The Ethical Implications of Stem Cell Research

Abstract

Stem cells have significant potential in both medicine and research due to their capability to replace damaged cells and their potential to regenerate damaged organs, especially within the context of genetic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. The ethical and scientific debate revolving around the use of stem cells in research has been of great interest in recent years, as the potential uses of stem cells in research expand. Stem cells were discovered in the early 1960s, and the first treatments using hematopoietic stem cells began in the late 60s. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were derived from mice in 1981, and human ESCs in 1994; which were then discovered to have regenerative powers. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) began in 1998, and embryonic germ cells were discovered soon after from donated fetal tissue (Cohen, 2007). Embryonic stem cell research requires the derivation of pluripotent stem cell lines from embryos and oocytes; which is ethically ambiguous due to the dispute concerning the moral significance of the embryo. Further, downstream research involving the use of human stem cells introduces dilemmas regarding consent and oversight of research. This paper will discuss the origins and history of stem cells, as well as the role of umbilical cord blood donations within the context of the ethical implications of this research, applying a variety of ethical theories to these topics. I will also discuss ethical dilemmas in the context of research using somatic stem cells, embryonic stem cells, the use of stem cells in gamete creation, and somatic cell nuclear transfer. Then, taking these arguments, I will argue in favor of the pursuit of research using stem cells, applying a principlistic model of ethics to support the claim that the nuanced topic of stem cell research is ethical in some, but not all scenarios.