CHAPTER

16
THE STEM CELL DEBATE II: THE ETHICS OF
THE SCIENCE
STEM CELLS
Stem cells, discovered in the 1960s, are undifferentiated biological
cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide
(through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. Their importance lies in
their self-renewal and repair properties. Some stem cells have the
unique ability to develop into any cell type in the body.
A primitive science
• Stem cells offer the promise to regrow human organs and have
successfully mended human tissue.
• A man in China reported the growth of a brain tumor as a result of stem
cells introduced to repair nerve damage due to Parkinson’s disease.
STEM CELLS
Stem cells are present in all our bodies from birth to death.
However, it is the stem cells derived from embryonic tissue
that offer the highest potential, precisely because they have
not been actualized (or differentiated) yet.
Typically, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are harvested from
discarded embryos from in vitro fertilization procedures.
• There is hope that scientists will be able to duplicate a
procedure done on mice that turned skin cells into ESCs.
CANADIAN LAW
On June 30, 2010, The Updated Guidelines for Human Stem
Cell Research outlined that:
• The embryos used must originally have been created for
reproductive purposes.
• The persons for whom the embryos were created must provide
free and informed consent for the unrestricted research use of
any embryos created, which are no longer required for
reproductive purposes.
• The ova, sperm, nor embryo must not have been obtained
through commercial transactions.
PERSONAL ETHICS
The use of stem cells is complicated by uneven access and
incomplete science. For example, with the use of umbilical cord
blood stem cells, the American Academy of Pediatrics has warned
of
1) a low likelihood of applicable use for childhood diseases;
2) safety issues including risk of cancer development;
3) marketing to parents with emotional appeals;
4) physician-financial conflicts in some cases.
 RESEARCH ETHICS
Destruction of the Early Embryo
Bioethicist Robert George has pointed out that ‘if human embryos
are not human beings then there is the promise of scientific
advancement and the prospect of developing useful therapies. But if
the embryo is human then advocates would have to either show that
the deliberate killing of some human beings to benefit others can be
justified by some utilitarian calculus; or they would have to
demonstrate that human beings do not have a right to life throughout
their existence, but acquire such a right only at some point in their
development.’
Pg. 275
 RESEARCH ETHICS
As Bishop Richard Doerflinger has pointed out embryonic stem cell
research is, for a devout Catholic, like abortion because, in effect,
harvesting stem cells is itself the abortion.
Religious moderates, similarly to the abortion question, tend to permit
stem cell research on the principle that human life is not “hominized”
at conception.
Not all opposition to stem cell research is religious in nature.
Bioethicist Leon Kass has made the claim that the protections of
“human dignity” (cf. Kant) are at issue in his opposition to stem cell
research.
 SPARE VERSUS CREATED EMBRYOS
In October 2003, a national survey was conducted by the research
firm Pollara, questioning 1375 adult Canadians. Nearly 57% of those
surveyed approved of allowing stem cell research on human embryos
that are either left over from fertility treatments or created for such
research. 64% agreed that federal government should provide funding
for this scientific research. However, the poll also showed that many
people were unfamiliar with the issue with 20% of Canadians not
having an opinion or refused to answer. Overall, there is major
support for embryonic stem cell research among all age groups and
regions in Canada. The strongest support was found in Quebec at
63% (British-North American Committee, 2004)
SPARE VERSUS CREATED EMBRYOS
“Nothing is lost principle” – Paul Ramsey, D.Theol
Permits the intentional killing of innocent life if
1) the innocent will die anyway, and
2) another innocent life will be saved.
Yet, both conservative and liberal extremes agree that
this principle is not relevant and that the “spare” embryo
basis of the argument is flawed because it is either a human
life or it is not. Is this a false dilemma argument?
ALTERNATIVES TO EMBRYO DESTRUCTION
Parthenogenesis – Asexual reproduction
Artificial stimulation of unfertilized eggs to divide. There are no known cases of naturally occurring
mammalian parthenogenesis in the wild. Parthenogenesis progeny of mammals would have two X
chromosomes, and would therefore be female. Since they would not be viable there are few moral
concerns.
Blastomere Method - Deriving embryonic stem cells from a blastocyst prevents its further
development as an embryo is a major issue in human ES cell research. Using eight-celled
mouse embryos, research innovators have developed a method of deriving ES cells from a
single blastomere, allowing the other seven to continue normal embryonic development.
iPS – Can be derived directly from adult tissues, they not only bypass the need for embryos,
but can be made in a patient-matched manner, which means that each individual could have
their own pluripotent stem cell line.
Issues - greater risk expression of oncogenes (cancer-causing genes) may potentially be
triggered. Incomplete reprogramming
SOCIAL ETHICS
Disruption of Traditional Understanding
"Many people find cloning abhorrent ... very unnatural
and very disturbing,” - bioethicist Kerry Bowman (University
of Toronto)
There is a fear that research embryonic cloning could
lead to reproductive cloning, which many find offensive to
traditional understanding of human nature.
 HUMAN CLONING
Specter of science fiction and irreversible effects – chimeras, armies of
eugenically made soldiers, workers, zombie-like or brain-sterilized bodies on
reserve for mining spare parts etc.
What about the expectations foisted upon a clone from its parent?
Cloning stem cells are derived from eggs, but what about reversing the process:
deriving eggs from stem cells? (This has been done with mice and pigs.) Men
could then “mother” in the reproductive process. Same sex couples could
produce their own babies genetically. While the egg was cloned, the child would
not be.
While science toys with the idea of (mostly) cloning prehistoric mammals, the
same science could be applied to our dead ancestors.
Sir John A. for PM again anybody?
ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION - SINGER
Babies and some mentally impaired fail the ‘rational’ human test.
“[T]he continuing failure of philosophers to produce a plausible
theory of moral importance of species membership indicates,
with increasing probability, that there is no such plausible
theory.”
What is so inherently valuable about a person that is not found in
an animal?
Why should we experiment on clearly sentient animals and
not on non-sentient eight-celled embryos?
 THREATS TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
+Poor resource allocation?
$ - How can we justify spending billions on stem cell research when
more people die worldwide of malaria and pneumonia?
+If umbilical cord banking is a good idea, is it right that only those with
the financial means are capable of doing so? Is this inconsistent with
the principle of universal healthcare?
+Corporatization of research/results
1) Is it permissible that this new science is driven more by profit
potential than by the ideals a social good and justice?
2) Should profit be the motivation when deep issues of ethics are
involved?