• Question: What do you say to those who oppose embryonic stem cell research on moral grounds?

    Asked by maneja to Anzy, Aoife, Dave, Matt, Tomasz on 12 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Matthew Tomlinson

      Matthew Tomlinson answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      Hi maneja

      I think it’s a very tricky area as you have to be sensitive when dealing with people’s beliefs and it is something of an ethical minefield. It depends on whether you think the cells are alive, for me at the stage embryonic stem cells are made they are not alive. Also they are mostly made from embryos created for IVF treatment and will probably be destroyed because they are not needed, so I think something valuable should come from that rather than it be wasted.

      The embryonic stem cell biologists will be able to give you a better answer but that is my opinion as somebody who works on adult stem cells.

      Hope that helps

    • Photo: Anzy Miller

      Anzy Miller answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      I completely agree with Matthew. If human embryos are left over anyway from IVF treatment, it seems a good idea not to waste them and use them for research in the hope that we can better medicines for the future.

      But the big ethical and moral question is, when do we say the embryo is alive and so has the same moral status as a person?

      But if we think as a population its our duty to prevent and/or alleviate suffering, we need the research to understand how to do this, and so using these stem cells will help us do this.

    • Photo: David Christensen

      David Christensen answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      I have a very good friend who believes that using embryonic stem cells is wrong and also believes that IVF is wrong because both use embryos, without all of them being allowed to develop naturally into people. I respect that he believes that life starts when an egg is fertilised and that this developing embryo is the same as a person. I do not agree and do not belief they are the same, so I am happy to do embryonic stem cell research. This belief is a personal choice that everyone can have and I respect it. I do not think it is possible to tell someone that they are wrong in their belief as to when an embryo stops being a ball of cells and starts being a human with rights.

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