Stem Cells – Historical Background and Ethical, Legal and Theological Issues
Stem cells were found about 20 years ago.
First the idea was striking but no-one knew what to do with it. The stem cells were taken from embryos that died and were used first for transplantation of specific organs – for example – a patient with Parkinson disease was transplanted with basal ganglia cells of an embryo who died. The assumption was that this kind of treatment will cure Parkinson, and later on there were thoughts in the same way to treat Diabetes Mellitus by transplanting pancreatic embryonic stem cells.
Recently there was a big and meaningful
discovery – researchers from the Faculty of Medicine in the Technion (Haifa, Israel) found a way to grow embryonic stem cells into pulsating myocardial cells – mimicking the development of a natural pacemaker, and later on, building an "artificial" all natural heart that will be able to replace a failing heart.
However, with all these big
discoveries, there still several very important ethical and moral issues – for example:
Is it moral to abort an embryo in order to "produce" new stem cells for curing adult patients?
Is it legal to develop embryos and to abort them in a certain time during a healthy pregnancy?
Is it ethical for the medical society to think and make plans this way – so that the powerful adults will control and use other inferior populations for its own benefit and purpose?
Who will control such a process? The academy? The world health organization? The government? Are there any limits to this process? What are the borders and how can we distinguish between good and bad? Who will decide what is bad and what is right and necessary?
So as you can see, many theological, ethical and legal issues were raised due to this discovery and in a way – delayed the progression and the "full speed" discoveries that were expected to follow.
Last week – a new discovery changed the whole story – and I will discuss it the next article.