UNSW Embryology

Stem Cells - Ethics

© Dr Mark Hill (2009)

Acknowledgements

Introduction

The term "stem cell" is used so freely these days in many different forums that it is difficult sometimes understand without context what scientists, politicians, ethicists and commentators are discussing. Many papers discussing the ethics of stem cell research are published about or linked to the legal and political issues.

A useful guide (online PDF document) to stem cells was produced in a report by the National Institute of Health (NIH, USA, May 2000) Stem Cells: A Primer (note large size - 4.84 Mb) and more recently NIH has established a Stem Cell information page.

Some Recent Findings

Sydney Uni bans stem cell research on church land (ABC News story - 6 February , 2007 | Audio Podcast).

"A deal between Sydney University and the Catholic Church means that Australia's largest medical research centre, due for completion in 2012, won't be allowed to do any work on embryonic stem cell research."

Hammarberg K, Tinney L. Deciding the fate of supernumerary frozen embryos: a survey of couples' decisions and the factors influencing their choice. Fertil Steril. 2006 May 20)

"Results from a recent Australian survey into couples' views on the use of supernumerary embryos.

40% (123/311) returned completed questionnaires.
42% most common decision was donation to research (altruistic motives and desire not to waste embryos were determinants of embryo donation).
Determinants of disposal were not wanting a full sibling to existing children and opposition of embryo research.
45% found deciding distressing.
69% approved of embryo donation to stem-cell research."

Prieur MR, Atkinson J, Hardingham L, Hill D, Kernaghan G, Miller D, Morton S, Rowell M, Vallely JF, Wilson S. Stem cell research in a Catholic institution: yes or no? Kennedy Inst Ethics J. 2006 Mar;16(1):73-98.

"Catholic teaching has no moral difficulties with research on stem cells derived from adult stem cells or fetal cord blood. The ethical problem comes with embryonic stem cells since their genesis involves the destruction of a human embryo."

Australia

Sydney Uni bans stem cell research on church land (ABC News story - 6 February , 2007).

"A deal between Sydney University and the Catholic Church means that Australia's largest medical research centre, due for completion in 2012, won't be allowed to do any work on embryonic stem cell research."

Australian survey into couples' views on the use of supernumerary embryos (Hammarberg and Tinney, 2006).

40% (123/311) returned completed questionnaires.
42% most common decision was donation to research (altruistic motives and desire not to waste embryos were determinants of embryo donation).
Determinants of disposal were not wanting a full sibling to existing children and opposition of embryo research.
45% found deciding distressing.
69% approved of embryo donation to stem-cell research.

Transcript of discussion on ABC Radio (Dr. J Kahn , Dr. JWagner) on Genetic Technology And Ethics Legal: RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN EMBRYOS ACT 2002

INFORMATION FOR HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEES SHEET NUMBER 5 - STEM CELL RESEARCH The Australian Health Ethics Committee has been approached by human research ethics committees (HRECs) seeking advice on how to review research protocols that involve stem cell research.The following guidance is interim. Formal guidelines will be developed by AHEC in the context of its review of the 1996 NHMRC Ethical guidelines on assisted reproductive technology.

Stem Cell Debate in Australia continues with new Federal Legislation (August 2002)

Parliament of Australia- House of Representatives Bills Digest No. 17 2002-03 Research Involving Embryos and Prohibition of Human Cloning Bill 2002 "Purpose: To ban human cloning and other 'unacceptable practices' and to regulate the use of excess human embryos created by assisted reproductive technology (ART). The Bill is designed to be part of a national scheme which will include complementary State and Territory laws."
ABC Lateline disscussion- Broadcast: 14/8/2002 Stem cells: science and ethics clash "As the Federal Parliament debates a bill that will legalise embryonic stem cell research, the moral debate continues. Many hope embryo stem cells will hold the promise of cures for diseases and even allow paraplegics to walk again, but is it acceptable to use the cells from a potential human being?" Full transcript of this discussion available online.
Dr Michael Wooldridge MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, Media Release, 'National Framework Agreed to Prevent the Exploitation of Human Cloning', 31 July 2001 NATIONAL FRAMEWORK AGREED TO PREVENT THE EXPLOITATION OF HUMAN CLONING Australian Health Ministers today agreed to the development of a national framework to prevent the exploitation of human cloning. Meeting in Wellington today, Australian Health Ministers acknowledged that the development of complementary legislation across the states and territories was essential to ensure a consistent national approach to the cloning of humans.
Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee activities (inquiries and reports) Human cloning: scientific, ethical and regulatory aspects of human cloning and stem cell research.

March 2002

NHMRC- Stem Cells Derived from Human Embryos At its 141st session in March 2002, the NHMRC reaffirmed its commitment to rigorously applying the standards developed by the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) in the conduct of research in Australia involving humans. These standards consist of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (1999) and associated guidelines.

February 2002

Stem Cells and grafting this Nature paper demonstrates the possible therapeutic use of embryonic stem cells in grafting, where host-graft rejection normally requires substantial ongoing immunosuppression. Preimplantation-stage stem cells induce long-term allogeneic graft acceptance without supplementary host conditioning FANDRICH etal. (Link to Nature Journal)

October 2001

India to tighten rules on human embryonic stem cells research Ganapati Mudur BMJ 2001; 323: 530a.

August 2001

Doonsebury comment- event the cartoon's have a comical view of the USA stem cell debate.
NIH Update on existing Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Read also "Stem Cells: Scientific Progress and Future Research Directions"
An Australian research team isolates stem cells from the adult brain. Purification of a pluripotent neural stem cell from the adult mouse brain. R L RIETZE, H VALCANIS, G F BROOKER, T THOMAS, A K VOSS& P F BARTLETT

Canada

Legal: Research involving the in vitro embryo, March 2004

New Zealand

"The regulations on stem cell research are reviewed, showing that four positions have emerged. Position A corresponds to the prohibition of all embryo research, position B confines the use of embryonic stem cells to those currently in existence and therefore extracted prior to some specified date, position C allows for the use and ongoing isolation of embryonic stem cells from surplus in vitro fertilization embryos, and position D approves of the creation of human embryos specifically for research. Position B which has been adopted by the United States, Germany, and Australia (with subtle differences between them) and which is regarded as a compromise position, is critiqued." Towns CR, Jones DG. Stem cells: public policy and ethics. N Z Bioeth J. 2004 Feb;5(1):22-8.

United States

On August 9, 2001, at 9:00 p.m. EDT, the President announced his decision to allow Federal funds to be used for research on existing human embryonic stem cell lines as long as prior to his announcement (1) the derivation process (which commences with the removal of the inner cell mass from the blastocyst) had already been initiated and (2) the embryo from which the stem cell line was derived no longer had the possibility of development as a human being.

In addition, the President established the following criteria that must be met:

The stem cells must have been derived from an embryo that was created for reproductive purposes;
The embryo was no longer needed for these purposes;
Informed consent must have been obtained for the donation of the embryo;
No financial inducements were provided for donation of the embryo.

In order to facilitate research using human embryonic stem cells, the NIH is creating a Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry that will list the human embryonic stem cell lines -- at varying stages of development -- that meet the eligibility criteria. Listed below are entities that have developed stem cell lines that meet the President's criteria and are therefore eligible for federal funding. Please click on the name of the laboratory or company for contact information.

Dartmouth ethics professor discusses promise and pitfalls of stem cell research (2005)

NIH Clinical Trials (May 2004) Launches Study of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Severe, Treatment-Resistant Lupus (NIAMS, May 13,2004)

A clinical therapeutic trial in the USA for hematopoietic stem cells in an autoimmune disease.

"A five-year study to see whether a therapy using transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells, blood stem cells found in bone marrow, can produce long-term remission for patients with severe, treatment-resistant systemic lupus erythematosus (or lupus), a rheumatic autoimmune disease that can affect the body's major organs. The study will include a basic research component to examine the roles of B and T cells, white blood cells in the immune system, in triggering lupus symptoms."

References

PubMed

Reviews

Brock DW. Is a consensus possible on stem cell research? Moral and political obstacles. J Med Ethics. 2006 Jan;32(1):36-42.
McHugh PR. Zygote and "clonote"--the ethical use of embryonic stem cells. N Engl J Med. 2004 Jul 15;351(3):209-11.
Knoepffler N. Stem cell research: an ethical evaluation of policy options. Kennedy Inst Ethics J. 2004 Mar;14(1):55-74.

Articles

Hammarberg K, Tinney L. Deciding the fate of supernumerary frozen embryos: a survey of couples' decisions and the factors influencing their choice. Fertil Steril. 2006 May 20
Prieur MR, Atkinson J, Hardingham L, Hill D, Kernaghan G, Miller D, Morton S, Rowell M, Vallely JF, Wilson S. Stem cell research in a Catholic institution: yes or no? Kennedy Inst Ethics J. 2006 Mar;16(1):73-98.
Bangsboll S, Pinborg A, Yding Andersen C, Nyboe Andersen A. Patients' attitudes towards donation of surplus cryopreserved embryos for treatment or research. Hum Reprod. 2004 Oct;19(10):2415-9.
Burton PJ, Sanders K. Patient attitudes to donation of embryos for research in Western Australia. Med J Aust. 2004 Jun 7;180(11):559-61.
Towns CR, Jones DG. Stem cells: public policy and ethics. N Z Bioeth J. 2004 Feb;5(1):22-8.
Kovacs GT, Breheny SA, Dear MJ. Embryo donation at an Australian university in-vitro fertilisation clinic: issues and outcomes. Med J Aust. 2003 Feb 3;178(3):127-9.
Svanberg AS, Boivin J, Bergh T. Factors influencing the decision to use or discard cryopreserved embryos. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2001 Sep;80(9):849-55.

Search PubMed: May 2006 "stem cell ethics" 1,491 reference articles of which 214 were reviews.

Search PubMed Now: stem cell ethics | stem cell use | embryonic stem cell |

Glossary of Terms

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

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Copyright: Dr Mark Hill
Created: 20.05.2006
Updated: 08.02.2007 UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G

Comments

Dr Mark Hill

Page under development (notice removed when complete).

Breakthroughs in stem cell research appear frequently in the news, governments legislate about research, origin and use, community groups argue the ethics of human stem cells, individuals seek answers for fertility and disease.

More recently the finding of faked results by a key Korean stem cell researcher has drawn attention to not only to stem cell work, but also the pressure upon researchers to generate "results".

With so many levels this area of embryology has become extremely complex. This current page looks only at the embryonic stage related to the origin of first stem cells which will go on to form the entire embryo.

I include links to recent news (see also Embryology News) items and sites which cover the research behind the stem cell "phenomena".

The term "stem cell" is now used widely to cover many different cells derived from both embryo and adult tissues.

There is still controversy over the use of excess IVF embryos as a source of stem cells (More? see Stem Cell Debate in Australia) for research as apposed to the possibility of getting some stem cells from adult tissues. The debate at present is on focusses on the social, legal and ethical use of stem cells. (More? Week 2 Stem Cells | Cloning)

Please note that this is a very long page with information and links on embryonic stem cells.

Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.