Post on 27-Dec-2015
ELSI and Stem Cells Research
To do or not to do or how to do it
Somsak Chunharas
25-11-03 STEM CELL ELSI2
Why ELSI and Advanced Bio-medical Research
Generic double-edged nature of scientific discoveries well documented in human history
Knowledge about the most basic unit of life unique to individual may be difficult to handle
Prevailing values towards life and society ( what is life/eugenic/survival of the fittest/inter-dependent/coexistence) will undoubtedly dictate how we view research and its results
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Society has become more skeptic about scientific progress and collective good that can be attained
Intellectual properties sharing is becoming a more complex issue – who are entitled to share the benefits
Commercialization of scientific progresses
Why ELSI and Advanced Bio-medical Research
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From sciences point of view, neglect of ELSI will eventually deter scientific progress
From society point of view,failure to handle ELSI properly will lead tolost opportunities
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Facing Our Fundamental Values Facing Our Fundamental Values towards Life and Livingtowards Life and Living
How do we view conception? When does “human life” begin?
How much do we favour eugenics? Relationship between individuals in
the society : domination and exploit or care and help
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How do we live and deal with “risk”?
Fundamentalism or Pragmatism : can our values about life and living shift and change to accommodate/embrace new technologies?
Facing Our Fundamental Values Facing Our Fundamental Values towards Life and Livingtowards Life and Living
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ELSI Issues in (Embryonic) Stem Cell Research
What is life? What do we consider as human? What is the the status of an embryo?
Who owns embryo? Commercialization of human parts/tissues –
sperms and eggs (for production of embryo) Living spare parts – human right and dignity Somatic cell transfer of human cells
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Difficult Questions that Need to be Addressed
Can we do research on embryo at the expenses of a potential human life?
Is it ethical to trade a (potential) human life with a potential treatment?
Is it ethical to fertilize embryo purposefully for stem cell harvesting?
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Is it ethical to use already fertilized ovum (through IVF) for stem cells? Who has the right to those embryos?
Is it ethical to do somatic cell nuclear transfer to produce stem cell? Is it possible to prevent them from being used for cloning new human beings?
Is it ethical to sell eggs and sperms?
Difficult Questions that Need to be Addressed
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What have been done to address the issues?
Consulting religious groups – no single set of values towards the beginning of life
Consulting the legal experts – different rulings re the use of (thawed) embryo and commercialization of eggs and sperms and other human tissues
consulting the society – inadequately informed and too diverse value to reach consensus
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Religious Views about the beginning of Life
Islam 120 days after fertilization relative benefits to be weighted
Buddhist depending on who you asked no concept of fertilization and embryo 3 conditions for the beginning of human life
Christianity catholic – absolutely non-negotiable scientists – 14 days after fertilization
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NOT ONLYNOT ONLYNo single set of values and judgment No single set of values and judgment across religionsacross religions
BUTBUTNo single (unanimous) value and judgmentNo single (unanimous) value and judgmentwithin each religionwithin each religion
ALSOALSONo single (unanimous) values even among those No single (unanimous) values even among those belonging to the same religion in the same countrybelonging to the same religion in the same country
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Rulings So Far
Research on embryo not allowed at all allowed only for those coming from
fertilization not from somatic cell transfer allowed for those below 14 days (regardless
of sources) – England
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Use of (thawed) Embryo acceptable upon consent from both parents no clear ruling in case of death or divorces no commercialization is allowed/accepted unused embryo must be destroyed unused embryo must be kept indefinitely
Rulings So Far
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Commercialisation and use of eggs and sperms to produce new embryo for ES no sale of any human tissues are allowed no explicit ruling against sale of human tissues of any
kind socially unacceptable to sale tissues for health or
even research purposes ( donation only) prohibiting doctors from obtaining eggs for purposes
other than IVF no explicit ruling against IVF for ES
Rulings So Far
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Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer absolutely not allowed allowed for ES harvesting only (therapeutic
cloning) but not for reproductive purposes ruling prohibiting medical personnel to do
SCNT no ruling
Rulings So Far
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Intellectual Property Sharing Owners of tissues are not entitled to IP
benefits though cell lines were produced out of the tissues obtained
there should be explicit statement about IP sharing in the consent form when obtaining tissues for research (whether yes or no)
Rulings So Far
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Most countries belong to the group Most countries belong to the group
““No Explicit Ruling of Any Kind”No Explicit Ruling of Any Kind”
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Key Infrastructure Needed(I)
(Re)inventing key social institution the media S&T authoritative bodies Religious institutions Educational institutions
Inventing new institutions National ELSI bodies? vs civic ELSI Groups
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New legislative framework law governing IVF or Reproductive health in
general law dealing with scientific practices laws governing medical practitioners law on intellectual property – international and
national additional rules and regulation in ethical
research conduct
Key Infrastructure Needed(II)
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Sources of Stem Cells human fetal tissues from spontaneous
abortion human embryos (from IVF) but before
reaching stage of mesoderm formation umbilical cord blood and adult homatopoietic
stem cells fully informed consents needed for all sources Use limited for specific studies
Examples of Guidelines on Selected Issues in Thailand
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Examples of Guidelines on Selected Issues in Thailand
Use of (Thawed) Embryo Use for research permissible under consent Consent for research use should be voluntary and
donor will put no further claim of ownership consent for research obtained separately from the
treatment process, with no incentives (discount) Consent should be for specific studies use for research only when no need for infertility
treatment Embryo with no traceable parents cannot be used
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Aborted Embryos Aborted Embryos cannot be used for any purposescannot be used for any purposesexcept from spontaneous abortionexcept from spontaneous abortion
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Eggs and Sperms acquisition for research voluntary and fully informed with informed
consent of eggs and sperms donation primary purposes of donation should be for
treatment of infertility no explicit prohibition to use sperms and eggs
to directly produce ES for research Use for ES research should be consented
only for left-over embryos
Examples of Guidelines on Selected Issues in Thailand
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SCNT permissible for ES research but not for
reproductive cloning SCNT across species not allowed Thai Medical Council prohibited doctors from
carrying out cloning(SCNT) for any purposes
Examples of Guidelines on Selected Issues in Thailand
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Use of adult stem cell and umbilicord stem cell for research acquisition should be on voluntary basis only donation only with no compensation of any
kind fully informed consent needed for those
donation no subsequent claim of ownership from the
side of the donor
Examples of Guidelines on Selected Issues in Thailand
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Rules and Regulations on ELSI will be in place
before the final successes and failures of all promising advanced research
They may affect the speed but not the outcome of scientific development