Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable Glasgow Chapter Humanist Society Scotland • May 2013 by Clare Marsh This branch is based in the University of Glasgow and I received an invitation to join a panel of speakers which would lead a discussion about the following subject: Stem cell treatments are in clinical trials but what is the reality of turning research into patient care? Are we really happy with the ethics of using stem cells? Other panel members were: Prof Keith Muir – Principal Investigator for the PISCES study ( Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke) Dr Mair Crouch – Geneticist and Academic Lawyer involved in raising awareness of bioethics issues Dr Laura McNamara – Post-Doctoral Research Assistant, Centre for Cell Engineering (GU) Dr Mathis Riehle ( Chair) – director of the centre for Cell Engineering (GU) The audience consisted of members of the GU Dialectic Society and other interested students. I had distributed information about the event at the meeting of the Glasgow Skeptics, the previous evening. I was invited to explain the Humanist point of view and in my introduction I related how our parent body – the IHEU – regarded the importance of bioethics so highly that two centres for the study and formulation of opinion on the subject, had been established, one in Brussels and one in New York and I directed the audience to the IHEU web site for further information. I summarised this as follows: Stem cell therapy for the most severe and debilitating illnesses in man, offers real hope of a cure so scientists should be encouraged and supported in their work in this field. Religious doctrine spread by priests, conservative ignorance fired by tabloid newspapers and Luddite paranoia are combining to derail progress through the spread of prejudice and false information. Humanists everywhere do their utmost to oppose this. In answer to a specific question about our attitude to the use of human embryos in the preparation of stem cells, I was able to explain that we did not share the view, held by many religions, that a microscopic ball of cells had the same rights as a human being as it already has a soul. More than 50% of fertilised eggs are lost naturally due to existing defects. We have to ask where all these thousands of millions of souls go to and in what form they exist. Do they develop into mature human beings or do they spend eternity as a blastula? Share on: FacebookTwitterLinkedInPinterestEmail ×
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