Ethics
Philosophical study of moral values and rules Ethics (from the Ancient Greek thikos, the adjective of thos "custom, habit"), a major branch of philosophy, is the study of values and customs of a person or group Ethics covers the analysis and employment of concepts such as right and wrong, good and evil, and responsibility Ethics can usefully be defined as the branch of philosophy concerned with how we should decide what is Morally RIGHT or WRONG.
The facts:
The m-RNA coding for the H-2 relaxin protein had been isolated from ovarian tissue removed in the treatment of an ectopic pregnancy.
(ii) The use of the ovarian tissue for the purposes of the patent amounted to a form of slavery since it involved dismemberment of women and their piecemeal sale to commercial enterprises. This infringed the human right to self-determination (iii) To patent human genes meant that human life was being patented, which is intrinsically immoral.
Potentials
Currently stem cells of both types are being tested to treat many conditions, including: Alzheimer's disease, blood disorders, blood loss, baldness, blindness, cystic fibrosis, deafness, diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, liver damage, lupus, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and stroke Stem cells have also been used to fight cancer, treat dogs and race horses, and provide tissue for human breast implants and replacement teeth
Potential Risks of SC
Stem cells could divide uncontrollably to form tumours called teratocarcinomas Stem cells might also become cancerous in the lab. The most significant hurdle to utilize stem cells is immune rejection. As with any tissue transplant (from a donor other than an identical twin), the body will recognize ESCs as foreign and mount an attack which could be fatal for the invidual. ESC recipients would have to take immune suppressant drugs for the rest of their lives.
If the method can be perfected then it could quell the ethical debate troubling the field