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Stem Cell Research

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Stem Cell Research

“Stem cell research” provides individuals with higher promises in interpreting the basic methodologies of differentiating and developing humans. Also, it offers hope for new forms of treatment for degenerative conditions or diseases like spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s diseases, myocardial infarction, and diabetes. However, regardless of the benefits, human stem cell research offers it also leads to various critical ethical and political debates.

“Among the many ethical issues raised by human embryonic stem cell research two have gained specific prominence: first whether stem cell research is ethically problematic because it entails the destruction of human embryos and second what kind of control embryo donors should have over the stem cell lines derived from their embryos” (Holm, 2008). However, because stem cell research is aimed one day to provide treatment for the degenerative diseases, the scientists get advised on how to utilise human embryos. It is through the utilisation of the distribute justice moral principle. It will enable them to to be able to consider the factors of nature and how they socially impact individuals after allocation. The acts of stem cell research dedication should be to offering fairness in the distribution of embryo cells.

For instance, the stem cell research field remains to be full of disagreements due to its deeply rooted moral and ethical values based on scientific definitions of when life begins. Within the ethical issues of embryonic stem cell research, it is crucial that first people describe what a viable embryo is and the issues are surrounding them; this is the main cause for many humans having issues with stem cell research. It should be clear if stem cells are viable embryos and if they can once become humans. However, although stem cells are not actual embryos, they can be considered to be considered pluripotent; meaning that they might later develop into different tissue or cells of the body in the future. Therefore, they can be defined as a viable process within the actual act of an embryo becoming a fetus and thus destroying then is unethical because it is like you are killing a human.

In the development of the stem cell research human embryos, it is a must egg to come from women which is a major ethical issue. Through the production of this eggs engenders an increased risk of women. For instance, through the hyperstimulation process, it might lead to damage of the liver, ovulation-stimulation drugs leading to ovarian cancer, stroke or even kidney failure. An example is a case where researchers commercialise the process of women risking to offer eggs by paying them for this research (Parham, 2009). It is an unethical form according to society views. Although, the criticization acts as a form of promoting medical researches it stands to be unethical action because it violates the utility moral principle.

In other situations stem cell research is conducted from created embryos which is unethical. Scientist utilises this strategy considering the moral principle of non-maleficence. In most cases, they do not harm or inflict the women to get the eggs for developing stem cells. For instance, its effects and harm in this stem cell research are considered part of the ethical dilemma in making a decision what to forgo.

References Holm, S. (2008). "New embryos" - new challenges for the ethics of stem cell research. Cells Tissues Organs, 187(4), 257-262. Parham, L. &. (2009). Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research. NCBI: Endocrine Reviews, 30(3), 204-213. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726839/