This embryonic stem cell research involves the use of donated embryos whereby with this consent of the donor and her instructions the embryo will never enter a uterus. It is noteworthy that after the embryos have been donated to stem cell research and therapy, at the end of the day they will be destroyed. The embryo which is viewed by people differently as either person or nonperson raises a sense of concern. It has therefore been put that the research and therapy are against the public policy and that it has no moral support as for as humanitarian policy is concerned. This stem cell research and therapy have become the bottom line of controversy especially among Christians, theologians, and more the roman catholic church since the 19th century.
These issues have been connected with abortion which is the killing of an embryo or fetus before it is born as a baby from the mother’s womb. In this case, the supplier of the embryo and this researcher have been seen together committing the same immoral obligation and are said not to value human life. Christian believes that even an embryo is a person and it has a fundamental right to life. They, therefore, argue that after fertilization of an ovum, a new person is formed.
These religious doctrines and other humanitarian organizations, therefore, view the destruction of such embryos for any reason whatsoever, as inhuman and weird. They, therefore, conclude that it is an act of destroying embryos art no gain and should not be regarded. On the other hand, the research on epidosembryo can be permitted to some extent due to different reasons. This has been argued that it is research like any other and basically researches have both advantages and disadvantages.
The research has helped in identifying some of the problems associated with birth, pregnancy, fertility, complication, and some stem cells which have distinctive therapeutic consequences. This research has been of help in various ways. Therefore besides the controversy, there is still a need to pursue it. All the same, if I was one of the team members of public policymakers whose task was to develop a regulatory guide for embryonic stem cell research and therapy, I would the following important line of reasoning to be included.
The extent of research should be controlled by an appointed body. This would control the extent of epidosembryo research to ensure that there is no unnecessary destruction of embryos. The governing body would be there to ensure those embryos declared for research are not directed to other use apart from the intended. According to Louis M. Guenin who research on ethics of human stem cell research argued that any research on human stem cells yields a need for investigators because the research uses human tissues. Therefore in this context, the appointed controlling and regulating body would look into any matter arising from the research.
The objective of Research should be diversified and geared towards achieving other valuable results. This would be done to ensure that the benefits of the epidosembryo research outshine the losses connected to the research. Therefore the objectives of this research should be broadened and a better outcome expected. Many problems that face human beings are related to stem cells and therefore this kind of research should direct its efforts toward relieving human being out of such pain and problems. These efforts would in turn resolve the controversy already there about this research.
The scopes of research should also be redefined and reviewed. This would ensure that no other immoral practices are linked to the research. This arises in situations where immoral obligations e.g. abortion, etc are sometimes done in the name of such research and the truth hidden. It would also ensure that the results of this research would be useful in various ways to individuals and other medical institutions. In conclusion, although stem cells research has been looked down upon and seemed as it does not value human life, with the above lines of reasoning incorporated and others more, the research can not be prohibited because of the many benefits that would arise.
References
Dunston, G. ‘The Moral Status of the Human Embryo’ A Tradition Recalled,’ Journal of Medical Ethics (1984).
Dworkin, R. Life’s Dominion (New York: Knoft,) 1993.
Guenin, L. ‘Morals and Primordial: Science 292: (Pg 1659-1660) 2001.
Hare, R. Essays on Bioethics (Oxford: Clarendon Press) 1993.
Kiessling, A. and Anderson, S. Human Embryonic Stem Cells (Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett) 2003.