When a human being is first
being formed a series of transformations takes place. After fertilization,
the initial cell begins to divide. Within five days there are about
150 cells waiting for genetic signals to specialize into bone, muscle,
brain or any of the other 200 types of cells found in the body. These
cells are called embryonic stem cells and they have the potential
to specialize into any type of cell. Scientists hope to use these
stem cells in research to develop treatments and cures for many diseases
such as Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries.
In order to use the cells, however, the embryo that created them is
destroyed. Because of this, embryonic stem cell research has become
a very controversial issue. Many people believe that the embryo is
a human being and by taking the stem cells from it, a life is ended.
For more information on embryonic
stem cells and their potential scientific uses see:
Although embryonic stem cell research
holds great potential for the treatment of a number of serious conditions
it also raises many ethical and moral concerns. The Canadian
Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which addresses emerging
health and research issues, is developing a set of guidelines for
the research and use of embryonic stem cells in Canada. To address
the concerns of Canadians, CIHR has formed the ad
hoc Working Group on Stem Cell Research. This Working Group has
developed seven recommendations for the use and funding of stem cells
in research.
The ad hoc Working Group on Stem Cell
Research is looking for feedback from all interested parties. The
feedback that is received will be considered by the Working Group
in preparation of its final report to CIHR. The report will serve
as a basis for CIHR in developing guidelines for funding stem cell
research.
In your group, choose one of the following
stem cell research perspectives. Your task will be to develop a presentation
or report for the ad hoc Working Group on Stem Cell Research that
provides feedback for the first four of their recommendations.
Perspectives
of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
1. Scientists/Researchers
studying embryonic stem cells:
This group of people depend on government or corporate funding
to carry out their research. They also rely on guidelines to steer
their research.
3. Pro-life group: This group believes that
embryos are humans and that destroying an embryo is killing a
person. Many pro-life groups also have religious beliefs.
4.
Canadian Biotechnology Company:
This group stands to make a profit off of research done with stem
cells by either selling the equipment needed to do the research
or by doing the research and selling the results.
Before you can create a presentation
for the Working Group you will need to have background information
about stem cell research. Answer the following questions to help
you organize your background information (6 marks).
1. What is a blastocyst?
2. What are embryonic stem cells? What other types of stem cells
exist?
3. What does "pluripotent" mean?
4. What is a stem cell "line"?
5. How can stem cells be used to treat/cure diseases and have
researchers had success doing this?
6. Where do scientists get the embryonic stem cells that they
use for research?
Read the Working Group's recommendations
which are summarized at http://www.cihr.ca/news/forums/stem_cell/issues_e.shtml
or you can read the full report at http://www.cihr.ca/governing_council/ad_hoc_working_groups/stem_cell_e.pdf
(see pages 21-30 for recommendations).
After you have read the recommendations and available resources
in your groups, discuss the issue and the beliefs that your group
will have with regards to stem cell research in Canada. You must
be able to also explain why your group has these beliefs.
Answer the following questions to help you identify these beliefs
(8 marks).
1.Why is embryonic stem cell research
an ethical issue?
2.What are some of the beliefs that people have of when human life
begins (list as many as you can)? What belief does your group have?
3. Based on your belief of when human life begins, should researchers
be allowed to use embryonic stem cells in their research? Why or
why not?
4. Should researchers be allowed to use other types of stem cells
in their research? Why or why not?
Once you have identified the beliefs
your group will have, what feedback will your group provide to the
Working Group for each of their seven recommendations? Answer the
following questions to help you develop your feedback (7 marks).
1. Should CIHR fund research with
existing human embryonic
stem cell lines? Why/why not?
2. Should CIHR fund research to derive new embryonic germ cells
and
other cell lines of a pluripotent nature from fetal material? Why/why
not?
3. Should CIHR fund research to derive new embryonic stem cells
and
other cell lines of a pluripotent nature from human blastocysts?
Why/why not?
5. What conditions should be imposed on experimentation with cell
lines
of a pluripotent nature, once derived (should researchers be able
to use stem cells in any kind of experiment for any
purpose)?
6. What guidelines would you recommend for funding of embryonic
and other types of stem cell research (would researchers have to
apply for funding by CIHR, and if so what conditions would there
be)?
7. What additional general feedback would you like to give the Working
Group before they create their final report to CIHR?
Create a professional presentation
or report that outlines your feedback to the Working Group's recommendations.
Your presentation will be shared with the other groups and it will
be handed in. All references must be cited properly. You may use
visual aides in your presentation, such as:
HyperStudio/PowerPoint presentation Brochure Hand out Display Overheads
The presentation should be approximately
10 minutes in length and each person in the group must present a portion
of it. At the end of the presentation there will be a few minutes
for the other groups to ask questions. The visual aides should be
used as a supplement to the presentation, they should not be the entire
presentation. Use the marking rubrics as a guide to develop your presentation
(27 marks).
Your group will be required to hand
in the answers to all of the questions asked in the Procedure
(21 marks).
Your presentation will be marked using
two rubrics (27 marks). One for the overall
presentation and one for the individual portion of the presentation.
15 marks will be given for the overall presentation, each member in
the group will receive the same mark in this area. Another 12 marks
will be given for each person's presentation, each member of the group
will be marked separately for this portion.
Conclusion
The issue of embryonic stem cell research
is a complex one and every perspective must be considered. While some
argue that the destruction of the embryo to obtain stem cells is the
same as killing a person, others argue that the embryos would be destroyed
anyway, and that by using the embryos in research many lives could
be saved or enhanced in the form of treatments and cures for various
diseases.
In this assignment you looked at the
issue of using stem cells in research from a specific perspective.
After you have seen all of the presentations from the various perspectives,
write a one page reflection that outlines your personal beliefs about
stem cell research in Canada that could be submitted to the Working
Group. Use the following questions to guide your reflection:
1. What is your belief of when human
life begins?
2. Based on your belief of when human life begins, should researchers
be allowed to use embryonic stem cells in their research? Why or
why not?
3. Should researchers be allowed to use other types of stem cells
in their research? Why or why not?
4. Should CIHR fund research with existing or new stem cell lines
(embryonic or other types)?
5. What changes would you like to see to the Working Group's recommendations
or to the wording of their recommendations?
HyperStudio/PowerPoint presentation