Embryonic potential and stem cells

Bioethics

Volumn 21, Issue 4, 2007, Pages 198-207

  Agar, Nicholas ^a  

^a VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON   (New Zealand)

Author keywords

Clonote; Embryo; Embryonic stem cell research; Potential; Stem cell

Indexed keywords

BIOETHICS; EMBRYONIC STEM CELL; FERTILITY; FERTILIZATION IN VITRO; HUMAN; HUMAN CLONING; HUMAN EMBRYO; INFERTILITY; MEDICAL RESEARCH; MEDICOLEGAL ASPECT; MORALITY; REVIEW; SPERM; UNITED KINGDOM;

EMBRYO RESEARCH; EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS; FERTILIZATION IN VITRO; HUMANS; MORALS;

EID: 33947281557     PISSN: 02699702     EISSN: 14678519     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2006.00533.x     Document Type: Review

References (27)

1. P. McHugh. Zygote and 'Clonote' - The Ethical Use of Embryonic Stem Cells. N Engl J Med 2004; 351(3): 209-211;
2. R. Green. 2001. The Human Embryo Research Debates: Bioethics in the Vortex of Controversy. Oxford. Oxford University Press;
3. R. Green. Benefiting from 'Evil': An Incipient Moral Problem in Embryo Research. Bioethics. 2002; 16(6): 544-556.
4. See for example M. Tooley. Abortion and Infanticide. Philos Public Aff 1972; 2(1): 37-65
5. and P. Singer. 1993. Practical Ethics: Second Edition. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
6. See J. McMahan. 2002. The Ethics of Killing: Problems at the Margins of Life. Oxford. Oxford University Press: 312 for the example of the dog whose intelligence might be enhanced so that it satisfies the conditions for personhood.
7. See Singer, op. cit. p. 87.
8. See for example his testimony in front of the US Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. Available at http://appropriations.senate.gov/releases/record.cfm?id=179833 [Accessed 15 May 2006].
9. Green. 2001, op. cit. note 2, chapter 7;
10. Green. 2002, op. cit. note 2.
11. Green. 2002, op. cit. note 2, p. 555.
12. Ibid. p. 555.
13. For an account of embryo adoption see P. Belluck. It's Not So Easy to Adopt an Embryo. New York Times 2005, June 12.
14. McHugh, op. cit. note 2, p. 210.
15. Ibid. p. 210.
16. For Senator Hatch's statement see http://hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm? FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=727 [Accessed 15 May 2006].
17. Available at http://hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases. Detail&PressRelease_id=727 [Accessed 15 May 2006].
18. Compare Hatch's claims about the beginning of human life with Michael West's classification of SCNT embryos as 'cellular', but not 'human' life. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june02/cloning_west.html [Accessed 15 May 2006].
19. M. Mahowald. Self-preservation: An Argument for Therapeutic Cloning, and a Strategy for Fostering Respect for Moral Integrity. Am J Bioeth 2004; 4(2): p. 57.
20. This point is made in Robert George and Patrick Lee, 'Acorns and Embryos' http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/7/georgelee.htm [Accessed 15 May 2006].
21. See McMahan, op. cit. note 4, pp. 302-329.
22. See M. Ridley. 2003. Nature via Nuture: Genes, Experience and What makes us Human. London. Fourth Estate for very user-friendly description of the interactionist view of development.
23. Thanks to Robert Wachbroit for encouraging me to think about this point.
24. http://www.parliament.uk/post/pn174.pdf [Accessed 15 May 2006].
25. C. Krauthammer. Crossing Lines: A Secular Argument Against Research Cloning. New Repub 2002; April 29 expresses this concern.
26. Pancreatic islet cells have been particularly difficult to produce from human embryonic stem cells. See E. Finkel. 2005. Stem Cells: Controversy at the Frontiers of Science. Sydney. Australian Broadcasting Commission Books: chapter eight.
27. See for example Wesley J. Smith, 'The False Promise of "Therapeutic' Cloning" The Weekly Standard Volume 007, Issue 25. Available at http://www.weeklystandard.com/content/public/articles/000/000/000/972qujyx.asp [Accessed 15 May 2006].