This book represents the coming together of a number of internationally renowned scholars from science, philosophy, law and social science. Each author presents a distinctive and critical account of the current ethical, social and jurisprudential issues concerning stem cell science: together covering both its research beginnings, and the future translation into the clinical setting. Original to this volume is an emphasis on the inter-state implications of developments in stem cell science from the perspective of a truly global collaboration of leading authors. Academics and policy-makers will find it an invaluable contribution to the socio-political and ethical discourse of stem cell science. Contributions from a team of leading academic experts Covers a wide array of disciplines: with original contributions focusing on the technological, legal, social and ethical aspects of stem cell science A unique collection of international perspectives on developments in stem cell science Book jacket.

Stem Cells: An Insider's Guide is an exciting new book that takes readers inside the world of stem cells guided by international stem cell expert, Dr. Paul Knoepfler. Stem cells are catalyzing a revolution in medicine. The book also tackles the exciting and hotly debated area of stem cell treatments that are capturing the public's imagination. In the future they may also transform how we age and reproduce. However, there are serious risks and ethical challenges, too. The author's goal with this insider's guide is to give readers the information needed to distinguish between the ubiquitous hype and legitimate hope found throughout the stem cell world. The book answers the most common questions that people have about stem cells. Can stem cells help my family with a serious medical problem such as Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, or Autism Are such treatments safe Can stem cells make me look younger or even literally stay physically young These questions and many more are answered here. A number of ethical issues related to stem cells that spark debates are discussed, including risky treatments, cloning and embryonic stem cells. The author breaks new ground in a number of ways such as by suggesting reforms to the FDA, providing a new theory of aging based on stem cells, and including a revolutionary Stem Cell Patient Bill of Rights. More generally, the book is your guide to where the stem cell field will be in the near future as well as a thoughtful perspective on how stem cell therapies will ultimately change your life and our world.

Scientific breakthroughs have led us to a point where soon we will be able to make specific choices about the genetic makeup of our offspring. In fact, this reality has arrived—and it is only a matter of time before the technology becomes widespread. Much like past arguments about stem-cell research, the coming debate over these reproductive genetic technologies (RGTs) will be both political and, for many people, religious. In order to understand how the debate will play out in the United States, John H. Evans conducted the first in-depth study of the claims made about RGTs by religious people from across the political spectrum, and Contested Reproduction is the stimulating result. Some of the opinions Evans documents are familiar, but others—such as the idea that certain genetic conditions produce a “meaningful suffering” that is, ultimately, desirable—provide a fascinating glimpse of religious reactions to cutting-edge science. Not surprisingly, Evans discovers that for many people opinion on the issue closely relates to their feelings about abortion, but he also finds a shared moral language that offers a way around the unproductive polarization of the abortion debate and other culture-war concerns. Admirably evenhanded, Contested Reproduction is a prescient, profound look into the future of a hot-button issue.

Akira Akabayashi presents the first book to explore the conversation on bioethics that is taking place between scholars and practitioners from the East and West: the first book in the discipline of bioethics for the globalized world of the future. An international team of experts address emerging issues in bioethics, focus on new developments and their potential for change, and set the agenda for the future. Most studies in bioethics advocating East-West dialogue have either attempted cross-cultural comparisons or have proposed Eastern philosophical paradigms to counter Western ideas. The tacit premise of previous work on the East-West dialogue is therefore a strain of relativism. Simply maintaining a respectful distance from other cultures is no longer sufficient in this era of globalization. The time has come for active engagement among different cultural perspectives. The Future of Bioethics initiates discussion on bioethical issues that arise from new medical technologies such as regenerative medicine, enhancement, research ethics, and synthetic biology, and goes on to address challenging dilemmas that result from the globalization of social change, such as transplantation tourism, public health ethics, care in the aging society, and professionalism. The volume presents original work by leading researchers in the field, alongside that of promising new scholars; as such, it establishes not only a cross-cultural dialogue, but dialogue between researchers of different generations. The book is divided into two parts—the first on the progress of biomedical technologies and ethics, and the second on globalization and bioethics. Each part contains four sections on different topics, which feature a lead essay followed by a set of commentaries and further discussion.

The SAGE Encyclopedia of Stem Cell Research, Second Edition is filled with new procedures and exciting medical breakthroughs, including executive orders from the Obama administration reversing barriers to research imposed under the Bush administration, court rulings impacting NIH funding of research based on human embryonic stem cells, edicts by the Papacy and other religious leaders, and the first success in cloning human stem cells. Stem cell biology is clearly fueling excitement and potential in traditional areas of developmental biology and in the field of regenerative medicine, where they are believed to hold much promise in addressing any number of intractable medical conditions. This updated second edition encyclopedia will expand on information that was given in the first edition and present more than 270 new and updated articles that explore major topics in ways accessible to nonscientists, thus bringing readers up-to-date with where stem cell biology stands today, including new and evolving ethical, religious, legal, social, and political perspectives. This second edition reference work will serve as a universal resource for all public and academic libraries. It is an excellent foundation for anyone who is interested in the subject area of stem cell biology. Key Features: Reader’s Guide, Further Readings, Cross References, Chronology, Resource Guide, Index A Glossary will elucidate stem cell terminology for the nonscientist Statistics and selected reprints of major journal articles that pertain to milestones achieved in stem cell research Documents from Congressional Hearings on stem cells and cloning Reports to the President’s Council on Bioethics, and more

What is 'legal' about bioethics? What are the ideas and artefacts that bioethics encompasses, and how are they related to law? What is the role of law in bioethics? In this work, Calvin Ho attempts to address these questions in the context of the governance of human pluripotent stem cell research. In essence, he argues that the hybridization of law, through processes, devices and techniques of juridification, has helped to constitute bioethics as a public sphere and an emergent civic epistemology.Drawing on his multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork and on Actor-Network-Theory, Ho explains how the law has, through bioethics, contributed to the scientific and public understanding of human pluripotent stem cell research and its artefacts, particularly the embryo and human-animal combinations. Although the focus of his work is on bioethical developments in Singapore over a period of more than 15 years, parallel developments in key jurisdictions (especially the United States of America and the United Kingdom) and in international science policy are also evaluated. It is through appreciating how it has progressed that bioethics will be better able to engage with future challenges presented by advances in human embryo research and gene editing techniques, among others.

This invaluable resource discusses the saftey, ethics, and regulations of developing stem cell clinical applications. Each chapter is contributed by a preeminent scientist in the field and covers such topics as clinical safety of stem cell gene therapy, the patentability of hESC technologies, international guidelines, challenges to international stem cell clinical trials, worldwide regulations including in emerging markets like China and Taiwan. Saftey, Ethics, and Regulations and the other books in the Stem Cells in Clinical Applications series will be invaluable to scientists, researchers, advanced students and clinicians working in stem cells, regenerative medicine or tissue engineering.