The ethics and politics of stem cell research

Because of the many ocular diseases that may benefit from genetic alteration, ophthalmology will be embroiled in the controversy over the ethics of stem cell research. In preparation for a major academic symposium at the Washington University School of Medicine, the direct and indirect effects of political efforts to determine whether this research should be funded were explored.

A symposium was held at Washington University School of Medicine sponsored by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Medical Staff Association to discuss the scientific basis of stem cell research. The forces arrayed on either side of the argument are presented as well as the political context in which they are being played out.

Two kinds of effects are expected from this controversy: direct effects on current and proposed research efforts from both within and outside the academic milieu and indirect effects on research funding from state and federal sources influenced by the political process.

This report serves to document the efforts of one scientific community to deal with a legislative initiative to criminalize stem cell research for both the scientist and the patient. The process and interim conclusions may be instructive for those involved in this endeavor to recognize the dynamics of the interaction between society and science when ethical issues influence how decisions are made.