Bioethics and the Future of Stem Cell Research

This book provides a sophisticated yet accessible account of emerging trends in stem cell research and their accompanying ethical issues.

Insoo Hyun (Author)

9780521127318, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 June 2013

235 pages, 11 b/w illus.
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.39 kg

'As the caravan of stem cell science has raced ahead at breakneck pace over the past decade, Insoo Hyun has been riding shotgun, facilitating some of our field's most critical deliberations, and challenging us to set a socially responsible course for this transformative research. In this wonderfully accessible book for both expert and layperson, Hyun navigates the dynamic relationship between philosophical and research ethics to dissect stem cell research with the philosopher's scalpel, applying the incisive edge of pure reason in perfect balance with the practical imperatives that this new science offers our society. Hyun speaks with an authoritative voice on science, medicine, policy, and philosophical realms in which answers are harder to come by than in the laboratory.' George Q. Daley, Director, Stem Cell Transplantation Program, Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Professor, Harvard Medical School

Despite years of heated social controversy over the use of human embryos in embryonic stem cell research, the caravan of stem cell science continues to proceed at an unrelenting pace all around the world. Bioethics and the Future of Stem Cell Research urges readers to look beyond the embryo debate to a much wider array of ethical issues in basic stem cell science and clinical translational research, including research involving adult and induced pluripotent stem cells. Insoo Hyun offers valuable insights into complex ethical issues ranging from pre-clinical animal studies to clinical trials and stem cell tourism, all presented through a unique blend of philosophy, literature and the history of science, as well as with Dr Hyun's extensive practical experiences in international stem cell policy formation. This thoughtful book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the science of stem cells and the practical and philosophical elements of research ethics.

1. Prologue: the dogs bark but the caravan moves on
2. A shifting terrain: the dynamics of stem cell research
3. The golden bridle I: philosophical research ethics
4. The golden bridle II: practical research ethics
5. Pegasus and the Chimera: stem cell-based animal research
6. The limit case: acute human/non-human neurological chimerism
7. Human trials: testing stem cell-based biologics in patients
8. Still the sky is blue: stem cell tourism and medical innovation.

Subject Areas: Cellular biology [cytology PSF], Bio-ethics [PSAD], Forensic medicine [MMQ], Medical ethics & professional conduct [MBDC], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ]