ELSI and Stem Cells Research To do or not to do or how to do it Somsak Chunharas.

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


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


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


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


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


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


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?


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Most countries belong to the group Most countries belong to the group

““No Explicit Ruling of Any Kind”No Explicit Ruling of Any Kind”


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


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)


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



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


Aborted Embryos Aborted Embryos cannot be used for any purposescannot be used for any purposesexcept from spontaneous abortionexcept from spontaneous abortion


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



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



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



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

ELSI and Stem Cells Research To do or not to do or how to do it Somsak Chunharas.

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Transcript of ELSI and Stem Cells Research To do or not to do or how to do it Somsak Chunharas.