Theraputic Uses Of EMbryos

Question 1

Human Embryonic Stem Cells - KU

Answer 1

• The word therapeutic means medicine or medical treatment used for healing disorders or diseases
• Embryos can play an important role as thye are the source of human embryonic stem cells, which can be used to treat certain disorders or diseases
• Small numbers of stem cells can be taken from the human embryo and cultured in a laboratory, where thye are divided to make copies of themselves for a long period of time
• Human Stem CElls are very valuable in medicine because of their unique properties: not only can they continue to divide and renew themselves for. Long periods of time, thye are also undifferentiated or unspecialliased cells
• This means that they have the ability to differentiate into many different specialised cell types such as brain, bone marrow or heart cells, which could the be used to treat diseases such as heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and leukaemia

Question 2

Therapeutic Cloning

Answer 2

• Another way that embryos can be created, in order to generate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is through therapeutic cloning.
• The process involves an egg cell being given by a donor. This egg cell has its nucleus removed and it is replaced with a nucleus from the patients cell
  -The stem is then stimulated to divide and develops into an embryo
• After four or five days, stem cells are removed and cultured for therapeutic use
• Therapeutic and reproductive cloning share many of the same techniques and processes, the main difference is that they are used to bring about different purposes
• Therapeutic cloning aims to create embryonic stem cells for therapeutic treatment while reproductive cloning aims to develop that embryo to create a complete copy of the mammal

Question 3

Moral Issues raised by therapeutic cloning; THe supply of human eggs

Answer 3

• IF the embryos are not left over from IVF, then human egg cells need to be donated as part of the process
• As part of the natural monthly cycle, a woman will usually only produce one or two eggs; to increase the number of eggs produced then stimulators medicines are taken which can cause harm.
• The surgery itself to retrieve the eggs isnt considered compelx, but like any surgery it can be dangerous
• There are moral concerns about putting a persons health at risk to create embryos that will be used for research

Question 4

Moral Issues raised by therapeutic cloning; The embryo as a commodity

Answer 4

• The HFEA stipulates that it is illegal to pay for egg donation in the UK, with donors able to receive compensation of up to 750 pounds
• There are however other countries that will pay more in the line of compensation, with a quick internet search finding some private companies in the USA offering to pay $10000 plus expenses per cycle
• There are also press releases highlighting the black-market trade in human eg cells, in which women are recruited and paid to produce eggs hat are harvested then sold to illegal fertility agencies

Question 5

Moral Issues raised by therapeutic cloning; Means to an end

Answer 5

• There is a moral argument that creating human embryos for research purposes and to harves mbryonic stem cells is simply a means to an end.
• The embryo is not in any way important; it is the result of embryonic stem cells for therapy that matters. Many consider this morally wrong

Question 6

Religious Response to moral issues raised by Therapeutic uses of embryos; The Roman Catholic CHruch

Answer 6

• In a piece of writing known as Dignitas Personae, the Roman Catholic Church outed that the use of embryonic stem cells presented serious problems
• The church also condemned therapeutic cloning, stating that ‘it is gravely immoral to sacrifice a human life for therapeutic ends’
• Creating embryos with the intention of destroying them is ‘incompatible with human dignity’
• This is a direct response to the moral issue of using embryos as a means to an end

Question 7

Religious Response to moral issues raised by Therapeutic uses of embryos; The Church OF England

Answer 7

• They hold a similar view that research using embryonic stem cells should not be ruled out out, however, it would be better to find an alternative source for stem cells that avoided the destruction of embryos

Question 8

Non-Religious Response to moral issues raised by Therapeutic uses of embryos; Utilitarianism

Answer 8

• If the consequences of an action bring more pleasure or happiness - than pain - then a utilitarian is likely to be in favour of taking that action
• As the embryonic stem cells are to be used to treat illness and disease, thereby reducing human suffering and pain then the Utilitarian viewpoint would approve of the therapeutic use of embryos

Question 9

Non-Religious Response to moral issues raised by Therapeutic uses of embryos; The British Medical Association (BMA)

Answer 9

• The BMA is an independent trade union that represents doctors throughout the UK.
• The BMA is very strongly in favour of the therapeutic uses of embryos and embryonic stem cells.
• Furthermore the BMA also approves of therapeutic cloning and using hybrid human and animal cells to develop human embryonic stem cells