Sarah Barbato and Julia Hart
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
Indonesia
Notre Dame High School
November 20-22, 2008
Ethics of Stem Cell Research
Although many know that stem cell technology will advance the scientific field,
others believe using embryonic stem cells or cloning in order to do this is unethical
despite the possibility for curing fatal diseases. The stem cell, found in multicellular
organisms, has the capacity to replicate specialized cells such as muscle, blood, and brain
cells. There is international concern of the technology’s potential to violate bioethics.
Bioethics is the social, cultural, legal, and ethical implications of scientific discovery.
Two methods of obtaining stem cells are retrieving them from human embryos, and to
replicate adult stem cells through cloning. Moral concerns are evident for both methods
and many groups are vehemently against stem cell research because of this.
Stem cells are “cells that have not gone through the process of cell differentiation
and therefore have the potential to give rise to many different kinds of specialized cells”
(Siddiqui p 1 of 3). These stem cells can be used to produce other types of cells, which
can theoretically produce an infinite number of daughter cells. Although each different
type of cell in the body contains the same set of DNA, they each have their own specified
“job” to do within the body. In each of these cells, the specialized set of genes in the
DNA is turned on, while the rest of the DNA is turned “off” (1 of 3). There are three
classes of stem cells: totipotent, multipotent, and pluripotent. A totipotent stem cell is a
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fertilized egg, which means that it has ultimate potential to develop into the different
types of cells in the body. A multipotent stem cell is a stem cell that can develop and be
useful for only a small number of different cell types. A pluripotent stem cell is one that
can develop into any cell in the body, except that of which can develop into a fetus.
Usually it is the pluripotent stem cells that are used, and are the cells that scientists
research and use to engineer for use in transplantation or treating diseases. Pluripotent
stem cells are derived in “lines”, which are “cell cultures that can be grown indefinitely in
the laboratory.” Once a cell line is established, there is a lesser need for new stem cells
(FAQs: Stem Cell Information 1 of 6). One down-side to this is that the stem cell lines
degrade over time, so soon the lines currently being used will become useless (“Human
Stem Cell Research Overview”).
Religious groups are particularly concerned with the ethics of stem cell research.
These concerns come from the belief that the human embryo maintains the same
autonomy as human life. Religious groups not only heavily impact their followers, but
religion and morality intertwine. Most people will agree with their religion’s view on
when life is conceived and what is ethical by their own rules. The Catholic Church is
against the use of human embryos because even an embryo is considered to be life in the
Catholic Church. However, Muslims believe although an embryo is fertilized, life does
not begin until flesh and bones are developed, or the embryo becomes a fetus. The
International Bioethics Committee along with the UN pushed to ban all forms of cloning.
Because of all the controversy, public organizations and private sectors are hesitant to
fund stem cell research.
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Scientists are able to manipulate stem cells to grow into any cell inside the human
body. The reasons why scientists are so interested in using human embryonic stem cells
are numerous. First off, human embryonic stem cells can divide for an extremely long
time in the lab to produce an immense number of new daughter cells, and secondly, they
can transform themselves into any of the specialized cells in the human body (“The
Properties and Potential…”). Research on embryonic stem cells can help scientists learn
more about the biology of stem cells, and how cancers and birth defects can be caused by
defects in stem cells during this process of development (“Human Stem Cell Research
Overview”). Cloning is also a big issue that has to do with stem cells because it is a
procedure in which “the cells—extracted from an egg after it has divided for five days—
are taken…so that new tissue can be grown with a genetic code that matches the patient
who needs it” (“Indonesia Takes Middle Ground” p 1 of 2).
The modified stem cells can be injected with retrograde viruses and will take
over damaged cells, and also eliminate infected cells. Retrograde viruses are viruses that
move material in a distal-to-proximal direction in a cell or organelle. Many diseases such
as Type I Diabetes and Parkinson’s have potential to be cured by stem cells and the use
of retrograde viruses. Detractors insist that the moral and ethical concerns outweigh the
potential for disease cure, and scientific discovery and that stem cell research should not
continue. The question one must ask him or herself, is does the possibility for scientific
discovery and cures for fatal diseases outweigh the ethics of the matter?
In March 2005 the United Nations adopted a declaration to ban human cloning
because of its “incompatibility with human dignity and the protection of human life”
(United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning). Soon after this in October 2005,
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UNESCO published the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights in order
to give a parameter for bioethics to guide states to the formulation of legislation about
stem cell research with both embryonic stem cell research and cloning. Human induced
pluripotent stem cells, or artificially created stem cells through the use of stem cell
associated genes and adult fibroblasts, were created in 2007. These stem cells were
created without the use of human embryos or cloning which is a large development in the
bioethics of stem cell research. How do we as humans, whether at fertilization or at the
formation of the fetus, decide when life begins? This is how we will be able to release
the deadlock in the stem cell research issue due to the intertwining between morality and
religion. Other methods of research, such as using umbilical cord blood or stem cells
from other areas, are available to the public and may be determined as a better resolution.
The ethics of stem cell research is a serious problem in the world today and it is
necessary for the UN to fabricate a resolution so progress can be made or people can
move on.
The religion of Islam has grown to be the second largest religion in size and
makes up about 99% of Indonesia. The Islamic Institute (II), a committee meant to
represent Muslims throughout the world and promote a better understanding of the
Islamic community in America, determined that “it is a societal obligation to donate extra
embryos for research instead of discarding them” (Lee 12). The Islamic Institute justifies
this belief from verses in the Quran: “we created man of an extraction of clay, then we
sent him, a drop in a safe lodging, then we are created of the drop a clot, then we created
a clot of tissue, then we created of the tissue bones, then we covered the bones in flesh;
thereafter we produced another creature. So blessed be God, the best of creators”
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(Quran). Islamic scholars have determined that the Quran states that life is not present
until the fetus is developed, meaning that embryonic stem cell research is moral and
ethical. The Muslim community, including Indonesia, is in strong support of stem cell
research.
Although there is no mention of Islam in the Indonesian Constitution, the
principles of Islam strongly influence the Indonesian government because the majority of
Indonesia is Muslim. Another important fact is that Indonesia is a part of the Developing8 (“D-8”) Countries, which is a group of Muslim-based countries that work together to
discuss important international issues including the global economy, diversity, and trade
relations, as well as encouraging participation in decision-making at an international level
(FAQs: Stem Cell Information p 1 of 2). Because of this strong Muslim influence on
Indonesia, most of the government decisions are Islam-based. Indonesia came to a
uniform decision in 2004 that they are not 100% for stem cell cloning, but they are not
100% against it, either, because they haven’t seen the benefits and purpose of it yet.
However, the process destroys an embryo, to which Dini Latief, head of research and
development of Indonesia’s health ministry, said, “We’re against it” (qtd. in “Indonesia
Takes Middle Ground” p 1 of 2). Chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association, Farid
A. Moeloek, confirmed Latief’s statement and added that the Medical Code of Ethics
Committee has banned embryonic stem cell cloning: “We reject embryonic stem cell
cloning because an embryo is considered to be alive, and we believe that we should not
kill something that is living” (qtd. in “Indonesia Takes Middle Ground” p 1 of 2).
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CyGenics Ltd., the leading tissue and cord blood banking company, and
Indonesia’s leading pharmaceutical company, PT Kalbe Farma Tbk, launched a joint
venture on October 16, 2006. This joint venture is called Cordlife Indonesia and has
been in operation since December 2003. All cord blood units have been taken to
Singapore for storage and processing in the company’s renowned or “AABB-accredited
facility.” In Indonesia the volume of business has grown substantially and they will now
create another storage and processing facility in Indonesia. This area became operational
in 2007 and will launch expanded marketing sales of cord blood banking business.
Banking umbilical cord blood is an ethical resolution to all religions and groups and is
very effective. When children are born, umbilical cords are simply thrown away despite
their immense capacity for healthy living in the future. If all children’s umbilical cord
blood were stored, if any problem arose during the course of one’s lifetime, not only
would blood donations no longer be in high demand, but it would eliminate
contamination to the body and be more effective. This might be seen as more ethical to
conservative Christian groups because it is only after the child has been born that these
cells and blood samples can be collected. At birth, most families are given the option to
have the child’s umbilical cord blood stored. However, this method is expensive and
health insurance will not cover this, so not many people take advantage of this
opportunity. With technology today, the umbilical cord blood can be used ethically and
will possibly develop cures for fatal diseases, which is ethical and moral for all religious
groups and nations. In conclusion, it is crucial for the United Nations to come to a
resolution so healing can be encouraged for the good of humans.
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Works Cited
“Cygenics Joint Venture Cord Blood Banking Company CordLife in Indonesia.” Stem
Cell Research Blog. 2006. 15 October 2008.
http://stemcell.taragana.net/archive/cygenics-joiont-venture-cord-blood-bankingcompany
FAQs: Stem Cell Information. United States of America. Department of Health and
Human Services. Bethseda, MD. 12 Sept. 2008. National Institute of Health
(NIH). 29 Oct. 2008 <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/faqs.asp>.
"Indonesia Takes Middle Ground of Stem-Cell Cloning." Xinhauanet News. 26 Oct.
2004.China View.14 Sept. 2008 <http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/200410/26/content_2139886.htm>.
Lee, John. “Ethics of Stem Cell Research.” Rutgers Model United Nations Director’s
Brief for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
The Institute for Domestic and International Affairs. 2008. 15 October 2008.
<www.idia.net >Robinson, B. A. "Human Stem Cell Research Overview."
Religious Tolerance. 21 Nov. 2007. 29 Oct. 2008
<http://www.religioustolerance.org/resstemover.htm>.
Robinson, B. A. "The Properties and Potential of Adult and Embryonic Stem Cells."
Religious Tolerance. 22 Feb. 2008. 29 Oct. 2008
<http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem18.htm>.
Siddiqi, Dr. Muzammil H. "Stem Cell Research: An Islamic Perspective." Crescent Life.
15 Oct. 2008
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<http://www.crescentlife.com/wellness/stem_cell_research_islamic_perspective.h
tm>.
“Stem Cells 101.” Bioethics Pundit. 2008. 15 October 2008.
<http://www.bioethics.com/>