently claiming millions of …show more content…
Federal law has never banned stem cell research in the U.S., but Congress has placed restrictions on it. In 2001 President George W. Bush approved federal funding for stem cell research, but on a limited number of 22 stem cell lines derived only until that year which put restrictions on the future stem cell research. After extensive deliberation, in 2009 the U. S government released new guidelines regarding the hSC research covering important issues such as: donors’ informed consent and its wording, and also the issue of financial gain in the process of research. http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Regional-Articles/Features/The-Future-of-Stem-Cell-Research.aspx. Currently many researches and trials involving hSC are conducted to look for diagnostic and treatments for many diseases and conditions. There are multiple state initiatives and research programs in universities and institutions about hSC and its applications.
Human life would be greatly improved if we, as a society, are able to treat a health problem or prevent a disease process from developing. Human stem cell (hSC) research allows the scientists to intervene and treat a disease at a cellular level.
A stem cell is a primitive cell that can indefinitely replicate making identical copies of itself. These cells can create specialized cells for various body tissues such as: brain tissue, heart muscle, liver tissue and many more. There are two basic types of stem cells: embryonic cells and adult cells. Embryonic cells can only be harvested from pre-implantation embryos such as fertilized eggs left over after IVF procedures in fertilization clinics and also from …show more content…
A research involving human embryos requires donation of biological materials and thus voluntary informed consent. There is also the issue of protecting the reproductive interests of women in infertility treatment. The embryonic stem cells as a main object of the research are derived from human embryos obtained from fertility clinics or produced specifically for that purpose. The dominant ethical issue has two sides. Can a human embryo be viewed as a potential person and thus is it ethical to use it in research and destroy it. If the hSC research is suspended or halted for ethical reasons, what harm would that cause to advancing the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of many diseases that are currently claiming millions of …show more content…
Federal law has never banned stem cell research in the U.S., but Congress has placed restrictions on it. In 2001 President George W. Bush approved federal funding for stem cell research, but on a limited number of 22 stem cell lines derived only until that year which put restrictions on the future stem cell research. After extensive deliberation, in 2009 the U. S government released new guidelines regarding the hSC research covering important issues such as: donors’ informed consent and its wording, and also the issue of financial gain in the process of research. http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Regional-Articles/Features/The-Future-of-Stem-Cell-Research.aspx. Currently many researches and trials involving hSC are conducted to look for diagnostic and treatments for many diseases and conditions. There are multiple state initiatives and research programs in universities and institutions about hSC and its applications.