insight
Nature 414, 129-131 (1 November 2001) | doi:10.1038/35102194
Ethical and social considerations of stem cell research
Anne McLaren
Abstract
Much recent interest has focused on whether stem cell therapy could alleviate or even cure common degenerative diseases. This has been accompanied by debate on the ethics of destructive research on early human embryos. Stem cells derived from various sources raise different ethical issues, but their contribution to medical research could be immense. Any use of stem cells should be subject to appropriate scientific and ethical review.