Can stem cell research be morally justified?
Stem cell research studies how these unspecialised cells are able to reproduce themselves and their ability to transform into more specialised cells. They are seen as potential cures for a wide range of diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes, as well as treatments to grow breast tissue for many cancer survivors [1]. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells, and they can be found in animals and humans [2]. In recent years, stem cell research has caused controversies regarding the use of human embryos or foetus which are obtained during or after an abortion or subsequent to a miscarriage [3]. The debate is very much centred on the ethics and the morality of the research, with politicians, medical experts and religious leaders sharing opinions on the issue.
For people who believe that human life begins at conception, the use of embryos as part of the research is seen as a ‘destruction’ or even murder. The more religious individuals may also consider the work as an intrusion of God’s creation. Psalm 139:13 of the Christian Bible suggests that humans are made by God, and was created while still in the womb (“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb”), implying that embryos, made up of about 100 cells (blastocysts), are living. Scientists however, states that the blastocysts have “no human features” [4] and therefore its use in research cannot be recognized as ‘killing a human’. Moreover, a recent breakthrough in obtaining human embryonic cells showed that it is possible to collect human embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryos [5]. This new technique allows the embryo to develop normally, making the technique more ethically just.
