dc.description.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. | eng |