Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a pre-implantation embryo. Embryonic stem cells are a type of stem cell: an undifferentiated cell which can become multiple types of cells and proliferate indefinitely. Research on embryonic stem cells has sparked impassioned debates about the ethics of stem cells and the question of when human life begins. In this article we discuss embryonic stem cell research and the ethical questions behind embryonic stem cells.
WHAT ARE EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS?
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells sourced from the cell mass of a blastocyst, a pre-implantation embryo consisting of 200-300 cells which begins to grow 5 days after the egg is fertilized. They can be used to model diseases, test drugs, and as therapies injected directly into the body to help cure ailments such as diabetes and heart disease.
RESEARCH ON EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
Scientists first learned of the potential of embryonic stem cells when stem cells were first cultured from mice in 1981. In 1998, biologist James Thomson was able to successfully obtain the world’s first human embryonic stem cells from embryos that had not been used in fertility treatments. News of Thomson’s discovery spread throughout the world and soon, research efforts began in multiple countries, including Australia, Canada and Singapore. In the years since, scientists have learnt how to turn embryonic stem cells into countless different cell types to repair tissue and organs within the body.
DOWNSIDES OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
The downsides of embryonic stem cells include the potential for them to be rejected by recipients. When embryonic stem cells are injected or transplanted into the body, they begin to pass through the immune system. In some cases, the body’s immune system identifies the embryonic stem cells as foreign (much like a virus) and attacks and rejects them to protect the body.
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS ETHICS
Ethical debates on embryonic stem cells center around the question of when a human life begins and the potential negative impact of embryonic stem cell treatment on patients. There are a number of health risks associated with embryonic stem cell transplantation. Several studies have shown that rejection of embryonic stem cells can lead to unwanted growths on the body and conditions which require immunosuppressive drugs. The most common ethical question around embryonic stem cells is concerned with when a human life begins. Most positions on embryonic stem cells fall into one of the following three categories.
THE "ALL" POSITION
The all position holds the belief that human life begins at conception. Therefore, using human embryos for research purposes because the embryo already possesses full human status. Many religious, particularly JudeoChristian traditions, believe that human beings are created in the image of God and deserve rights as God’s creation during all stages of their life.
THE "NONE" POSITION
Those who argue the none position usually posit that human embryos are merely collections of cells that have no moral status. Embryos lack a personality or defining characteristics as a person, therefore they do not deserve the same rights as people. For those who hold this position, personhood is often defined by characteristics such as rationality, freedom of choice, and self-consciousness, none of which embryos are known to possess.
THE GRADUALIST OR "MIDDLE: POSITION
The gradualist, or middle position is a more fluid argument. Those who hold this position generally regard embryos as more than nothing, but less than post-birth human beings. Some who hold this position believe that respect and rights increase with development; the closer a human is to birth, the more rights it should have.
WHY ARE EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS ETHICALLY CONTENTIOUS?
Embryonic stem cells are ethically contentious because the process by which they are sourced involves the destruction of embryos. Embryonic stem cells are harvested from the cell mass of a blastocyst, a pre-implantation embryo of 200-300 cells, just a few days after the egg is fertilized. Opponents of embryonic stem cell harvesting argue that the blastocyst should be regarded as a human life, and therefore destroying it is a form of murder. On the other hand, supporters of embryonic stem cell harvesting contend that the blastocyst is too young to be considered a living being and will go to waste if it is not harvested.
SUMMARY
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner mass of an early stage embryo. They are a type of stem cell, unspecialized cells which do not yet have a specific function and can become any kind of cell in the body. The ethics of embryonic stem cells center around the question of when life begins. Embryonic stem cells are ethically contentious because obtaining them involves the destruction of embryos.