РефератыИностранный языкFeFetal Tissue Transplants Essay Research Paper Is

Fetal Tissue Transplants Essay Research Paper Is

Fetal Tissue Transplants Essay, Research Paper


Is the transplantation of nueral tissue considered an


ethical procedure?


The transplantation of human fetal neural tissue into


the brains of humans suffering from progressive


neurodegenerative disorders is one of the hottest arguments


currently being debated. Fetal neural tissue is being used


as a possible treatment for some diseases. The treatment


and possible cure for many of these diseases falls upon the


successful transplantation of fetal neural tissue from the


brain, spinal chord and peripheral nervous system. Some of


the possible beneficiaries of these transplants would be


those with Parkinson’s disease, a common neurodegenerative


disorder of the nervous system.


Fetal tissue transplantation involves injecting fetal


tissue obtained through electively aborted fetuses into


another human being. Because fetal tissue deemed most


appropriate and acceptable for transplantation is primarily


obtained from elective abortion procedures, many concerns


have arisen in the public, political, and scientific


communities. It is because of their unique characteristics


that fetal cells are far more ideal for use in tissue


transplantation than tissue derived from an adult donor.


Fetal tissue grows much faster than tissue obtained from an


adult donor, a few fetal cells from a donor have the


potential of replacing a large number of host cells.


Fetal tissue transplantation is a relatively new


procedure that has a rather large history behind it. The


first attempts to transplant human fetal tissue into patients


took place in the 1920’s. The first major success using


fetal tissue to treat a medical condition was in the 1950’s


when a vaccine for polio was developed. There was relatively


little public concern about the use of fetal tissue until the


late 1980’s when the procedure of fetal tissue


transplantation became known.


In 1988, researchers in New Mexico reported in The


New England Journal of Medicine their results of human fetal


neural tissue into the brains of patients suffering from


Parkinson’s disease. This case later became well known as


the La Roza case. In their report on a transplantation of


fetal tissue substantia nigra, the tissue was transplanted in


the caudate nucleus of a fifty-year old male with a nine year


history with Parkinson’s disease. Prior to the


transplantation procedure, he was suffering from severe


symptoms associated with the latter stages of the Parkinson’s


disease, particularly severe muscle rigidity and tremor.


Three months after the transplant there was considerable


improvement in his tormenting symptoms. As a result of the


procedure, his ridgedness and tremors decreased noticeably.


Also, the patient was able to control his remaining symptoms


with a much lower dosage of medication then before.


In response to the apparent success of the La Roza


transplants and initial hints of a possible breakthrough cure


for Parkinson’s disease, US medical scientists had decided to


join the race to cure this terribly debilitating ailment


through fetal neuro-tissue transplants. They realized,


however, that any truly legitimate effort would require


federal funding. It was the request from the National


Institute of Health (NIH) for funding for human fetal tissue


transplantation research that ignited intense researches into


the procedure of fetal tissue transplantation in the United


States.


With this tremendous breakthrough in biomedical science


that may someday relieve the suffering of millions of people


with various neurological inflections came great controversy.


Intense moral and ethical debates surround the use of fetal


tissue for research and transplantation procedures. Debates


began soon after the United State Supreme Court legalized


abortion in Roe v. Wade and continues to this day with debate


in congress concerning the passage of the Morris K. Udall


Bill, which upon passage will provide one-hundred million


dollars a year for Parkinson’s disease research.


In March 1988, Robert Windom, a strong Right to Life


supporter, rejected the NIH’s funding request and issued a


moratorium on federal funding for research on fetal tissue


obtained through induced abortions. This effectively stopped


all research on fetal tissue in federally funded


laboratories. Even though the moratorium only applied to


federal funding, in reality it stopped all legitimate


research involving fetal tissue because of the enormous costs


associated with a single operation easily exceeding $50,000.


Private researchers were discouraged and unwilling to take a


chance on such expensive experiments without the likelihood


of being reimbursed for their time and expense. In support of


the moratorium, President Bush stated that the ban was not an


absolute ban on fetal tissue research, nor was it banning


federal funding of all types of fetal tissue research. He


reiterated that the moratorium was only applicable to federal


funding of fetal tissue research obtained from induced


abortions. Federal funding could still be obtained for


research using tissue from spontaneous abortions


(miscarriages), ectopic pregnancies and stillbirths. In


conclusion, President Bush stated that the Nation’s best


interest would not be served through granting federal funds


for research that was “promoting and leg

itimizing abortion”


and which is deemed “morally repugnant” to many Americans.


In May 1992, in an attempt to appear sympathetic to the


needs of medical science while not alienating its close ties


with the anti-abortion groups, President Bush’s


administration agreed to establish a fetal tissue bank. The


bank would collect tissue from miscarriages and ectopic


pregnancies and distribute fetal tissue to medical


researchers. However, for a variety of reasons, the


establishment of a fetal tissue bank would not be able to


provide the quality or quantity of tissue necessary for most


transplantation purposes.


One of Bill Clinton’s first official duties as President


of the United States was the rescission of the moratorium


involving fetal tissue transplantation research. Using his


executive authority, President Clinton enacted a previously


vetoed provision concerning fetal tissue research. His


movement forever removed administrative discretion from


pursuing a policy of not supporting or denying funding for


fetal tissue research. As a result, research involving fetal


tissue from induced abortions are now permitted under federal


law.


Fetal tissue transplants affect many people. Anyone


with a neurodegenerative disorder is affected by the


procedure. The transplants are used to treat diseases such as


Parkinson’s. Tremors, ridgedness, and hypokentetics are some


of the symptoms that are being cured by fetal tissue


transplants. The transplants have even been proven to regain


use of damaged brain tissue. Most of the people who obtain


the procedure are years into their diagnosis of the disease.


Anyone can obtain Parkinson’s disease, but the older the


victim the more susceptible.


In order for us to better analyze the topic of fetal


tissue transplants we must ask and answer some ethics based


questions.


What makes right acts right?


If the process of fetal tissue transplantation is to be


considered right it must be further questioned. For something


to be right it must serve good, or not serve evil. According


to this definition fetal tissue transplants would be


considered wrong, because in order to do good to one human,


another one must be killed.


To whom is a moral duty owed?


In this case, moral duty is owed in several different


places. For one, the parent child relationship is a major


one at hand. If fetal tissue transplants would be allowed,


in many cases there would be no parent child relationship


because the child was murdered in a attempt to save another


human being. The person to God aspect is also at hand.


Abortion, which is a heavy sin in most major religions would


be taking place and would be accepted by society. Also


todays’ generation and the next generation comparison would


also be harmed. By accepting abortion and murder into


society, moral values would be lost.


What kind of acts are right?


The reasoning of what makes right acts right is based on


normative ethics. Truth telling, confidentiality, justice,


maximized benefits and the lack of harm are the main impacts


involved. Even though some of these do not apply to fetal


tissue transplantation the ones that do, lead to the process


of fetal tissue transplantation being wrong. Justice could


not possibly be served if one live is exchanged for another.


Maximized benefits would also be unsatisfied. The only


benefit would be that the disease would be treated and less


severe, at the cost of human lives. The lack of harm is also


interrupted. The fetus is killed, which may also lead to


emotional pain within the mother.


How do rules apply to specific situations?


As stated earlier, there have been many laws and


prohibitions against the process of fetal tissue transplants


for many reasons. Rules state that it is not legal to kill


another human being. In this case, abortion is being


justified and the murder of fetus’ will take place. Moral


rules and beliefs also come into play. It is not morally


right for someone to hurt someone else in order to make


themselves feel better. Society does not allow these laws or


beliefs to take place nor should we.


What ought to be done in specific cases?


In every situation the facts are different. In the case


of fetal tissue transplantation, the facts are as follows.


Innocent fetus’ are being killed to undergo research in a


possible attempt to treat or possibly cure nuerodegenerative


disorders. This is not the right thing to do. Further


research for this study should be banned along with any


attempts to sell ones fetal tissues to an undercover market.


In conclusion, although fetal tissue transplants may


deem to be a very helpful procedure in the treatment for many


diseases it should be outlawed and banned. I say this


because in order for one life to survive a new life must be


taken away. Not only does this serve as a problem, but if


this procedure is accepted it will lead the society to


believe that this procedure is encouraged when it really is


not. Also, if the procedure is accepted by society it would


lead to an eventual black market of tissues and organs that


could only increase the rate of abortion. These possible


problems all have the snowball affect on one another. In


order to play the matter safely where no harm is to be done


would be to outlaw fetal tissue transplantation.

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