2. Stem Cells
Initially, stem cells are those
which develop into different cell
types during growth.
Throughout life, stem cells repair
damage done to our organs.
Three Unique Traits
1. Divide and renew
2. Unspecialized
3. Become specialized
Two Different Kinds
Embryonic (ESC)
Adult (ASC)
3. Embryonic Stem Cells
Basic Facts
Derived from embryos
In vitro fertilization
NOT from eggs fertilized in
a woman’s body
The Blastocyst
Four to five day old
embryos
4. Adult Stem Cells
Basic Facts
Derived from tissue samples as
opposed to destroyed embryos
Undifferentiated cell found
among differentiated cells in a
tissue or organ
Primary role is of maintenance
and repair of the tissue to
which they are associated
5. Similarities and Differences
Embryonic Adult
Pluripotent
Grown easily in
culture
Transplant rejection
unknown
Immortal
Morally controversial
Limited differentiation
Isolation is challenging
Presumably less
likely to reject
Morally acceptable
Finite
Divide and
Renew
Unspecialized
Become
Specialized
6. Focusing in on Embryonic Stem Cells
A human embryo in the
blastocyst stage of
development
7.
8. 15 Leading Causes of Death in the US (2005)
Rank Cause of Death Number % of Total
Deaths
2005 Crude Death Rate
1 652,091 26.6 220.0
2 559,312 22.8 188.7
3 Cerebrovascular diseases 143,579 5.9 48.4
4 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 130,933 5.3 44.2
5 Accidents (unintentional injuries) 117,809 4.8 39.7
6 75,119 3.1 25.3
7 71,599 2.9 24.2
8 Influenza and pneumonia 63,001 2.6 21.3
9 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and
nephrosis
43,901 1.8 14.8
10 Septicemia 34,136 1.4 11.5
11 Intentional self-harm (suicide) 32,637 1.3 11.0
12 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 27,530 1.1 9.3
13 Essential (primary) hypertension and
hypertensive renal disease
24,902 1.0 8.4
14 19,544 0.8 6.6
15 Assault (homicide) 18,124 0.7 6.1
Diseases of heart
Malignant neoplasms
Diabetes mellitus
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
9. The Dilemma
Opposition of ESC Research
Controversy stemming from
ESC research has developed
into a social and ethical
challenge.
The status of the
human embryo
11. 1.Value of Life
Status of the Embryo
Faustian Bargain: Cures at
the cost of the destruction
of embryos
Human embryo (the
blastocyst) deserves the
same rights and respect as
a human being
Right to life
12.
Response to Opposition
Value of Life
The human embryo deserves the same rights and respect as a human being.✗ Problem with this view: Assumptions that an embryo has not only
the moral status of a person, but also a “super status” that
outweighs the needs of others, and that it is a person’s genetic
material alone that establishes his or her moral value
Opponents of ESC research argue that at this stage
in development, an embryo is of the same moral
value of a person.
Considering the Facts
Lacks the
following:Consciousness
Ability to experience surroundings
Potential to feel
pain
EmotionsMemory
Ability to reason
Ability to imagine the future Physical resemblance to a person
The only trait of moral value is
human DNA
13. 2. Pro-Life
The Pro-Life Perspective
The majority of pro-lifers who
are opposed to funding ESC
research base their opinions off
of the belief that the money
will go towards research
dealing with aborted fetuses.
A legitimate concern, but it
is entirely applicable in this
context.
A vast majority of ESC’s
used in medical research
come from fertility clinics.
14.
Pro-Life
The Real Issue
The real issue the pro-
life advocates and
opponents of ESC
research should
consider is that of
fertility clinics.
Fertility (IVF) clinics are the most
readily available source of
embryos for stem cell research
Infertility Treatment
-Fertility hormones are taken to produce about 10-20
eggs at one time
-Physicians harvest these eggs with a surgical procedure
-Physician then attempts to create embryos out of all of
the eggs
-Fertilization often produces 8-12 embryos
-Physician chooses the best embryos for implantation
(about 3)
15.
After Implantation/Excess Embryos
The Real Issue: IVF Clinics
97% of American IVF clinics reported that they create more embryos than they intend to implant
If the excess embryos
are not used for
research, nearly all
will be disposed of
and destroyed. Some embryos may be kept
frozen until (a) the couple has
reached/conceived their desired
amount of children or (b) the
embryos are “adopted”
“Embryo adoption” takes place
when embryos are implanted
into an unrelated mother…
…as of 2005, only 81
children had been born
through embryo adoption
As for the embryos that were implanted…
The embryos that were “good
enough” to be used for implantation
now have to battle it out. Several are
implanted with hopes that one will
survive.
In other words, several embryos are
implanted with hopes that all but one
will NOT survive. Doctors take
measures to ensure this will happen.
16. 3. Alternatives
Adult Stem Cells
The accumulation of AS cells
is often preferred because it
does not involve the
destruction on an embryo.
People get the impressions
that AS cells are comparable
to ES cells.
