Stem Cells & Cloning 3/23/05 Stem Cells, Cloning & Bioethics Bioethics as a basis for decision-making Bellevue High School March 23, 2005 Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT www.asmalldoseof.org
Stem Cells & Cloning 3/23/05
Stem Cells, Cloning & Bioethics
Bioethics as a basis for decision-making
Bellevue High SchoolMarch 23, 2005
Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABTwww.asmalldoseof.org
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Why Bioethics?
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Current Bioethical Issues
Check the local news paper Stem cells (state, national, international) Genetically Engineered Organisms Knowing your genes In vetro fertilization – choosing your child's
genes and characteristics Global warming Chemicals exposures – human health Environmental health
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"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." -
Aldo Leopold, 1949, A Sand County Almanac
The First Bioethicist
---------- 1887 - 1948 ----------
Aldo Leopold
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“An ethic, ecologically, is a limitation on freedom of action in the struggle for
existence”Aldo Leopold
Limits on Freedom
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“The Commons”
The Tragedy of the CommonsBy Garrett Hardin, Science, 1968
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Technical Solutions
“It is our considered professional judgment that
this dilemma has no technical solution.”
The Tragedy of the CommonsBy Garrett Hardin, Science, 1968
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Problems – Solutions?
Lead and kids Fetal alcohol syndrome Nuclear disarmament Bioterrorism Ocean Fisheries Persistent chemicals The Commons
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"Biology combined with diverse humanistic knowledge forging a
science that sets a system of medical and environmental
priorities for acceptable survival.“Global Bioethics (1988)
Bioethics
-------- 1911 - 2001 --------
Van Rensselaer Potter
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1860’s - Scientific method in medicine, Gregor Mendel
1928 - Penicillin discovered – widely used WWII
1920’s - Lead in gasoline, lead in paint
1931 - 30 states had sterilization laws on books
1932 - Tuskegee syphilis study initiated
1947 - Nuremberg - The Doctors Trial
1952 - First open heart surgery & Chlorpromazine
1953 - Structure of DNA – Watson & Crick
Ethics and Science
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60’s - Thalidomide, mercury, chronic hemodialysis, amniocentesis, informed consent, IRB’s
70’s - Hastings Center founded, bioethics defined, Tuskegee noticed, Belmont Report (3 principles), Genentech Inc. founded, awareness of FAS, sensitivity of developing CNS
80’s - Recombinant microorganism could be patented, lead is harmful to developing brain
90’s - molecular biology, sequencing of human genome (other species), Jurassic Park
00’s - US stem cell research restricted
03 - Human cloned?
Ethics and Science
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Question??
Who were the most influential people of the past century?
James Watson (L) and Francis Crick (R), and the model they built of the structure of DNA (and Rosalind Franklin).
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ELSI
Ethical Legal / Regulatory Social Implications or Issues What is unsaid or missing? Science Values Politics
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Topics
Why this is topic important DNA to RNA to Proteins Stem Cells Cloning – Therapeutic and Human
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Stem Cell History
1998 - Researchers first extract stem cells from human embryos
1999 - First Successful human transplant of insulin-making cells from cadavers
2001 - President Bush restricts federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research
2002 - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International creates $20 million fund-raising effort to support stem-cell research
2003?? - California ok stem cell research
2004 - Harvard researchers grow stem cells from embryos using private funding
2004 - Ballot measure for $3 Billion bond for stem cells
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Importance
Disease• Diabetes, Spinal
cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease
Genetic based Disease
• Cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s
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DNA – T-A C-G
Thymine (T) Adenine (A)Cytosine (C) Guanine (G)
Over 3 billion base pairs, 30,000 genesHumans are over 99.9% identical
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Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
DNA
RNA
Protein
Transcription
Translation
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RNA Transcription Protein Translation
DNA RNA Protein
Gene Expression
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Human Variability in DNA
• SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms)• Many examples directly cause disease
– Huntington’s, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, etc.
• The ‘environment’ also plays a big role
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...AUC AUC UUU GGU...
...Ile Ile Phe Gly...
...AUC AU- --U GGU...
...Ile Il e Gly...
Normal
CF
Common Cystic Fibrosis Mutation
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Parents to Children
Mother & Father both CarriersChildren?
1 – Not a carrier (25%)2 – Carrier (50%)1 – With CF (25%)
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Gene Environment Interactions
• PKU and consumption of phenylalanine
• Malaria and Sickle Cell gene
• HIV infection and CCR5 receptor variant
• Alcohol intolerance and aldehyde dehydrogenase
• Beryllium disease (exposure to beryllium)
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Sexual Reproduction
The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
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Stem Cell Differentiation
Princeton University
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Stem Cell Cultivation
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs)
August 9, 2001 - President Bush restricted federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research to 70 lines thought to be in existence
Only 11 now available and useable
Many researchers calling for change
Science and Politics of ESCs research
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Blastocyst Diagram
Princeton University
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Human Clones?
Are there human clones?
Yes – Identical Twins(Time 2.19.01)
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Cloning Defined
• What is cloning?• Asexual reproduction
• Examples?• Bacteria, fungus• Plants – cutting – potato• Farm animals
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Asexual Reproduction
The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
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Cloning Dolly
1997 - 2003
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Cloning A Sheep
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Human Stem Cell Production
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Removing Nucleus
Removing the maternal nucleus before nuclear transfer
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Nuclear transfer
Nuclear transfer embryo about to be activated
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)
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Coning for use in Stem Cells
Cloning techniques for creating stem cells
Therapeutic cloning
Reproductive cloning
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IVF – In Vitro Fertilization
Available since 1986 About 100,000 IVF kids in U.S. Often creates extra embryos U.S. - About 400,000 frozen
embryos (unregulated) England – 52,000 (regulated by
government)
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Stem Cells and Cloning
Questions or Comments?
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Authorship Information
For Additional Information ContactSteven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT
Director, [email protected]
[email protected]: www.asmalldoseof.org
This presentation is supplement to “A Small Dose of Toxicology”