Controversial Issues in Biology and Ethical Decision making

Adult stem cell culturing

1.Please post the link to the article you visited

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313664

2. What is the ethical issue or topic of concern? Why is this issue controversial?

The embryonic stem cells research is highly controversial. People have the very strong opinion about it. But the main
purpose of the debate on the both sides is to protect the life of human. Many of the people think for the sake of cells
abolishing the blastula as abolishing an unborn child. Fertility clinics every year produce many blastula that are
abolished as they are made in excess.

3. What is the procedure, activity, research or technology used for?

For the research of the stem cells, many technologies are normally used comprising separation, techniques for
identification and stem cell culture. Magnetic activated cell storing (MACS) and Fluorescence Activated cell storing
(FACS) are usually use for separation of stem cells.

4. What is the goal?

Adult stem cells are present in rare form. The main goal of the adult stem cells are to keep normal functioning of the
cells. It exchange the cells that die because of disease and injury.

5. What studies are being conducted?

The stem cell culturing are being conducted for the treatment of many disease like heart disease, diabetes, eye
disease, injury in spinal card, cancer, multiple sechlorosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Many trails of stem cells therapy
are conducted in the patients of these disease.

6. What are the pros and cons?

pros

I. The adult stem cells can e produce from the bone marrow, blood and fat. It has a very little effect on the
organisms.
II. The adult cells are not produced any immune response and are not rejected by the body immune system.
III. The stem cells have the potential role in treatment including the regeneration of the bone, insulin
development, to repair the damaged muscles of heart.

Cons

I. The cell type is already determined in adult cells. It cannot be alter in the tissues that is differ from the ones.
II. It is very difficult to culture in vitro conditions. From many types of cells it is impossible to culture in
Invitro conditions.
III. No technology available to generate cells in to large number in the culture.

7. What parties are affected?

The people who wants the stem cell culturing should be banned. The print and social media show the beneficial and
positive effects of the stem cell culturing. Their point of view is not properly convey to the people.
8. What moral rights do the affected parties have?

The people think that, to destroy the blastula for its cells as destroying an unborn children.

9. How are these rights being violated?

The blastula after entry in the walls of the uterus makes the embryo. So if we damage the blastula we are damaging
upcoming embryo. If we take the cell from the blastula even it is not enter in to the walls of cells we are destroying
the fetus.

10. What role has the media or education system played (if any) in reporting this issue and how has it affected the
public?

Media can play a very important role in the reporting of this stem cell culturing issue. Media should show the
positive and beneficial aspects of the stem cell culturing. Media should highlight the negligence of the authorities so
the work on the stem cells culturing can be made more protective and beneficial for the human beings.

11. Do you feel the reporting has been fair and unbiased?

Yes, the reporting has been unbiased and fair. There are some advantages of the adult stem cells as it is used for the
production of many lifesaving drugs. So social as well as the print media should not focus on the negative side of the
adult stem cells research.

12. What treatment (policy or decision) do you support?

I support the policy to enhance the work on the stem cells culturing because it give the many important role in the
pharmacology as well as in the laboratories. The authorities should protect the privacy of the individuals from where
the eggs and sperm are taken for the in vitro culturing.

13. Which method (below) will you use to arrive at this decision? PLEASE UNDERLINE YOUR METHOD IN
YOUR WRITE UP. Use the “Introduction to ethics” guide attached below.

1. What leads to the best overall consequences? (Utilitarian approach)

Proper counselling of those who take this procedure inhumane or feel violation of their human rights.
They should be taught the importance of this scientific technique so that more donors can be convinced
and more biological life saving products can be obtained through this method.

2. Which course of action best respects all parties’ rights? (rights approach)

If the stem cells are taken at blastula stage before it is implanted in the wall of uterus, it should be
considered appropriate from all schools of thoughts because the biological products obtained through
these cells e.g. insulin, beta-morphine and others can save lives. But After an embryo has been
implanted in the wall of uterus, it is now considered as fetus and it should not be taken for any research
purposes since now it is a living human although undeveloped.

3. Which course of action treats everyone the same and does not show discrimination? (The fairness
or justice approach)

The stem cells should be taken from individuals after getting their permission. As it is required to make
biological products which can save lives, it is inevitable. Those who are against it, can avoid products
produced through this method but they too can not resist using these when required in life threatening
conditions.

4. Which course of action advances the common good (common good approach)

There should be an improvement in the techniques involved in producing products from stem cells. It is
an absolute requirement and counseling should be performed for people who are against this method of
 producing life saving biological products.

5. Which course of action develops moral virtues (The virtue approach)

The animals from whom stem cells are taken must be treated appropriately and animals such as mice,
pigs and others should be preferred over humans since it may lead to bad consequences. The
information of humans from whom stem cells are taken should not be disclosed with general public.
Willingness and personal decision should be given absolute importance.

14. Find another article on this same issue. Include the link here in your write up. Describe how this article
relates to the article you summarized (above) (Does the study contradict what you found? IS the author for or against
the technology? Etc.)Please the link to the 2nd article you found.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726839/
Article of above mention link related to the article I summarized above because the both these article
support the research in the stem cell culture. These policy and ethical issues must be discuss along the
challenges in the scientific field. No. in both articles the author support the research in this field of study.
But they also remained their focus on the policy and ethical issues.