Etyczne aspekty inżynierii komórkowej i tkankowej

Abstract

The development of biological sciences creates new chances for medicine. Hopes for qualitative breakthrough in therapeutic actions are aroused by development of cell and tissue engineering. Two methods are the subjects of analysis here. One of them consists in ’sowing’ cells and stimulating their development. The other one uses the possibilities created by the properties of stem cells. In general, ethical evaluation of the former method involves the use of the same principles that regulate transplantation of organs, as the method consists in taking cells or tissues from the donor, and then transplanting them to another human being. Evaluation of the latter method has to take into consideration two types of stem cells. The first group is constituted by cells selected from the tissue of a person who is already formed. In this case the same principles should be used that regulate tissues and organs transplantation. The second group is made up by cells taken from human embryo. Such actions are always immoral, as from their nature they assume the cloning of a man and destruction of a human embryo. In consequence, also methods based on embryo stem cells are immoral.