Stem Cell Ethics

Last February I presented a paper to a group of theologians in London concerning the ethics of stem cell research, more specifically, the changing face of stem cell research and the need for theologians to renew their ethical approach. I suggested then that new techniques would soon render obsolete ethical arguments surrounding human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Today this suggestion is as pertinent as ever. The ability to produce induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from adult somatic cells is now widely achievable in many labs. This was an important step towards a more ethical and less politically charged issue. Now that hESCs are no longer needed to produce iPSCs (hence the reduction in the number of human embryos that would be destroyed), it almost seems that any ethical opposition has been surmounted. Think again.

An international group of collaborators from Canada, the US, UK, and Japan have called attention to the new set of ethical concerns that should be raised in connection with iPSCs:

1) Because an iPSC will necessarily contain the genetic information of the donor—and, as a result, information about potential disease predispositions—there may be privacy concerns.

2) Consent issues are likely to emerge. iPSC lines could be used for decades for innumerable different studies around the world, some of which may not even have been conceived when the cells were donated. What kind of consent is required to make this ongoing work ethically and legally sound. The right to withdraw from participation in research is a hallmark of traditional research ethics norms. How should this right operate in the context of iPSC research? Can donors of cells for iPSC research withdraw their consent to participate at anytime? If so, must the resultant cell line be destroyed?

3) The pluripotent nature of iPSCs also raises challenges, the most notable arguably being the possible use of human iPSCs to create gametes, which raises several issues, including the creation and destruction of human embryos (which brings us back to older ethical issues).

Are iPSCs a step in the right direction? I think so. The task for theologians (and anyone else who shares similar or related understandings of the human creature) is to remain well-informed, to formulate concerns, and to make their voices heard.

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