Stem Cells, Cloning & Bioethics
Bioethics as a basis for
decision-making
Paula Fraser’s Class
May 11, 2005
Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT
www.asmalldoseof.org
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A Small Dose of Toxicology
See: www.asmalldoseof.org -- smdose
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WA State Legilation?
WA State Stem Cell Bills
http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo1/billsearch.cfm?Searchterm=stem%20cell
"Regulating stem cell research“
(passed House 59-36 on 3/15/05 and
failed in the Senate 26-23 on 4/11/05)
Forum on Science Ethics and Policy
(FOSEP – at UW)
http://www.fosep.org/
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Why Bioethics?
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Current Bioethical Issues
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Check the local news paper
Stem cells (state, national, international)
Genetically Engineered Organisms
Knowing your genes
In vetro fertilization – choosing your child's
genes and characteristics
 Global warming
 Chemicals exposures – human health
 Environmental health
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The First Bioethicist
Aldo Leopold
"A thing is right when it tends to
preserve the integrity, stability, and
beauty of the biotic community. It is
wrong when it tends otherwise." Aldo Leopold, 1949, A Sand County
Almanac
---------- 1887 - 1948 ---------Stem Cells & Cloning 5/11/05
Limits on Freedom
“An ethic, ecologically, is
a limitation on freedom of
action in the struggle for
existence”
Aldo Leopold
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“The Commons”
The Tragedy of the Commons
By Garrett Hardin, Science, 1968
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Technical Solutions
“It is our considered
professional judgment that
this dilemma has no
technical solution.”
The Tragedy of the Commons
By Garrett Hardin, Science, 1968
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Problems – Solutions?
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Lead and kids
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Nuclear disarmament
Bioterrorism
Ocean Fisheries
Persistent chemicals
The Commons
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Ethics and Science
1860’s
1928
1920’s
1931
1932
1947
1952
1953
- Scientific method in medicine, Gregor Mendel
- Penicillin discovered – widely used WWII
- Lead in gasoline, lead in paint
- 30 states had sterilization laws on books
- Tuskegee syphilis study initiated
- Nuremberg - The Doctors Trial
- First open heart surgery & Chlorpromazine
- Structure of DNA – Watson & Crick
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Ethics and Science
60’s - Thalidomide, mercury, chronic hemodialysis,
amniocentesis, informed consent, IRB’s
70’s - Hastings Center founded, bioethics defined,
Tuskegee noticed, Belmont Report (3
principles), Genentech Inc. founded, awareness
of FAS, sensitivity of developing CNS
80’s - Recombinant microorganism could be patented,
lead is harmful to developing brain
90’s - molecular biology, sequencing of human
genome (other species), Jurassic Park
00’s - US stem cell research restricted
03 - Human cloned?
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Question??
Who were the most influential people
of the past century?
James Watson (L)
and Francis Crick
(R), and the model
they built of the
structure of DNA
(and Rosalind
Franklin).
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ELSI
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Ethical
Legal / Regulatory
Social
Implications or Issues
What is unsaid or missing?
Science
Values
Politics
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Topics
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Why this is topic important
DNA to RNA to Proteins
Stem Cells
Cloning – Therapeutic and Human
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Stem Cell History
1998 - Researchers first extract stem cells from human
embryos
1999 - First Successful human transplant of insulin-making
cells from cadavers
2001 - President Bush restricts federal funding for
embryonic stem-cell research
2002 - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
International creates $20 million fund-raising effort
to support stem-cell research
2003?? - California ok stem cell research
2004 - Harvard researchers grow stem cells from embryos
using private funding
2004 - Ballot measure for $3 Billion bond for stem cells
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Importance
 Disease
• Diabetes, Spinal
cord injury,
Parkinson’s
disease, heart
disease
 Genetic based
Disease
• Cystic fibrosis,
Huntington’s
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DNA – T-A C-G
Thymine (T)
Cytosine (C)
Adenine (A)
Guanine (G)
Over 3 billion base pairs, 30,000 genes
Humans are over 99.9% identical
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Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
DNA
Translation
RNA
Transcription
Protein
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Gene Expression
DNA  RNA  Protein
RNA Transcription
Protein Translation
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Human Variability in DNA
• SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms)
• Many examples directly cause disease
– Huntington’s, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular
Dystrophy, etc.
• The ‘environment’ also plays a big role
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Common Cystic Fibrosis Mutation
...Ile Ile Phe Gly...
...AUC AUC UUU GGU...
...AUC AU- --U GGU...
...Ile Il
e Gly...
Normal
CF
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Parents to Children
Mother & Father both Carriers
Children?
1 – Not a carrier (25%)
2 – Carrier (50%)
1 – With CF (25%)
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Gene Environment Interactions
• PKU and consumption of phenylalanine
• Malaria and Sickle Cell gene
• HIV infection and CCR5 receptor variant
• Alcohol intolerance and aldehyde
dehydrogenase
• Beryllium disease (exposure to beryllium)
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Sexual Reproduction
The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
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Stem Cell Differentiation
Princeton University
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Stem Cell Cultivation
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs)
Science and Politics of ESCs research
 August 9, 2001 - President Bush
restricted federal funding of human
embryonic stem cell research to 70
lines thought to be in existence
 Only 11 now available and useable
 Many researchers calling for change
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Blastocyst Diagram
Princeton University
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Human Clones?
Are there human clones?
Yes – Identical Twins
(Time 2.19.01)
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Cloning Defined
• What is cloning?
• Asexual reproduction
• Examples?
• Bacteria, fungus
• Plants – cutting – potato
• Farm animals
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Asexual Reproduction
The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
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Cloning Dolly
1997 - 2003
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Cloning A Sheep
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Human Stem Cell Production
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Removing Nucleus
Removing the maternal nucleus before
nuclear transfer
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Nuclear transfer
Nuclear transfer embryo about to be
activated
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Coning for use in Stem Cells
Cloning techniques for
creating stem cells
Therapeutic cloning
Reproductive cloning
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IVF – In Vitro Fertilization
 Available since 1986
 About 100,000 IVF kids in U.S.
 Often creates extra embryos
 U.S. - About 400,000 frozen
embryos (unregulated)
 England – 52,000 (regulated by
government)
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Questions or Comments?
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Stem Cell - References
Forum on Science Ethics and Policy
(FOSEP – at UW)
http://www.fosep.org/
A Small Dose of Toxicology
www.asmalldoseof.org
The bioscience-bioethics friendship Cooperative
http://www.bioscience-bioethics.org/portal.htm
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Authorship Information
This presentation is supplement to
“A Small Dose of Toxicology”
For Additional Information Contact
Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT
Director, INND
sgilbert@innd.org
smdose@asmalldoseof.org
Web: www.asmalldoseof.org
Stem Cells & Cloning 5/11/05
Bioethics
Van Rensselaer Potter
"Biology combined with diverse
humanistic knowledge forging a
science that sets a system of
medical and environmental
priorities for acceptable survival.“
Global Bioethics (1988)
-------- 1911 - 2001 -------Stem Cells & Cloning 5/11/05