Ethical (and political) issues in research with human stem cells

Though it is possible to discuss the ethics of research with human embryonic stem (ES) cells without any reference to politics, doing so would shed little light on the nature or intensity of the public debate, especially in the USA. Ethical arguments and scientific claims have been appropriated and offered with what appears often to be little regard for their soundness or relevance. In this paper I will discuss: (1) briefly, the history of research ethics and policy regarding human embryos in the US and the UK; (2) the decisions made by the current President of the USA regarding ES cell research, including a critical examination of the ethical arguments offered; (3) the evolution of the debate in which nuclear transplantation in stem cell research has been conflated with cloning to attempt to create a human infant; (4) the stalemate within the US Congress over legislation on cloning; (5) possible developments suggesting that the current US policy on ES cell research may become unstable; and (6) the broader context of the ethical debate and what is at stake for the major protagonists.