HLT-312v Week 3 Discussion 2

What ethical issues surround embryonic stem-cell research? Should the president have limited federal stem-cell research? Are other alternatives such as adult stem cell and placenta as effective? Why or why not?

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What ethical issues surround embryonic stem-cell research?

Introduction

Embryonic stem-cell research has excited scientists, doctors, and patients alike for decades. It’s the research that promises to cure some of our deadliest diseases. But there are also ethical questions surrounding this field of study — including one we’ve heard from many doctors who work in transplantation medicine: Is it okay to use embryos created through IVF to obtain stem cells? If not, what is the alternative?

The embryo is destroyed to obtain stem cells

The first step in obtaining stem cells is to destroy the embryo. This is done by removing a small portion of an embryo as it starts to develop into a human being. The removed tissue will be used for research or discarded after its use.

The second step involves injecting some of these mature cells into a woman’s body, where they grow and multiply until they form new tissue that can be transplanted back into her body (and thus save her life). The process always involves killing some embryos along with any other living things involved in this process, including rats and mice used for testing purposes, which leads us back again to our original question: “Why do we kill animals?”

The use of embryos produced through in vitro fertilization (IVF) can involve the destruction of leftover embryos

The use of embryos produced through in vitro fertilization (IVF) can involve the destruction of leftover embryos. This is done to prevent them from being used for research or donated to another couple who might have already been inseminated with their own embryo.

IVF involves creating an egg cell outside the body and then fertilizing it with sperm outside the body, which takes place before implantation into an egg-carrying mother’s uterus. After this happens, there are two possibilities: either you get pregnant or you don’t get pregnant—the latter case means that one or more of these ‘extra’ embryos die naturally after being created by IVF doctors using existing eggs and sperm from previous pregnancies (and sometimes even those from other people).

If none of these “extra” embryos survive long enough after being created through IVF procedures on women who weren’t planning on getting pregnant anyway (and thus aren’t likely candidates for stem cell research), then they’re destroyed as part of standard medical practice now!

There is currently no federal funding for research involving the creation or destruction of human embryos

There is currently no federal funding for research involving the creation or destruction of human embryos.

This policy was established by President Obama in 2009 with his “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.” The bill passed both houses of Congress, but was vetoed by President Bush due to his opposition to embryonic stem cell research (which he called “human cloning”). The Senate voted 97-0 on April 3rd, 2011 to override this veto and approve funding for stem cell research at private laboratories around the country. However, a small group of congressmen argued that such funding would violate an amendment added by former Senator Sam Brownback (R) which prohibits federal funds from being used “to promote human embryo implantation outside marriage between a man and a woman” (see here).

Embryonic stem-cell research only uses very early embryos that were going to be destroyed anyway

Embryonic stem-cell research only uses very early embryos that were going to be destroyed anyway. Because of this, there are no moral issues with the use of embryonic stem cells in this area.

Embryos are created for the sole purpose of being destroyed; they do not have a life outside their mother’s womb and cannot survive on their own. However, they do contain many valuable proteins and other materials that could be used to develop treatments for diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease (which affect millions worldwide).

A blastocyst has no brain, heart, or other organs so it can’t feel pain

A blastocyst has no brain, heart or other organs so it can’t feel pain. It’s a clump of cells that scientists use to create embryos for research purposes.

In 2015, scientists engineered mice with human stem cells in their brains and spinal cords—a revolutionary discovery that could lead to cures for paralysis and Parkinson’s disease. But what if those same techniques were used on humans? We don’t yet know how this would affect our ability as a society to make ethical decisions about using them (or not).

A blastocyst has no nervous system and therefore can’t feel pain, according to current medical standards

If you’re wondering why embryonic stem cells can’t be used to treat people, it’s because these cells lack a nervous system and therefore can’t feel pain. Theoretically, this means that if you were to inject an embryo with a drug that causes nausea and vomiting (for example), the embryo wouldn’t get any relief from those symptoms.

While it may be true that embryos don’t have brains or hearts or blood vessels or lungs—and while they certainly don’t have kidneys or livers—there are still many other things they do possess: skin, hair follicles and sweat glands (which may make them useful for conditions such as baldness).

Understanding these issues is key to understanding the debate.

Understanding these issues is key to understanding the debate. Embryonic stem-cell research is controversial because it involves the destruction of embryos. This can be difficult for some people to accept, but it’s important to remember: Embryos are living creatures and deserve respect just as much as any other person or animal does. And if we think about how many lives were lost in World War II, we’ll understand why researchers want access to human embryonic stem cells so badly—they need them for scientific research and medicine!

Conclusion

The most important thing to remember is that these issues are complex, and they don’t have easy answers. When it comes down to it, we all want what’s best for the future of human health, but there are no absolute answers here—only questions. We can look at this debate as an opportunity for education on ethical issues related to research ethics and stem cell biology, so hopefully we can learn some new things while having fun!

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