title: Balancing Ethical Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Derived Gametes.
abstract: In this review we aim to provide an overview of the most important ethical pros and cons of stem cell derived gametes (SCD-gametes), as a contribution to the debate about reproductive tissue engineering. Derivation of gametes from stem cells holds promising applications both for research and for clinical use in assisted reproduction. We explore the ethical issues connected to gametes derived from embryonic stem cells (both patient specific and non-patient specific) as well as those related to gametes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. The technology of SCD-gametes raises moral concerns of how reproductive autonomy relates to issues of embryo destruction, safety, access, and applications beyond clinical infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Seppe.Segers@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Seppe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Segers
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mertes
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Research Schools CAPHRI and GROW, Maastricht University, Peter Debyeplein 1, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Wert
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Research Schools CAPHRI and GROW, Maastricht University, Peter Debyeplein 1, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wybo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dondorp
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pennings
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D001675:Bioethics; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells; D000066449:Human Embryonic Stem Cells; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000941:ethics*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000941:ethics*
keywords: Artificial gametes; Assisted reproductive technologies; Embryo research; Gametogenesis; Infertility; Parenthood; Stem cells