Bioethical Issues in Stem Cell Research

Abstract

A rapid growth and progress in the field of biotechnology have also added a number of ethical and policy issues particularly related to stem cell research. The stem cells have the potential to differentiate into different types of specialized cells and tissues in our body. The human derived stem cells are pluripotent having a great potential to be used as regenerative medicine and cell replacement therapies useful for the treatment of many diseases. This possibility is more effective when these stem cells are derived from human embryos. It is important that the embryonic stem cells must be obtained from early human embryos. It means that a potential human life needs to be destroyed for saving the life of another person. This raises a number of ethical issues and as we proceed towards the future in stem cell research closer to clinical use. There will be more ethical issues arising related to accessibility to the patients and its efficiency. In this article we have discussed the earlier and the current status covering the most significant bioethical issues related to stem cell research.