Using fetus-derived tissues for molecular medicine: tension between research and ethics

In April 1995, a research group reported that a patient with Parkinson's disease had apparently been successfully treated with injections of fetus-derived cells. An editorial that addressed the ethical and legal issues surrounding this research accompanied the report, illustrating the additional burden shouldered by investigators who use fetus-derived tissues for medical research and the corresponding implications for patients who might benefit from this research. No matter how impressive the results, or how great the burden of disease the research seeks to address, molecular medicine and medical ethics are inextricably intertwined in this field.