The Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics at Loyola University

Looking ahead to "artificial" sperm and eggs

The possibility of sperm or eggs being created from pluripotent stem cells has been a hot topic of discussion in Britain over the last few months. The subject's come up as part of the broader debate about the upcoming vote on the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill. (The Britsh press has tagged these stem-cell-derived gametes with the modifier "artificial.") Sperm and eggs created in this manner could potentially open new avenues for treating infertility. They also could allow same-sex couples to produce children biologically related to both partners. But skeptics warn the technique could also lead to what one British interest group called "the ultimate incest": one person supplying both egg and sperm for a child.

The Hinxton Group, "an informal collection of individuals interested in ethical and well-regulated science," released a consensus statement (pdf) recently about sperm and eggs derived from pluripotent stem cells. The paper includes a look at some of the social implications of these gametes, as well as a handful of recommendations. Here's one of them:

Societies have the authority to regulate science, and scientists have a responsibility to obey the law. However, policy makers should refrain from interfering with scientific inquiry unless there is substantial justification for doing so that reaches beyond disagreements based solely on divergent moral convictions. Any interference with scientific inquiry should be derived from reasonable concerns about demonstrable risks of harm to persons, societal institutions, or society as a whole. In the case of PSC-derived gametes, as with all science, it is important to target policy specifically to those dimensions of the research or its applications that have proved to be unacceptable, and that these policies be proportionate to the magnitude of what is morally at stake.

The heart of the paper is only three pages long and it's a quick way to get up to speed on this topic.

-Greg Dahlmann

contribute a comment

Your contributions to the conversation are very much appreciated. We do have a few simple guidelines, though. Be civil. Stay on topic. We reserve the right to remove comments that violate the aforementioned guidelines. One more thing: comments are moderated, so it may take a little while for your comment to be posted. Thanks.

what is this?

A 'Nature Top 50' science blog by the editors, staff and friends of The American Journal of Bioethics. Science writes: "To follow the latest twists in ... science stories with social impact, dive into this Web log"

The original story behind this blog

What people are saying about blog.bioethics.net

recently on blog.bioethics.net

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Karlawish Votes for Ballots on Wheels

With the upcoming Presidential election, Jason Karlawish, from the University of Pennsylvania, says that he's worried that the elderly in long-term care facilities won't get... (more)

this blog's feed

  • Subscribe
    • XML
    • Google Reader or Homepage
    • Add to My Yahoo!
    • Subscribe with Bloglines
    • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
    • Add to My AOL
    • Convert RSS to PDF
    • Add to Technorati Favorites!
    • Add to your phone
    • Get RSS Buttons

info

archives

tags