The impact of new technology

From the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell_controversy

"The status of the human embryo and human embryonic stem cell research is a controversial issue as, with the present state of technology, the creation of a human embryonic stem cell line requires the destruction of a human embryo. Stem cell debates have motivated and reinvigorated the pro-life movement, whose members are concerned with the rights and status of the embryo as an early-aged human life. They believe that embryonic stem cell research instrumentalizes and violates the sanctity of life and constitutes murder.[10] The fundamental assertion of those who oppose embryonic stem cell research is the belief that human life is inviolable, combined with the opinion that human life begins when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell to form a single cell.

A portion of stem cell researchers use embryos that were created but not used in in vitro fertility treatments to derive new stem cell lines. Most of these embryos are to be destroyed, or stored for long periods of time, long past their viable storage life. In the United States alone, there have been estimates of at least 400,000 such embryos.[11] This has led some opponents of abortion, such as Senator Orrin Hatch, to support human embryonic stem cell research.[12]

Medical researchers widely submit that stem cell research has the potential to dramatically alter approaches to understanding and treating diseases, and to alleviate suffering. In the future, most medical researchers anticipate being able to use technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a variety of diseases and impairments. Spinal cord injuries and Parkinson's disease are two examples that have been championed by high-profile media personalities (for instance, Christopher Reeve and Michael J. Fox). The anticipated medical benefits of stem cell research add urgency to the debates, which has been appealed to by proponents of embryonic stem cell research.

Recently, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology of Worcester, Mass., succeeded in obtaining stem cells from mouse embryos without killing the embryos.[13] If this technique and its reliability are improved, it would alleviate some of the ethical problems related to embryonic stem cell research.

Another technique announced in 2007 may also defuse the longstanding debate and controversy. Research teams in the United States and Japan have developed a simple and cost effective method of reprogramming human skin cells to function much like embryonic stem cells by introducing artificial viruses. While extracting and cloning stem cells is complex and extremely expensive, the newly discovered method of reprogramming cells is much cheaper. However, the technique may disrupt the DNA in the new stem cells, resulting in damaged and cancerous tissue. More research will be required before non-cancerous stem cells can be created"

It is nothing new, however, the controversy of such technology is never an easy issue. We are facing fundemental challenges such as what is human, what constitutes family, who has right to be call parent? and what is legal implication of the right of procreation and responsiblity?

I remembered one of my earlier experiences on biotechnology (I got my first degree in Biology and Master on Microbiology). A friend of mine was doing his research on genetic transmission from certain type of fist to prawn in order to increase production and immunity for prawn farm.

We had lengthy discussion on the validity of such technology, at that time, which was almost 15 years ago, was a challenge. He eventually had to forgo the whole project due to many failures. Today, looking back, such procedure seems more likely to be succeeded.

Yet, deep in my heart, I doubted from very beginning the ethic justification of such technology in applying real life, especially in relation with life creation. As Lori Andrew said where will we stop? Prof Troy Duster questioned the protocol of experiment committee on "inject human cell into mice brain...and we will kill them when these mice start to behave like human."

How do we judge when mice start to behave human? I once watched children cartoon Astra boy series in which there was a professor created number of cross genetic animals. Today, biological technology has enabled us to "create" such "creation". The point is how far are we going to pursue and what is consequence?