Ethics Page

It is quite apparent that stem cell research proposes many ethical issues. To analyze such issues we have to consider both the positives and the negatives for such research. The final goal of stem cell research is to be able to advance the medical treatment of diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and many other physical and mental disorders. With such developing knowledge, prospective insights can be made about cell growth, division, and development, broadening our understanding of molecular biology.

STEPS TO MAKING THE DECISION:

Address the moral dilemma.

~ Whether or not it is acceptable by social standards to experiment with a living, embryonic cell, and whether or not this group of cells is to be considered human.

Identify the stakeholders - namely those involved.

~The donors and their embryo: it is their genetics and offspring that are being dealt with.

~The scientists: they are actually performing this research.

~The institutions: they are liable for the outcome.

~The general public: indirectly involved because the decisions made by those scientists, may improve their future medical treatment, or simply be a waste of their tax money.

Risk / Benefit Ratio.

~Risk: experimenting on supposed human life.

~Benefit: to provide future medical aid for patients.

Consider the options from different ethical perspectives.

Protestors claim that humans have no right to interfere in life's natural process. "Blank cells," used in stem cell research, most commonly come from fetuses. These advocates claim that it is unjust to harm a life form in order to attempt to cure others. This viewpoint stems from their belief that it is immoral to value one human life more than another, and that judging who lives and who dies is a role that should be left to fate.

The fault in their argument lies in the question of where life actually begins. If these germ lines are not to be considered human yet, then their argument is nullified, because we are no longer dealing with human life. Legally, starting in the latter half of the second trimester, the fetus is considered to be human. Stem cells are withdrawn from the fetus well within the first few days. Therefore, according to the law, stem cell germ lines are not to be considered human. In this perspective, due to legal precedence, those blastocysts are not considered human life. Of course, nobody has any qualms with the planned benefits of stem cell research, but they are evidently uncomfortable with the source of such research materials, and the actual testing on them.

According to human experimentation guidelines, stem cell research is indeed questionable. The Nuremberg Code offers general principles which could be a guideline for such research. As for article two, stem cell research absolutely has potential to "yield fruitful results for the good of society." However, as for article five, this research fails to comply as "No experiment should be conducted where there is an a priori reason to believe that death or disabling injury will occur…" A main idea of this science revolves around destroying a fetus, so this code is in question. Finally, the most important of the Nuremberg Codes is the fact in article one, "voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential." This code cannot possibly be followed, as stem cells can obviously not voice their opinion. However, stem cell donors can. They give up their rights to what happens to the stem cell, but they do not give up their rights to the genetic information in the cell. Perhaps, it is time to modify this Nuremberg Code, or propose a new set of codes, that has an article pertaining to the consent of a donor or guardian.

OUR GROUP'S CONSENSUS:

In conclusion, the ethical debate of stem cell research is undeniably deep and involved. Topics range from whether or not a stem cell is to be considered human, to how effective this research will be. Our group consensus is that stem cell research should be pursued. If successful, the benefits will be astounding. Since our legal system has already decided that the cluster of cells used to create a germ line is not a human, they have already weighed all the surrounding ethical principles. We agree with this, and that researching stem cells should not be considered tampering with human lives. Stem cell research has the ability to provide treatment for many of today's uncurable diseases and disorders. To not pursue it would be an injustice.

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