Ethical Challenges for Stem Cell Research - From the Embryo to the Bedside

Abstract

In this paper I discuss some key ethical challenges raised by stem cell-based research. After explaining the potential of stem cell research for developing effective new treatments for a variety of diseases, I explore whether the moral status of the human embryo should limit or prohibit research using embryonic stem cells. I turn next to further ethical challenges that will arise with the first human trials of stem cell-based treatments, even if the source of the stem cells poses no problem. Finally, I discuss the question of whether the use of induced pluripotent stem cells can successfully side-step questions about when a human life begins.