Transcript Is embryo research the limit?

Welcome to:
The Future of Medicine – Is embryo research
the limit?
Part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science
What is social science?
Social science is, in its broadest sense, the study of
society and its institutions. It looks at how people
interact with each other, with larger groups and
with those institutions.
Social scientists might be sociologists, but can
also be psychologists, historians, economists,
anthropologists, lawyers…
• Social science plays an important part in all our lives.
It shows that science is not just about test tubes and
technology but also about people and society.
• It helps us to make sense of the key issues in the
world around us such as the implications of global
financial crisis, climate change or nuclear power; or
the implications of social issues such as ageing,
immigration and population change.
• This workshop has been developed by the Egenis
research centre, which looks at social issues to do
with the new science of genetics.
What is the ESRC?
The Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC) uses government money to pay for
research and training in social and
economic issues. It funds Egenis, for
example, and many other research centres
and projects throughout the country.
Embryo Research
• According to The Collins Dictionary embryo research is ‘the scientific
study of an animal in the early stages of development’.
• The majority of human embryos used in research projects are obtained
from patients undergoing fertility treatment [IVF]. These embryos are
either unsuitable for use in treatment or the patients may decide they
do not wish to cryopreserve their spare embryos.
• In the UK it is also legal to use human embryos created specifically for
research from donated eggs and sperm and also cloned human embryos
created through a process called cell nuclear replacement [CNR] where
the nucleus of an egg cell is removed and replaced with the nucleus of
another cell.
• Research on human embryos is controversial because there are some
very serious moral and ethical arguments involved.
Why carry out embryonic research?
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the treatment of infertility
the causes of congenital disease
the causes of miscarriage
more effective contraception
the development of pre-implantation genetic
diagnosis
• to increase knowledge about serious disease and
its treatment
ESRC Festival of Social Science
So,
what is an embryo?
In terms of embryo research, is this an ‘embryo’?
www.javno.com/.../g2008/m05/y172088508605558.jpg
Or this?
www.infoniac.com/uimg/huma
n-embryo.jpg
Or this?
Embryo-brochure.jpg
HFEA
Human Fertilisation and Embryology
Authority
The law prohibits keeping or
using an embryo after the
appearance of the primitive
streak* or after 14 days –
whichever is earlier
*The primitive streak is the thickening in the surface of embryos which results in the first clearly recognisable stage in
embryonic development
14 day human embryo
The cluster of cells shown in Picture A is a human embryo up to 14 days
after conception.
Picture B shows its actual size.
Emotive images are used both for and against embryo
research
www.stmatthewsnj.org
www.cssnc.org
www.daylife.com
Newspaper Headlines
‘Therapy that might have helped Christopher
Reeve walk again’
‘Stem cell hope for heart patients’
‘Knee repair may hinge on stem cell research’
“We ‘Played God’ to have our baby girl”
‘Stem cell treatments years away’
‘Polish Bishop supports criminalisation of
embryo research’
‘Young girls encouraged to donate eggs for
money’
In our society people have different
views on embryo research
But how do we decide
which view to take?
Role Play
“What research should be allowed?
And who decides?”
Four groups representing views from:The Church
The Government
Researchers and Medical Practitioners
Parents
Please choose one spokesperson for each group