Renewing the stuff of life : stem cells, ethics, and public policy

Stem cell therapy is ushering in a new era of medicine in which we will be able to repair human organs and tissue at their most fundamental level- that of the cell. The power of stem cells to regenerate cells of specific types, such as heart, liver, and muscle, is unique and extraordinary. In 1998 researchers learned how to isolate and culture embryonic stem cells, which are only obtainable through the destruction of human embryos. An ethical debate has raged since then about the ethics of this research, usually pitting pro-life advocates vs. those who see the great promise of curing some of humanity's most persistent diseases. In this book Cynthia Cohen agrees that we need to work toward a consensus on the issue of how we treat the embryo. But more broadly she claims that we need to transform and expand the ethical and policy debates on stem cells (adult and embryonic). This important and much-needed book is both a primer and a means by which to understand the implications of this research. Cohen starts by introducing readers to the basic science of stem cell research, and the core ethical questions surrounding the embryo. She then expands the scope of the debate, looking at the moral questions that will crop up down the line, such as e.g. the use of therapeutic cloning to overcome the body's immune resistance to stem cells; the ethics of using animals to test stem cells; how to disentangle federal and state legal and regulatory policies in pursuit of a coherent national policy; and how to develop an ethics of stem cell research that will accommodate new techniques and controversies that we cannot even foresee now. Her final chapter develops a concrete plan for an oversight system for this research. This is the first single-author book that addresses the many broad ethical and legal issues related to stem cells, and it should be of great interest to bioethicists, researchers, clinicians, philosophers, theologians, lawyers, policy makers, and general readers. Doody Review Services Reviewer: Donald E. Kallembach, MS(Saint Louis University) Description: This is an analysis of the ethical, religious, and policy implications arising from stem cell research, culminating in the author's argument for a national policy on stem cell research that is adequate for overseeing the "sensitive ethical issues that stem cell research poses for [our] society. Purpose: The book aims to expand the depth and breadth of the stem cell debate. The author proposes that the ethical challenges of stem cell research are poorly addressed by current United States policies and that the technical, regulatory, and ethical challenges are more aptly handled in other nations such as the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany. Audience: The author uses plain language and well reasoned arguments to provide a book that is informative and accessible to nonscientists and nonethicists. Notably, the readability of the book does not detract from its scholarly weight or the author's authority on the subject. Features: The well balanced arguments describe current philosophical and theological thinking on the moral significance of human embryonic stem cells. The book includes an excellent battery of references, a glossary of terms, and five appendixes that include policies from the National Institute of Health and President George W. Bush's 2001 speech on stem cell research. Assessment: The most compelling part of this book is the discussion of the metaphysical implications for the moral significance of human embryos. The author also discusses the moral status of embryos from five religious perspectives, although these sections are less comprehensive. In the end, the author convincingly advocates for a national stem cell review panel to provide research oversight. Given the potential for unforeseen ethical eventualities of stem cell research and the mix of public and private interests in developing regenerative medicine, her advice seems well placed. Stem cell therapy is ushering in a new era of medicine in which we will be able to repair human organs and tissue at their most fundamental level- that of the cell. The power of stem cells to regenerate cells of specific types, such as heart, liver, and muscle, is unique and extraordinary. In 1998 researchers learned how to isolate and culture embryonic stem cells, which are only obtainable through the destruction of human embryos. An ethical debate has raged since then about the ethics of this research, usually pitting pro-life advocates vs. those who see the great promise of curing some of humanity's most persistent diseases. In this book Cynthia Cohen agrees that we need to work toward a consensus on the issue of how we treat the embryo. But more broadly she claims that we need to transform and expand the ethical and policy debates on stem cells (adult and embryonic). This important and much-needed book is both a primer and a means by which to understand the implications of this research. Cohen starts by introducing readers to the basic science of stem cell research, and the core ethical questions surrounding the embryo. She then expands the scope of the debate, looking at the moral questions that will crop up down the line, such as e.g. the use of therapeutic cloning to overcome the body's immune resistance to stem cells; the ethics of using animals to test stem cells; how to disentangle federal and state legal and regulatory policies in pursuit of a coherent national policy; and how to develop an ethics of stem cell research that will accommodate new techniques and controversies that we cannot even foresee now. Her final chapter develops a concrete plan for an oversight system for this research. This is the first single-author book that addresses the many broad ethical and legal issues related to stem cells, and it should be of great interest to bioethicists, researchers, clinicians, philosophers, theologians, lawyers, policy makers, and general readers. "Renewing the Stuff of Life offers the first truly comprehensive picture of the scientific, ethical, policy, social, political, and business issues raised by stem cell research since it exploded onto the national scene in 1998." "Cynthia B. Cohen explains just what stem cells are, where they come from, and how they function, bringing in the most recent scientific discoveries in this challenging field. She then takes the reader through the leading secular and religious arguments regarding the compelling question of the moral significance of embryos. In response, she offers a way to meet our responsibilities both to very early embryos and to those who are sick and suffering, while taking into account basic values at the heart of our democratic polity. The notion of human dignity receives new treatment here in an explosion of the moral import of creating human-nonhuman chimeras in stem cell research."--Jacket