November 2000
Human stem cell research is an example of bioethical value conflicts. On the one hand, the prospect of new therapies, even in the far future, is attractive in offering an alternative to organ and tissue donation. On the other hand, when this research involves the use of human embryos, it raises the question of its ethical acceptability and of the limits and conditions for such research. Embryo research has been extensively debated in the context of research carried out to improve IVF as a treatment for infertility. Embryonic stem cell research raises the following specific additional ethical questions:
New types of research to be performed on human embryos. Up until now, research that involved destroying embryos, if allowed, was limited to research on reproduction, contraception or congenital diseases. With human stem cell research, a much wider scope of research is being considered.
The use of ES cells and stem cell lines for therapeutic purposes. Human embryos used for research were destroyed after the research was completed and therefore were never used for fertility treatment. What remained was additional knowledge. Human embryonic stem cell research is aimed at creating cell lines with appropriate characteristics, in terms of purity and specificity. There is thus continuity from the embryonic cells to the therapeutic material obtained by culture.
The creation of embryos for research purposes. This delicate issue is now raised again since there is a scientific justification of this practice, namely the possibility of producing stem cells identical to the patient's cells and thus avoiding problems of rejection in the context of the future “regenerative medicine”. At the same time, creating human embryos raises new ethical concerns. The ethical acceptability of stem cell research depends not only on the objectives but also on the source of the stem cells; each source raising partly different ethical questions. Those who condemn embryo research in general will not accept this difference, but for those who accept it, this issue is of major importance.