Stem Cell Research: The Chimera Dilemma and its challenge to Ethics
Maybe it's cynicism from aging but I have observed that with each ground breaking invention or discovery, we keep making the same mistakes. Lack of proper control, governance, regulation or ethical rules of practice have resulted in many of today's technologies becoming dangerous tools instead of benefiting mankind as a whole. Fundamentally, many of today's creative research and output is directed at making positive changes to the world around mankind.
Stem cell research at its most utopian is for preserving the quality of life. The problem lies in the actual practice of how such research is being conducted, how it affects our world around us, the risks that it brings weighed against its benefits. Private enterprise and Governments in favour of stem cell research will have us believe the benefits far outweigh the dangers.
I however propose caution - not because I feel that there is no grounds in the arguments raised by Stem cell research proponents but because we need to take the lessons learnt from past scientific research that turned to everyday life products and services.
Nuclear waste, global warming and antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria to name a few of the painful lessons of uncontrolled or poor long term management of technologies. Its not the research that is faulted but by the way the research is being exploited and abused.
In truth, there are two levels of ethics that need to be addressed. The ethics of the research process and the ethics of the exploitation of the research. New effort should be directed at addressing not only in developing ethically proper research process but how exploitation of new research can be managed safely. Maybe its time that the authorities need to consider getting business ethics and biotech ethics experts together.
Oddly enough, ethics is not a new discipline. Yet, it is absent from many if not all research programmes until recent history. For the nurturing of ethical professionals and researchers, it must pervade our pores to be effective. It is not like a body of rules that can be learnt at law school. Getting an A grade is no guarantee that the man will be an ethical professional. Setting up a body of rules is merely developing standards and cannot be the end of the ethical treatment of the subject matter. At the very least, it is a start in the right direction.
The greatest ethical challenge in biotech right now is the new set of ethical problems raised by creating organisms composed of cells from two different species, and in this case animals that include human cells. Should we be concerned about research involving such animals - which are called chimeras - that have been seeded with human cells? (see definition of Chimera)
The report linked below is about a group of scientist drafting rules on ethics of stem cell research. They are to lauded for their efforts to address such Chimera research. Their suggested rules indeed warrant serious consideration by watchdogs bodies.
My hope - albeit doubtful - is to see such efforts to:
(1) develop strong ethical standards and rules established everywhere to prevent the possibility of dangerous and often unknown outcomes;
(2) establish strong ethics in university undergraduate and graduate research programmes; and
(3) integrate ethics of both the process of stem cell research AND the exploitation of such research.
Unfortunately, my doubt is fueled by the demands of society for profits and returns on investment. So, will we always continue making the same mistakes - abusing the technologies we have, or will we make good?
The New York Times > Health > Group of Scientists Drafts Rules on Ethics for Stem Cell Research
Stem cell research at its most utopian is for preserving the quality of life. The problem lies in the actual practice of how such research is being conducted, how it affects our world around us, the risks that it brings weighed against its benefits. Private enterprise and Governments in favour of stem cell research will have us believe the benefits far outweigh the dangers.
I however propose caution - not because I feel that there is no grounds in the arguments raised by Stem cell research proponents but because we need to take the lessons learnt from past scientific research that turned to everyday life products and services.
Nuclear waste, global warming and antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria to name a few of the painful lessons of uncontrolled or poor long term management of technologies. Its not the research that is faulted but by the way the research is being exploited and abused.
In truth, there are two levels of ethics that need to be addressed. The ethics of the research process and the ethics of the exploitation of the research. New effort should be directed at addressing not only in developing ethically proper research process but how exploitation of new research can be managed safely. Maybe its time that the authorities need to consider getting business ethics and biotech ethics experts together.
Oddly enough, ethics is not a new discipline. Yet, it is absent from many if not all research programmes until recent history. For the nurturing of ethical professionals and researchers, it must pervade our pores to be effective. It is not like a body of rules that can be learnt at law school. Getting an A grade is no guarantee that the man will be an ethical professional. Setting up a body of rules is merely developing standards and cannot be the end of the ethical treatment of the subject matter. At the very least, it is a start in the right direction.
The greatest ethical challenge in biotech right now is the new set of ethical problems raised by creating organisms composed of cells from two different species, and in this case animals that include human cells. Should we be concerned about research involving such animals - which are called chimeras - that have been seeded with human cells? (see definition of Chimera)
The report linked below is about a group of scientist drafting rules on ethics of stem cell research. They are to lauded for their efforts to address such Chimera research. Their suggested rules indeed warrant serious consideration by watchdogs bodies.
My hope - albeit doubtful - is to see such efforts to:
(1) develop strong ethical standards and rules established everywhere to prevent the possibility of dangerous and often unknown outcomes;
(2) establish strong ethics in university undergraduate and graduate research programmes; and
(3) integrate ethics of both the process of stem cell research AND the exploitation of such research.
Unfortunately, my doubt is fueled by the demands of society for profits and returns on investment. So, will we always continue making the same mistakes - abusing the technologies we have, or will we make good?
The New York Times > Health > Group of Scientists Drafts Rules on Ethics for Stem Cell Research
posted by Harry SK Tan at
4/27/2005 04:09:00 pm
1 comments
1 Comments:
you can see the failure of stem cell research ethics and government right now by visiting my ewbsite, www.cancerfraudbadbiotech.com and reading the Aug. 2005 Revised section. Emails to the US Congress regarding this and the Congree Commerce and Energy Committee, plus phone calls to Rep. Arlen Specter and others. The public must join the debate because I have proven ANY standards that will be accepted will be minimal ones. You will be shocked . Thank you. E.A.Greenhalgh
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