Abstract

Chapter 4 discusses several proposals for obtaining embryonic stem cells, or their functional equivalents, without harming embryos: the use of organismically dead embryos, blastomere biopsy, the blastocyst transfer method, altered nuclear transfer, oocyte assisted reprogramming, and parthenogenesis. It is argued that these techniques involve harming embryos, or rely on practices that do so. It is shown that induced pluripotent stem cell research cannot offer a fully satisfactory solution either, as it indirectly encourages embryonic stem cell research, and, thus, embryo destruction. In addition, it is shown that the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells to become a person is similar to that of embryos, rendering research with these cells problematic for those adhering to the potentiality argument. It is concluded that the position holding that it is permissible to apply one of the technical solutions but impermissible to conduct embryonic stem cell research is inconsistent.