Stem cell research need not be carried out utilizing human embryos.
Stem cells still lack integral and exhaustive legislation in Italy and in the European Union. The use of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESC) for cell therapy seems to be encumbered with several disadvantages, such as the frequency of aneuploidy and the risk of tumour development (i.e. formation of teratomes). In addition, the capacity for indefinite growth of ESC, which first seems to confer them an advantage, may become potentially harmful if some ESC contaminate the transplantation of their derived differentiated cells. This is, in part, contrasted by the ease of obtaining and expanding adult or cord blood-derived stem cells in vitro, and by their transdifferentiation capacity (the so-called somatic stem cell 'plasticity'). Moreover, ethical considerations make us plead against the use of human embryos for stem cell research. First and foremost, there is the ethical position that it is never permissible to stop human life in order to prolong human life, except in self-defence. We must maintain that a human embryo certainly constitutes a new human life with the direct potential of one day becoming a human infant. Therefore, human embryo should not be considered just a 'cluster of cells' but a 'person'. Humanity is at a philosophical crossroads and we need to speak up in favour of the dignity of human life from its very inception.
Mancuso
Salvatore
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. salmancuso@rm.unicatt.it
D001675:Bioethics; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D019369:Life; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*