Stem Cell Controversy

Stem Cell Controversy

By Dr Ananya Mandal, MD
There are several ethical issues that are raised while working with stem cells. The ethical issues were addressed in a
2005 guidelines for research with human embryonic stem cells by the National Academies. This urges scientists who
work with embryonic stem cells to be responsible, ethical and sensitive in their work. The guidelines were not legally
binding but laid the foundation for stem cell research principles for many scientists and their laboratories.
Controversy with embryo use
The largest controversy with stem cell research is the use of an embryo. This deals with the controversies
surrounding laws and beliefs regarding contraception, abortion, and in vitro fertilization.
To obtain embryonic stem cells, researchers use the inner cell mass from the blastocysts (fertilized eggs) from an in
vitro fertilization facility. These blastocysts are the ones that are excess and donated voluntarily by couples who
have been treated successfully for their infertility. Embryos that have been fertilized within a womans body are not
used. The blastocysts used for science are donated of free will with informed consent of the couple.
Controversies arise if the embryo is human and whether the embryo has legal and moral rights. The removal of the
inner cell mass prevents the blastocysts from continuing to develop. Although such blastocysts would likely be
discarded and destroyed by the clinics eventually if not used for research, controversy still shrouds their use for a
scientific purpose.
Some believe that life of a human being begins at the moment of conception and the embryos deserve protection.
In addition, some cultures and religious traditions do not support the use of human life as a means to some other
end despite the end being a noble one. Yet other cultures support embryonic stem cell research as they believe that
the embryo has a moral right as a human only after a few months of development.
Controversy with reproductive cloning
Cloning and stem cell research are two different procedures all together. They have a common link, however, and
this is use of a laboratory technique called nuclear transfer. Using this method scientists can create blastocysts
containing stem cells that are clones of a single adult cell using the genetic material from an adult cell into an
ovum or egg whose nucleus has been removed. This could result in identical genetic matches of the adult donor
leading to a safer alternative to traditional tissue transplants.
In 2002, the National Academies issued the report Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Reproductive Cloning
concluding that human reproductive cloning should not be practiced as it is dangerous and may fail.
Controversy regarding Human-Animal Chimeras
Chimeras mean organisms that contain cells or tissues from more than one organism. Ethics steps in when human
and animal cells are combined to create chimeras. For example, human stem cells may be transplanted into a
mouse to check for certain functions (human stem cells making pancreatic cells into a mouse for example for
developing therapies for diabetics).
Chimeras are important for advancing stem cell research to form actual therapeutic methods and targets. This is
because the therapies developed with the stem cells need to be tried on animals before being tried on humans.
Chimeras with human consciousness and introduction of human stem cells into a non-human primate (e.g. an ape,
chimpanzee etc.) are prohibited by the National Academies guidelines. Similarly the organization also prohibits
introduction of any animal or human cells into a human blastocyst. Breeding of human-animal chimeras are also
prohibited.
Reviewed by April Cashin-Garbutt, BA Hons (Cantab)
Sources
1. http://www.stemcellresources.org/pdf/uw_what.pdf
2. stemcells.nih.gov/staticresources/info/basics/StemCellBasics.pdf

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Stem Cell Controversy

3. http://dels-old.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/Understanding_Stem_Cells.pdf
4. www.ahc.umn.edu/.../ahc_75703.pdf
Further Reading
What are Stem Cells?
Stem Cell Properties
What are Embryonic Stem Cells?
Stem Cell Types
Stem Cell Lineage
Stem Cell Patents
Last Updated: Jan 29, 2013

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