when you are a living baby at birth. Ethicists argue that destroying embryos depends on what you think the embryos are and their moral status. 10 If they are thought of as a person, then many argue that they cannot be treated as a means to a humanitarian end. However if they are thought of as anything other than a future being, then the benefit of research may outweigh the issues surrounding them. Therefore it is necessary to consider all the opinions and balance the harm that might be done against the potential benefits of using embryonic stem cells in medicine. Moreover, problems with the use of stem cells in treatment have led to fatalities. For instance, at the biggest stem cell clinic in Europe, the X-cell clinic in Dusseldorf, an 18 month old boy died from internal bleeding after stem cells had been injected into his brain. 11 As a result, the clinic was forced to shut down. Therefore it just illustrates some of the dangers of stem cell treatment, and so they shouldnÊt really be used until all the problems related to them have been resolved. The major religious dispute surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells is the argument which suggests that all life is sacred. The US Roman Catholic Bishops oppose the use of stem cells regarding them as Âimmoral, illegal, and unnecessaryÊ. Furthermore, it proposes that an innocent life should not be forced to end. However this argument only applies if everyone agrees that life begins at fertilization, and if it is therefore believed that life begins at fertilization, then the destruction of the blastocyst is thought of as ending a life and should there not be permitted. 12 It also goes against Natural Law which questions the purpose of things; embryos are designed to grow into a person, so it would be wrong to experiment on them. Political issues concerning the use of embryonic stem cells particularly arise when parties debate about how to fund stem cell 10 Is It Ethical to Use Stem Cells? (2011) 11 EuropeÊs largest stem cell clinic shut down after death of baby (2011) 12 Religious Views on Stem Cell Research (2001)
research. In the US the federal government allocates billions of dollars each year to biomedical research. However it does not seem fair that taxpayers are funding stem cell research even though some find it to be unethical. Thus President Bush limited funding for embryonic stem cells in 2001, which slowed the destruction of embryos, but restricted the progress of stem cell research. However, President Obama has now overturned this policy so that embryonic stem cells are in fact available for research. 13 Conversely, more ethical alternatives to embryonic stem cells are being discovered, such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). An iPSC acts like an embryonic stem cell as they are both pluripotent (can differentiate into a specialized cell type); however iPSCs do not require the termination of an embryo. iPSCs are adult cells that have been reprogrammed back to pluripotent state by being forced to express genes characteristic of embryonic stem cells, so that they can differentiate to the needed cell type. 14 iPSCs could be the answer scientists are seeking for a more ethical approach to stem cell research, however they still need to be developed and tested further before being used in medical practice. In conclusion, the use of embryonic stem cells is still an emerging concept and that it will have a substantial impact in the future of medicine, treating diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders, all of which have not been cured yet. Therefore, I believe that even though there are ethical, religious and political implications opposing their use, embryonic stem cells have immense potential to change the way medicine is practiced. However, if iPSCs are developed further to be even more similar to embryonic stem cells and that any problems with their use are overcome, then they will be a better and more ethical alternative. In terms of 13 THE STEM CELL DEBATE: IS IT OVER? (2010) 14 Stem Cell Basics: Introduction (2009)
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