Stem cell research came to public prominence in 1998 when researchers discovered ways to remove stem cells from human embryos. Their potential usefulness in developing cures and therapies were quickly noted. But obtaining them destroyed human embryos. The moral status of human embryos was a central question. Should the development of therapies be stopped or delayed because embyros are destroyed? Should ethics hinder science? Stem cell research has also raised ethical questions about the way scientific research is presented. Have the benefits been hyped? Have the concerns been exaggerated? Such issues are addressed in these articles.
“Cloning twist clouds ethical complexities,” Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity (2003).
“What to call human cloning,” European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) Reports 3.6 (2002): 502-505.
“Cloning and stem cell research: wrong motives on both sides of the Atlantic,” Centre for Bioethics & Human Dignity (1999).
“Stem cell research and the moral status of human embryos,” Celebrate Life 21.5 (September-October 1999): 18-21.