The race toward 'Ethically Universally Acceptable' human pluripotent (embryonic-like) stem cells: Only a problem of sources?

Bioethics

Volumn 25, Issue 5, 2011, Pages 260-266

  Neri, Demetrio ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MESSINA   (Italy)

Author keywords

Benefiting from evil; Indirect complicity; IPS; Potential; Stem cell research

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; EMBRYO RESEARCH; ETHICS; HUMAN; PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL; STEM CELL RESEARCH;

EMBRYO RESEARCH; ETHICAL ANALYSIS; HUMANS; INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS; STEM CELL RESEARCH;

EID: 79956096378     PISSN: 02699702     EISSN: 14678519     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2009.01784.x     Document Type: Article

References (23)

1. President's Council on Bioethics. 2005. Alternative Sources of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. A White Paper. Washington, DC. Available at: [Accessed 2 Feb2009
2. R.M. GreenCan We Develop Ethically Universal Embryonic Stem-cell Lines? Nat Rev Genet20078480-485
3. Green notes that 'rapid progress on human cell dedifferentiation could change the landscape of this debate484
4. K. Takahashi & S. YamanakaInduction of Pluripotent Stem cells from Mouse Embryonic and Adult Fibroblast Cultures by Defined Factors. Cell2006126663-676
5. Commission of the European Communities. 2007. Regulation (EC) N° 1394/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product and Amending Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation (EC) No 726/2004. Official Journal of the European Union. 10.12.2007, L. 324, available at [Accessed 19 Feb2009
6. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 2008. Instruction Dignitatis Personae on Certain Bioethical Questions, Rome, Vatican City, 8 September 2008. Available at: [Accessed 2 Feb2009
7. President's Council, op. cit. note 151
8. See X. LI et alSimple and Efficient Production of Mice Derived from Embryonic Stem Cells Aggregated with Tetraploid Embryo. Mol Reprod Dev200571154-158
9. These are two of the four approaches discussed in the President's Council White Paper, op. cit. note 1
10. J. Harris2007Enhancing EvolutionThe Ethical Case for Making Better People, Princeton: Princeton University Press170
11. J.A. FennelAlternate Nuclear Transfer is no Alternative for Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Bioethics20082284-91
12. Because we can now manipulate matter so that somatic cells can become persons technology has brought home what was previously only a theoretical implication; namely, that there are no inherent restraints on the potential of the DNA in somatic cells852007
13. Interview to Avvenire (the newspaper of the CEI, the Italian catholic bishop's conference) 12 August2001
14. Pontifical Academy for Life. 2001. Declaration on the Production and the Scientific and Therapeutic Use of Human embryonic stem cells. Available at: [Accessed 19 Feb2007
15. R.M. GreenBenefiting from 'Evil'an Incipient Moral Problem in Human Stem Cell Research. Bioethics200216544-556
16. where Green remembers the discussion on the morality of using knowledge (if any) acquired by Nazi experimentation, but in the article focuses only on the uses of materials (derived hESCs). His conclusion is that, provided that the only embryos used are cryopreserved, already destined to perish, then people opposed to embryos' destruction may use them in research and in therapy without incurring moral blame. According to Green, using some of these embryos does not cause their destruction but only dictates the way in which it happens; and this is morally unimportant, given that these embryos are already destined to perish. Nevertheless, this thesis is repudiated by the moral standard-bearers: human embryos in any condition deserve absolute respect (for a critique of Green's thesis, see ). See also, in a similar context, I. de Beaufort & V. English. 2000. Between Pragmatism and Principles? On the Morality of Using the Results of Research that a Country Considers Immoral. In Assisted Conception, ed. by J. Gunning, Ashgate Publishing, Aldershot57-65
17. J-M. Le Méné2006Why Is it a Duty to Protect by Law the Pre-implantation Embryo? In The human embryo before implantation. Scientific Aspects and Bioethical Considerations. Proceeding of the 12th General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life (Vatican City, 27 Feb 27-1 Mar). E. Sgreccia & J. Lafitte, eds. Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Available at: [Accessed: 19 Feb
18. I.Hyun et al.New Advances in iPS Cell Research do not Obviate the Need for Human Embryonic Stem CellsCell Stem Cell20071367-368
19. I.de Beaufort & V. English, op. cit. note 1558
20. Ihave raised this issue already in (see D. Neri. 2001. La bioetica in laboratorio. Cellule staminali, clonazione e salute umana. Roma: Laterza, 2nd edn 2005) and thereafter several times during academic congresses or public debates, challenging catholic theologians and bioethicists to face it and to give an answer to my questions. The answers were always very evasive, sort of 'you could be right in theory, but in practice wait and see2001
21. The Instruction also applies the charge of complicity and scandal to the use of material from aborted fetuses (procured abortion), on which there was some uncertainty among Catholics in the past. For example, Bishop Elio Sgreccia, serving as a member of the Italian National Bioethics Committee, approved an Opinion on 'Cellular Therapy for Huntington's disease through fetal neurons' on the basis of a clear separation between abortion and the following harvesting of neural tissues. The Instruction condemns this use, affirming that the criterion of independence, as it has been formulated by some ethics committees, is not sufficient to avoid the risk of scandal. 20 May 20, 2005, sect. 35: available at: [Accessed 2 Feb 2009]. See also R. Doerflinger. The Ethics of Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Kennedy Inst Ethics J19991137-150
22. in the same issue, see for a critique J.A. Robertson. Ethics and Policy in Embryonic Stem Cell Research1109-136
23. Congregation, op. cit. note 5, sect. 35