Ethical issues in deriving stem cells from embryos and eggs.

Abstract

Human embryonic stem cell (ESC) research has attracted wide media coverage. It has been headline news for the past several months, revealing the complex case of Professor Hwang Woo-Suk and the scientific fraud where he purported to have created the first human patient-specific stem cell lines generated by cell nucleus replacement (CNR). To ethically obtain the raw materials (eggs, sperm and embryos) for human ESC research is an enormous challenge, yet essential if this research is to proceed in its quest to try to deliver some of the expectations placed upon it: developing treatments and possible cures for a range of serious diseases. This article examines some of the ethical issues surrounding human ESC research using the four principles frequently applied to healthcare and medical research; autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. The author strives to ask questions throughout which will encourage debate and discussion.