Clinical Trials (Adult Cells), Ethics of

The development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and of induced adult stem cells (iASC) has dramatically quelled the debate surrounding stem cell research and therapeutic treatment by removing human embryos from the equation. However, stem cell therapy (SCT) and iASC for therapeutic treatment is still in its infancy and remains many clinical trials away from mainstream use.

As with all human clinical trials, ethical concerns for safety, efficacy, and human integrity dominate. Unlike other trials, studies involving stem cells as treatment come with a unique set of ethical concerns. This article is an amalgam addressing many differing viewpoints on the ethics of clinical trials involving adult stem cells. In the interest of fairness, viewpoints are presented without evaluation.