Finding the balance in stem cell research

Abstract

Recent developments in human embryonic stem cell technology, somatic cell nuclear transfer and adult stem cell differentiation not only provide new insight into basic biological questions but also open up far-reaching applications for the treatment of human disease. In an attempt to meet with the new challenges and concerns of these technologies, the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) and the UK Expert Advisory Group on Therapeutic Cloning recently published their advice to the European Commission and the UK government, respectively. Both groups think that therapeutic cloning holds a promise of providing cell-based therapies for serious injuries and degenerative diseases. However, individual European countries currently restrict therapeutic cloning to research on prenatal diagnostics, development, infertility or contraception research. Both groups agree that no moral ground exists not to extend current embryo research to other human diseases. Furthermore, the EGE acknowledges that stem cell research requires a case-by-case judgement by a central authority, analogous to the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The use of embryos purposefully made for research is approved of by the UK group, but is met with strong skepticism by the EGE because they feel ‘it represents a further step in the instrumentalisation of human life’. Moreover, the EGE report says that ‘the creation of embryos by somatic cell nuclear transfer for research on stem cell therapy would be premature’. Instead, their advice is to stimulate research on the application of adult stem cells, given that there has been recent progress in this field. J.D.B.