Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Ethical Issues

Paper Summary:

This paper delves into the background, history, science, potential benefits, and challenges of stem cell research. The paper's list of potential benefits includes reversing traumatic paralysis, eliminating many serious congenital diseases, replacing the process of organ donation and the need for anti-rejection drugs. The paper explains that, directly as a result of the pressure from religious influences, the U.S. has wasted almost a decade of valuable research because federal laws enacted since 1999 have prohibited research into the most valuable avenues of stem cell science. The paper goes on to explain that this is particularly frustrating to secular medical ethicists because current legislation also prohibits the use of any of the thousands of extra embryos already created in IVF clinics that are destined to be discarded, as per federal law, or frozen indefinitely, even when the donor IVF patients wish to consent to their use for research purposes. The paper concludes that the impact of such legislative and funding restrictions have eliminated the roles of medical ethics committees and have reduced institutional administration of stem cell related matters to mere compliance with government bans on impermissible forms of stem cell research.

Outline:
Stem Cell Science - Background and History
Different Types of Stem Cells
Potential Benefits of Stem Cell Research
Ethical Issues and Political Controversy
References

From the Paper:

"This raises ethical conflict in society, especially in connection with the
fundamental feature of separation of church and state in the constitutional history of the United States and the specific intentions of those credited with founding the American Colonies, at least partly to escape from religious oppression in Europe. Directly as a result of the pressure from religious influences, the U.S. has wasted almost a decade of valuable research because federal laws enacted since 1999 have prohibited research into the most valuable avenues of stem cell science and all but prohibited other types of stem cell scientific research by prohibiting the use of federal research grant money to any such
use (Pollock, 2007). In view of the tremendous beneficial potential of stem cell science, this is an inexcusable situation, even apart from the impermissible interference of religious values in secular matters."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Friedrich, M. J. (2004) Researchers Make the Case for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. The Journal of the American Medical Association Volume 292(7), 18 August 2004, p 791-792
• Getchell, T. (2001) President Bush Announces Limited Federal Support for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Beyond the Great Divide. Neuroreport Volume 12(16), 16 November 2001, p A99
• Healy, B. On Health: The Other Stem Cells; U.S. News & World Report (Jun. 14/04), p. 77.
• Kinsley, M. Commentary: Why Science Can't Save the GOP; Time Magazine (Dec. 10/07), p. 36.
• Lo, K.C.; Chuang, W.W., Lamb, D.J. (2003) Stem Cell Research: The Facts, the Myths and the Promises. The Journal of Urology Volume 170(6, Part 1 of 2), December 2003, pp 2453-2458

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