Stem Cell Research in a Catholic Institution: Yes or No?

Catholic teaching has no moral difficulties with research on stem cells derived from adult stem cells or fetal cord blood. The ethical problem comes with embryonic stem cells since their genesis involves the destruction of a human embryo. However, there seems to be significant promise of health bene...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Kennedy Institute of Ethics journal 2006-03, Vol.16 (1), p.73-98
Main Authors: Prieur, Michael R, Atkinson, Joan, Hardingham, Laurie, Hill, David, Kernaghan, Gillian, Miller, Debra, Morton, Sandy, Rowell, Mary, Vallely, John F, Wilson, Suzanne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aborted Fetus - cytology
Beginning of Human Life - ethics
Bioethics
Biotechnology
Blood & organ donations
Catholic churches
Catholicism
Chronic illnesses
Complicity
Cooperation
Education
Embryo Research - ethics
Embryo, Mammalian - cytology
Embryology, Experimental
Embryos
Ethics
Guidelines as Topic
Hospitals, Religious - ethics
Humans
Medical research
Moral and religious aspects
Participation
Religion and science
Roman Catholics
Stem cell research
Stem Cell Transplantation
Stem Cells
Theology
Vaccines
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Catholic teaching has no moral difficulties with research on stem cells derived from adult stem cells or fetal cord blood. The ethical problem comes with embryonic stem cells since their genesis involves the destruction of a human embryo. However, there seems to be significant promise of health benefits from such research. Although Catholic teaching does not permit any destruction of human embryos, the question remains whether researchers in a Catholic institution, or any researchers opposed to destruction of human embryos, could participate in research on cultured embryonic stem cells, or whether a Catholic institution could use any therapy that ultimately results from such research. This position paper examines how such research could be conducted legitimately in a Catholic institution by using an ethical analysis involving a narrative context, the nature of the moral act, and the principle of material cooperation, along with references to significant ethical assessments. It also offers tentative guidelines that could be used by a Catholic institution in implementing such research.
ISSN:1054-6863
1086-3249
1086-3249
DOI:10.1353/ken.2006.0005