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Sheena Ranade Franklin High School DPRK Ethics of Stem Cell Research Stem cell research has the potential to find cures for diseases millions of people around the world are currently suffering from. It is because of this immense potential that the methods on how stem cell research should be conducted and its ethical or moral standings are in great debate around the globe. Stem cells are essentially unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division, and which, under certain conditions, can differentiate to become cells with special functions.1 Stem cell technology (SCT) can lead to advancement in the field of regenerative medicine. For example, with this research, scientists can discover a way to make stem cells specialize as cardiac muscle cells, and therefore find a way to replace dead heart cells in a patient with the new ones, making the person healthier and eliminating disease. SCT can lead to cures for illnesses such as heart disease, type I diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and many other sicknesses millions of people around the world suffer from today. Over two billion humans worldwide suffer from these and other diseases that may eventually be treated more effectively with stem cells or even cured.2 Research requires the use of many stem cells. The majority of stem cells used for research usually come from two places—human embryos and the cloning of adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs fertilized in vitro.3 Adult stem cells are unspecialized cells among differentiated cells in a tissue or an organ that can renew itself and become specialized. Adult stem cells would need to be 1 Stem Cell Basics Methods of obtaining embryonic stem cells with, perhaps, fewer ethical objections 3 Stem Cell Basics 2 cloned because they are rare and extremely difficult to obtain, so it is necessary to clone the few that are obtained to have enough to perform experiments. Moral concerns surround stem cell research because of the beliefs of many religious groups that human life is created at the moment of conception; hence an embryo has an equal autonomy as that of an adult person. The use of cloning raises wide distress about the ethics of the human cloning process. The main concern in stem cell research is related to the experimentation on human embryos, which, according to many, are human beings and therefore have the same human rights as that of any individual. Those in favor of SCT advancement believe that the few ethical and moral violations that occur in the process of researching stem cells outweigh the potential SCT holds for us in the future. Some disagree, countering that any ethical or moral violation is not worth the desirable consequences, even if that means saving the lives of millions or even billions in the future from diseases that may be cured from stem cell research. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) feels that the potential in SCT does outweigh the ethical violations occurring in stem cell research. The human embryos obtained from in vitro fertilization for research are leftover from fertilization processes. The extra embryos are frozen and eventually discarded once they loose their viability. The DPRK feels that discarding useful embryos is a waste and that these embryos should instead be used towards stem cell research, as long as there is the consent of the embryo donors. We are also in favor of therapeutic cloning, but not reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning doesn’t involve the cloning of an actual human, whereas reproductive does. Many nations fail to understand and accept that therapeutic and reproductive cloning are two separate things, and no scientist is actually trying to attempt to clone a human being. That being said, there is no reason why any nation needs to ban therapeutic cloning simply because it is defined as cloning.4 In addition, the SCT that can be obtained from this method can produce incredible advancements in regenerative medicine, leading to cures for many diseases. Stem cell research and technology are very important to the DPRK because our medical practices are more than 20 years behind nations such as the Republic of Korea (ROK).5 New advances in SCT would help alleviate diseases that plague many people in our country and other countries around the world. In 2005, ROK proposed joint research with the DPRK on SCT.6 While we do not agree with ROK that human embryo cloning is ethical, we were glad to work with them on other forms of stem cell research. The DPRK feels that human embryo and adult stem cells should be used for stem cell research when readily available. Because of global concern on the ethics of stem cell research, the DPRK is willing to use stem cells derived from other sources as well, and suggests that other nations do the same, especially if they have problems within their nation about the ethical aspects of stem cell research. One way to obtain stem cells without resulting in the death of the embryo is a technique that uses adult stem cells (also known as somatic cells). First, the genes of a somatic cell are altered, allowing the cell to develop into a blastocyst. The cells from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst have no capacity of becoming a trophectoderm (which becomes the placenta and umbilical cord in an embryo), so it cannot become a fetus and eventually a child. 7 Therefore, its death at 4 Cloning research leaves questions unanswered Inter-Korean stem cell partnership proposed 6 Ibid 7 Senate Testimony: Alternative Methods of Obtaining Embryonic Stem Cells 5 the blastocyst stage would not be like “strangling a baby.”8 Even to those against stem cell research, this technique would be morally acceptable. Another way of obtaining stem cells that the DPRK supports and that fit the ethical standards of many religious groups is a process used by the Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) called “Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis” (PGD).9 In this process, parents that know they carry a genetic disease have their embryos screened by taking one cell from the embryo and testing it for any abnormalities so that they can “choose” the healthy embryo. The suggestions being made by scientists is to allow the cell they choose for testing to multiply into two cells, allowing one for the genetic testing and the other for a human embryo stem cell (hESC) line. While this process of weeding out the unwanted embryos is compared to the holocaust, the process is already being performed by fertility clinics. The DPRK believes there is no reason why an extra cell caused by natural division should be discarded instead of being donated to stem cell research that can save lives. The genetic aspect of the PGD process does not harm the embryo since it continues to grow normally and is implanted in the mother’s womb for in vitro fertilization. This would be an effective way of obtaining hESCs without causing harm or the death of an embryo.10 Some additional sources of stem cells include in vitro fertilization and umbilical cords. Many extra embryos are discarded from in vitro fertilizations. The DPRK is also in support of using these leftover and donated embryos instead of discarding them after loss of viability. Furthermore, umbilical cord stem cells are yet another way of obtaining viable stem cells. Parents can have the option of donating their baby’s umbilical cord 8 Methods of obtaining embryonic stem cells with, perhaps, fewer ethical objections Ibid 10 Ibid 9 blood to science so that it can be used to stem cell research. However, while all these other forms of obtaining stem cells are valid, the most efficient stem cells are hESCs, though, so preference would go towards using hESCs over stem cells from other sources. A major problem with stem cell research comes from the negative remarks religious groups that do not know all of the facts. Because of all the criticism that SCT and research get for being unethical, both the public and private sectors are hesitant to provide much-needed funding for stem cell research. The DPRK feels that funding should be provided for such an important cause that will reap tremendous benefits in the future. We would suggest each nation’s government provide a substantial amount of funding towards its stem cell research. The DPRK would also like to suggest that countries nullify laws they might have against cloning of all kinds, since these laws ban helpful therapeutic cloning to addition to the unethical reproductive cloning. The DPRK supports the use of hESCs left over from in vitro or donated by couples, adult (or somatic) stem cells, and umbilical cord stem cells. We also support the use of stem cells from the PGD process and from altering somatic cells, and would like to see more research done to make these methods more effective. The DPRK would like to reiterate its full support for therapeutic cloning and believes that this is an effective way to obtain a large amount of adult stem cells. Finally, the DPRK believes that each nation should provide significant funding to its own stem cell research programs, and encourages all nations to do so. Stem cell research and SCT is so crucial to our world right now since we are at our peak of disease and sickness. If the United Nations and other prominent groups continue to debate this issue with no major solution, advancements will not be made in the field of SCT and people will continue to die and suffer from diseases that would have otherwise been cured or treated through the wonders of stem cell technology. Works Consulted “Advanced Cell Technology: Company Overview.” <http://www.advancedcell.com/company/> “Cloning research leaves questions unanswered.” Bioethics on MSNBC. <http://www.bioethics.net/articles.php?viewCat=2&articleId=13> “Ethics of Stem Cell Research.” Topic Booklet RUMUN 2008: UNESCO <idia.net> “Inter-Korean stem cell partnership proposed.” China Daily. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/25/eng20050625_192324.html “Methods of obtaining embryonic stem cells with, perhaps, fewer ethical objections.” Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem14.htm> “Senate Testimony: Alternative Methods of Obtaining Embryonic Stem Cells.” The National Institutes of Health. <http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/statements/20050712battey.asp> “Stem Cell Basics.” The National Institutes of Health. <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics1.asp> “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.” http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.phpURL_ID=1883&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html