Stem cell research is an exciting field with clinical potential and has been rapidly moving towards the goal of translating research into therapeutics. A critical issue for (a) is whether animal use provides a good model for reaching findings relevant to human health.
Like all scientific fields, there are many ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with stem cell research and stem cell scientists, especially trainees, should be aware of them. In some cases, concerns about scientific validity and relevance of particular animal models to human health are raised .
Providing a literature/document assessment serves to help inform course directors about topics, identify existing resources, recruit participants for the needs assessment, and identify experts as potential instructors. Stem cell therapies have yet to be realized, and some believe the hype over SCR has contributed to the premature commercialization of unproven stem cell interventions, commonly termed stem cell tourism .
Document analysis involves qualitative content analysis where coders analyze the literature and course outlines to develop a comprehensive list of topics and skills. Providers offer to treat a range of diseases with stem cell interventions creating a global, direct-to-consumer market.
By clicking “Accept and Continue” below, (1) you consent to these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form, and (2) you consent to allow your data to be transferred, processed, and stored in the United States.This phase involves research and data collection using social science methods to help instructors understand the needs and receive buy-in from different stakeholders, understand institutional culture, work within budget, and design an effective course/program and tools to evaluate effectiveness . The strengths and weaknesses of these moral theories can be discussed to show the intractability of the debate surrounding the moral status of embryos.In the absence of this effort, ethics education might be created to address issues important to its creators or one party instead of the needs of scientists. Beyond questions of moral status, earlier ethical debates surrounding SCR honed in on the potential physical and social harms to women as egg providers .In this paper, we describe how course directors at academic institutions can develop training on ELSI of stem cell research for scientists. Understanding Animal Welfare: the science in its cultural context. Question (b) leads into a discussion of oversight of RIAs which in most countries is governed by institutional committees that review research protocols based on regulations, guidelines, and other policies.We describe how to perform a needs assessment and planning to develop pedagogical tools. Committee members typically include scientists, ethicists, veterinarians, and members of the public who review and decide whether to approve RIA protocols.The combined qualitative and quantitative results were translated into an interactive website and thematic content where researchers could navigate using portholes that addressed the ethics of different stages of translational SCR. Stem cell researchers should avoid providing medical advice to patients and instead encourage patients to seek medical advice from physicians, direct them to ].The content of the website was developed by topic experts (some of whom participated in the needs assessment) and was updated regularly until the end of its funding in 2016. Another topic of significance for stem cell researchers surrounds the use of human biological materials as a potential source of stem cells.Based on a translational ethics approach , we outline four broad topic areas appropriate for science trainees (typically graduate students and fellows) engaged in SCR: responsible conduct of research (RCR), the ethics of research involving animals (RIA), the ethics of research involving humans (RIH), and stem cell ethics and policy.]. Ethical issues of SCR in the late 1990s to mid-2000 surrounded the creation of new lines from human embryonic stem cells (h ESCs) and the potential use of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT—a.k.a. Considerable attention was given to determine whether human embryos had sufficient moral status (equivalent to persons) deserving of moral protection.Regardless of the need or interest in developing an educational program, a needs assessment and program planning are the important first steps. Several personhood theories can be discussed including potentiality (embryos have the potential to be born, grow up, and have a valuable life and thus deserve protection), cognitive capacities (only sentient persons with advanced cognition deserve protection), and showing respect to embryos irrespective of moral status .Two authors of this paper undertook a needs assessment to develop an online, nationwide ethics course for stem cell scientists based on a grant awarded by Canada’s Stem Cell Network . The ISSCR guidelines outline that SCR scientists “should promote accurate, balanced, and responsive public representations of stem cell research” .The aim was to understand the topics and their importance to the Canadian SCR community. Scientists should be made aware of the problems of hyping science and should take care in the accurate portrayal of the state of SCR.