Berendtsen, Nicolai Tubæk

Frost, Jeanne Birgit

Knudsen, Peter Alexander

Kyhnauv, Ida Johanne

Køneke, Casper

This study focuses on the ethical challenges regarding differentiation and creation of insulin producing cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We include the development, advantages and disadvantages of using hESCs and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We outline the ethical aspects concerning the use of hESC in research, based on our case as well as ethical and biological theories on the making of hESCs and iPSCs. We likewise include legislation and articles, where ethnical disputes on the use of hESCs and iPSCs are discussed. In addition to Danish legislation, we have also chosen to include Swedish, English, and German legislation on the topic. The four articles, which are chosen to support our case, are from Canada, and China, therefore their legislation on the use of hESCs are included as well. We can conclude, that there are multiple utilitarian and deontological ethical views regarding the use of hESCs and iPSCs. They vary according to the view points on which the arguments are based, whether these are religious, business or legislative, etc. However, from a deontological point of view and if the embryo is regarded as an individual, it must not be used for research. From a utilitarian ethical perspective one can argue that it should be legal to use embryos for research, if the gains include great medical and scientific benefits or achievements. There are religious as well as ethical parallels in the legislation of the countries included in our study. To sum up we can conclude that the legislation on the use of hESCs varies greatly between countries and a uniform approach has not been agreen upon. Based on the more lient legislation in China and Canada and the development of hESCs and iPSCs, we believe that there is evidence, that stem cells will be used in human trials in the near future.This study focuses on the ethical challenges regarding differentiation and creation of insulin producing cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We include the development, advantages and disadvantages of using hESCs and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We outline the ethical aspects concerning the use of hESC in research, based on our case as well as ethical and biological theories on the making of hESCs and iPSCs. We likewise include legislation and articles, where ethnical disputes on the use of hESCs and iPSCs are discussed. In addition to Danish legislation, we have also chosen to include Swedish, English, and German legislation on the topic. The four articles, which are chosen to support our case, are from Canada, and China, therefore their legislation on the use of hESCs are included as well. We can conclude, that there are multiple utilitarian and deontological ethical views regarding the use of hESCs and iPSCs. They vary according to the view points on which the arguments are based, whether these are religious, business or legislative, etc. However, from a deontological point of view and if the embryo is regarded as an individual, it must not be used for research. From a utilitarian ethical perspective one can argue that it should be legal to use embryos for research, if the gains include great medical and scientific benefits or achievements. There are religious as well as ethical parallels in the legislation of the countries included in our study. To sum up we can conclude that the legislation on the use of hESCs varies greatly between countries and a uniform approach has not been agreen upon. Based on the more lient legislation in China and Canada and the development of hESCs and iPSCs, we believe that there is evidence, that stem cells will be used in human trials in the near future

Etiske Aspekter Inden For Brugen Af Humane Embryoniske Stamceller til Insulin Fremstillende Forskning

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Roskilde Universitet