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The Ethics of Stem Cell Research

Jack Cronquist
English 112
Second Bell
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Introduction
In the modern era, the integrated fields of science and medicine have made definite
strides towards the improvement of society. However, many of these strides fail to account for
some of the more significant societal issues, one of them being cancer which kills nearly five
hundred thousand people each year (Weir 2020). Techniques such as radiation and
chemotherapy are some of the more plausible solutions to cancer, but they can also end up
causing more damage compared to benefits. However in 1981, this changed because of the
discovery of stem cells. This discovery created a new foundation for the further improvement of
cancer treatment. The reason this discovery was so important was due to the fact that stem
cells have the ability to repair damaged tissue in any part of the body. Essentially stem cells are
undifferentiated cells that are capable of developing into cells that serve numerous functions in
different parts of the body, compared to differentiated cells that only serve one function such as
red blood cells that only carry oxygen through the body(Cafasso 2017). Although the ability to
alter any part of the body is a major benefit of stem cell research, there are still some issues
stem cell research has faced, especially concerning how stem cells are obtained. Obtaining
stem cells is an extremely difficult process. A majority of stem cells are obtained through the use
of an embryo due to the fact that it produces the highest yield of usable stem cells(Lau 2018.)
Yet this is one of the biggest issues stem cell research faces. The use of embryonic stem cell
research causes a substantial societal dilemma, mainly due to the potential harming or killing of
a young fetus. Throughout the brief history of stem cell research, this has always been a
problem. In 2001, the Bush administration put many federal limitations on the use of embryonic
stem stem cells out of the ethical fear. Although stem cell research has many problems to
overcome, there is also a great deal of potential in its field. Not only can it be a cure to cancer
but also to diseases like diabetes, parkinsons and alzheimers(Lau 2018)...

Literature Review
Numerous experiments have been conducted in order to examine the true benefits and
effectiveness of stem cell research as well as to determine certain ethical views on the future of
stem cell research. There are copious amounts of real world issues that are presented when
balancing modern medicine with modern society. For example the practice of stem cell research
incorporated with religious beliefs, government authority, and societal views has the ability to
greatly influence the future of medicine(Duff 2000). For example, in 2000 Dr.Nancy Duff, a lead
researcher on the Princeton’s institution of stem cell research and member of the National
Bioethics Advisory Commission conducted a study in order to determine how to develop
medicines by genetically modifying organisms and how they were affected by religion. In almost
every religious practice, they were against the use of genetic modification. Stem cell research
specifically received the most scrutiny from several religious leaders, due to the fact that ninety
percent of stem cells are obtained from the destruction of young fetuses. This study unearthed
how massively unpopulars stem cell research was among the general public(Duff 2000). In
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2001, the continuation of stem cell research was brought to a halt after numerous studies were
conducted by the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. The commission's main duty is to
report significant ethical problems that are associated with human health to the government. All
the problems associated with stem cell research led to many government mandates that did
things like restrict the federal funding of stem cell research as well as create many rules that
make the continuation of stem cell research impossible. It was until a decade ago that many of
these regulations were loosened to do the expansion of science that makes it easier to obtain
stem cells without harming a fetus.

Method
The researcher used a mixed method approach with the use of many quantitative and
qualitative data sets in order to determine the future of stem cell therapy. The use of a
correlational study also was beneficial in order to determine the validity of stem cell therapy as a
viable treatment option for those with cancer while comparing it to other treatment options. In
order to discover the many long term trends and correlations in these studies, a great deal of
trials need to be conducted, however the amount of time these trials would take greatly exceed
the scope of the current research.
Due to the perspectives that the researcher is addressing, a majority of the data comes
from reputable secondary sources and experts in the field of stem cell research. These sources
provide relevant information pertaining to the practical applications of stem cell research as well
as specific information required for the study. Many of the sources used by the researcher
presented findings on both the direct and indirect effects of stem cell research on the future
treatment of cancer. The trials that were used in these experiments were designed to discover
the different functions of stem cells when implemented as a way to destroy cancerous cells
along with their success rates(Lau 2018). The data of several different studies were then
compiled by the researcher in order to compare the findings, all of the research was then
contextualized into quantifiable data that could be represented in statistical evidence that proves
a correlation. The numerical evidence was then compared to other qualitative data sets that
represented general populations in order to provide further justification for a correlation. Much of
the qualitative data sets were gained from surveys done by the Harvard Stem Cell Institute
using random sampling. They asked basic questions to determine an individual's stance on
scientific research that involves genetic modification(HSCI 2017). This data was then compiled
into information that presented a sample of the population that either supported or opposed
stem cell therapy. The researcher then compared these findings with the findings of other
surveys that used random sampling. After that, the researcher compiled the data sets from each
of the surveys and compiled them so there was an average. By using the polling, the research
was able to gain more qualitative and quantitative data.
With the goal of primarily being able to determine a correlation between stem cell
therapy and the overall well being of a patient, a thematic analysis of secondary sources was
the best way to incorporate the research. The main purpose of conducting this process through
the use of secondary sources was due to the fact that many of these sources were experts or
well known in their field and have been studying this topic for decades. It also allows for a
broader perspective on the question at hand and also allows for more in depth analysis. The
use of a mixed method also allowed for the researcher to find a deployable answer to the
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research as well as correlate signs within the research that help to reach a conclusion. It also
allowed for more variety within the information that was found, as well as provided context for
much of the compiled information., which can determine the plausibility of the research that was
found. By compiling information, it also allowed for many of the costs and benefits to be
analyzed by the research, as well as contextualize the extent of stem cell research in the real
world.Lastly, the use of this method will also prove just how relevant stem cell research could
be.

In order to address the gap within this research, the researcher first presented a study
done by Roger Noll, an economist at stanford university. Noll first presents the idea of modern
ethics and how it affects the natural politics of the United States, his findings suggest a possible
connection to economic influence from governmental control. Although the suggestion that the
government plays a role in economics is very common Noll explains why it pertains to stem cell
therapy specifically. Noll first addresses the government implementation of bills that limit the
funding of stem cell research that caused a great deal of advancements to be delayed. The
reason this is relevant to the study is due to how much research was limited in the early 2000’s
by economic and government restrictions. Noll then addresses this problem through state and
institutional funding, many of the limitations that were placed only reduced federal funding. As
larger institutions began to develop more they still encountered problems due to the shortage of
funding, even with state funding. Noll then addresses the role of politics in this problem by
describing how many states disagree with stem cell therapy due to its involvement with young
fetuses.

Results
A preliminary examination of some studies did express some sort of correlation between
stem cell research and its feasibility when comparing it to other treatment options. Much of the
data that was collected yielded that there was a substantial correlation between stem cell
research feasibility and other treatment options, but at the cost of an ethical dilemma. This was
done by collecting the average number of people who viewed stem cell therapy as morally
wrong or morally acceptable over an eighteen year period. This data was collected through
reputable secondary sources that had the resources to conduct surveys on a national scale.

Figure One
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As shown in figure one, there was an overall positive correlation between the use of stem cell
research and how morally acceptable it is, on the other hand there is also more of a negative
correlation with stem cell research and how ethically wrong it is. The information that was
discovered presented new findings to how applicable stem cell research is. This data suggests
that from the years 2002 to 2020, society has become more polar when it comes to certain
scientific advancements. Much of this is also due to laws and regulations that were put in place
as a result of ethical fears. However, the research cannot eliminate the possibility that the
downward trend could also be the result of a shift in the type of applications that are suggested
through government intervention. In 2001, many limitations were put into place that were
designed to promote specific ideologies(LMBC 2001). A majority of these ideologies were
socially designed to alter specific future applications within medicine. These limitations would
certainly request more features than a survey would, such a shift in the type of applications that
are popular is not accounted for in the research and future research would be needed.
The idea that government interference would play a role in this research is first
addressed by International Bioethics commitee’s study which indicates that there is a noticeable
change in the relationship between ethical awareness and governmental implementation
through the use of stem cell research (IMBC 2006). This notion of increasing privacy awareness
is further supported by other research. A research conducted by Dr. Jessica Lau at Harvard
University finds an increase in awareness of ethical issues that have been presented by the
government(Lau 2018). All of these studies agree that ethics indeed are prevalent and support
the hypothesis that it can also influence the future of stem cell research through government
implementation. Although the study is not able to prove direct correlation between stem cell
research and its success.It does, however, raise the possibility of such a relationship, which
would prompt future research in this direction.
Similarly, there have been researches that suggest the evolution of the public permission
would play a role in affecting the use of stem cell research as a viable option for medical
treatment (IBMC 2006). The reasoning for this notion is simple: as the public grows and evolves
in social aspects such as technology and medicine, it would likely make changes to the
permissions that are available and regroup them in different ways. Just as a hypothetical
example, the general public might discover through the use of media that scientific discoveries
may or may not be socially responsible concerning a given scope, but not enough data or
knowledge is expressed that allow people to determine a truthful opinion of the topic. This is a
key reason that led to stem cell research being less favored by the scientific community. If this
notion is correct, it could mean that the popular societal beliefs will influence the future of
science as well. Therefore, the polarity expressed in figure one could be a result of many
different societal complications.
In addition, the relevance of certain medical treatments also influence the trend. For
example, the medical and scientific community has already developed treatment options for
cancer that are viewed as necessary. However, stem cell research has been shown to
demonstrate more success by measuring how long the treatment lasts as well as whether or not
the cancer that was being targeted was eliminated. Although the ability to alter any cancers in
the body is a major benefit of stem cell research, there are still some issues stem cell research
has faced, especially concerning how stem cells are obtained. Obtaining stem cells is an
extremely difficult process. A majority of stem cells are obtained through the use of an embryo
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due to the fact that it produces the highest yield of usable stem cells(Lau 2018.) Yet this is one
of the biggest issues stem cell research faces. The use of embryonic stem cell research causes
a substantial societal dilemma, mainly due to the potential harming or killing of a young fetus.
This fear, as stated previously, plays a key role in the overall societal opinion of stem cell
research. As a result, stem cell research has been pushed to the side as well as buried under
an avalanche of government limitations. While the studies did reveal the general trend of the
number of stem cell trial requests, it still has a lot of limitations. For example, the study is not
able to clearly identify the root cause of such a trend nor is it able to gather more data for a
longer period of time. Therefore, future research should focus on gathering more data to see if
such a decreasing trend holds true for a longer period of time, and perhaps conduct lab
experiments with participants to obtain data in a more standard and controlled fashion. The
three driving factors identified in this study should also be investigated individually.

Discussion
Overall, this study was aimed to answer the research question “Do modern ethical views
on stem cell therapy limit its viability as a cancer treatment option?” This study was also
conducted in order to evaluate a gap in knowledge concerning the effects of society on medical
treatments such as stem cell therapy, mainly by studying variables such as government
involvement or cost. As the results demonstrate, there is some kind of significance that is
influenced by societal views on stem cell research. However, it is impossible to know if these
ethical views are the main factor that is limiting stem cell therapy’s continuation.
The idea that ethical awareness would play a role in this research is first addressed by
International Bioethics Committee study which indicates that there is a noticeable change in the
relationship between modern medicine and the future of stem cell treatment (IMBC 2018). This
notion of an increasing hostile awareness towards stem cell treatment is further supported by
other research. A letter written to president Bush in 2006, proved this point by explaining how
relevant the government is when concerning modern ethical views. The letter further explains
the point of why it is relevant by demonstrating that societal views on ethics can influence some
of the leading people of the world(IMBC 2006) , and the 2010-2011 UK Information Center’s
Annual Report has stated a “significant increase in ethical fear”, up by almost 4% compared to
prior years (Allison 2011). All of these studies agree that ethical medicine awareness is indeed
prevalent and support the hypothesis that it plays a role in affecting the future of stem cell
treatment. Although these studies were not able to directly correlate governmental power to
medical production, they did suggest possible societal control over treatment through majority
opinions, which could prompt research in a direction in the future. Similarly, there have been
researches that suggest the evolution of cancer treatment options would also affect how stem
cell treatment is used (Lau 2018).The reasoning for this notion is simple: as cancer options
change and improve, it would likely make changes to common medical practices as well. By
addressing a scientific viewpoint on stem cell therapy, many values also change. Purely from a
scientific standpoint, many of the ethical dilemmas are diminished (Lau 2018).
Some of the limitations that were discovered during the research process were involved
with the variety of data. When discussing a topic such as stem cell therapy, statistical data or
opinion based data is everywhere. Specifically concerning the authority of secondary sources
and how much stem cell therapy has been used. When concerning secondary sources, a
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majority of them offer similar data, mainly due to the limitations that were placed on them by
public outlash in 2001(Allison 2011). A great deal of research was pushed back due to these
international regulations, as a result there was a nearly fourteen year time period where no
research at all was conducted surrounding stem cell research, however this was also overcome
by institutions finding more humane ways to conduct research recently.In addition to this,
another obstacle had to do with the numerous amount of opinion based view points. Sense the
ethics behind stem cell research are not correct or incorrect, there is no right or wrong answer
on how to harvest these cells which are primarily found in young fetuses. This obstacle of
varying viewpoints also then affects research by restarting the loop of ethical problems.
Although the primary reason to conduct this research has to do with possible correlations
between stem cell research and ethics, it also played a role in obstacles as well.

Conclusion
The results of this study is critical to the understanding of the ethics behind stem cell
research as well as how they affect the future of stem cell research as a viable treatment option.
By filling in the gap of an economic and governmental point of view, the research was able to
provide more insight pertaining to success rates as well as a better analysis that explains what
obstacles stem cell research will face in the future. Seeing the rise of ethical fears that took
place in the United States as well as internationally suggests one of the possible obstacles that
is hindering the success of stem cell research. Although it is not definite, many finding suggest
the possibility of ethics on stem cell research which is a factor that needs to be explored further.
Studies that are conducted in the future should be more concerned with the science behind
stem cell research and why the cycle of ethics in stem cell research are affected. By doing this,
the study will provide a more comprehensive understanding of stem cell research as well as
why many people view it as unethical, all while allowing research to gain more statistical
evidence. Lastly it could also provide a better understanding to those who support stem cell
research and its future.
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