Sacred Cells? takes readers through the twists and turns of stem cell development, providing a brief history of the science and an overview of the competing ethical frameworks people use in approaching the heated debate. Each new scientific advance, from the cloning of Dolly the sheep to the use of engineered cells in humans, had to be carefully considered before proceeding. Rejecting the widely held belief that the ethics of stem cell research turn on the moral status of the embryo, the authors carefully weigh a diversity of ethical problems. Ultimately, they embrace stem cell research and the prospect of increased health and well being it offers. --from publisher description.
The ethical prehistory of stem cells -- From science to ethics in a flash -- Working within the research standards framework -- Three contending frameworks for stem cell ethics -- The embryo protection framework -- The human protection framework -- The future wholeness framework -- Ethical smoke and mirrors in Washington -- The hidden theology behind the international debates -- The Vatican's strong stand -- The Vatican and embryology -- The Vatican argument in a cracked nutshell -- Leon Kass, protector of human nature -- Jewish and Muslim bioethics -- The terror of the chimera -- Justice and the patenting controversy -- The spiritual soul and human dignity -- The ethics of the ethicists -- Theologians say "yes" to regenerative medicine.