title: Stem cell research policies: who's afraid of complicity?
abstract: Countries that oppose embryo destruction for research purposes can forbid the production of human embryonic stem cell lines on their territory, but these cell lines are nevertheless produced abroad. Therefore, these countries also need to determine if their position on embryo destruction allows them to import and use existing stem cell lines. It is claimed that those who genuinely believe that stem cell derivation is wrong should avoid contributing to it, benefiting from it or even tolerating it when it takes place elsewhere. If not, they become complicit to an act they claim to oppose, which is hypocritical. Rather than arguing that compromise positions are flawed because they do not avoid complicity, we argue that the bar is set too high. When considering all the values that a country adheres to, a country cannot go to extremes in its opposition to human embryonic stem cell research. The illusion that it should (supported by both opponents and supporters of the research) leads to policies that impose disproportionate limitations on stem cell research in light of the other values that these restrictive countries stand for.
authors.affiliation: Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Heidi.Mertes@UGent.be
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mertes
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pennings
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D028661:Complicity; D019924:Embryo Disposition / Q000941:ethics; D033041:Embryo Research / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells; D006801:Humans; D011640:Public Policy