The Bioethics Debate

Kristi Ellis Mrs. Scheidt side 1301. 174 11 October 2012 Paper 2 The Bioethics Debate In Patenting Life, by Michael Crichton, and Bioethics and the al-Qaida Cell Research Debate, by Robyn S. Shapiro, they discuss constituent patenting, medicine, stem electric cell question, and the laws of bioethics. harmonize to Crichton and Shapiro, humans are all born with factors, stem cells, and organs that are part of our natural world, yet when the law tries to put limits on these rights it becomes unethical. Crichton and Shapiro twain agree about the controversial issues surrounding science and medicine.They two point out the unethical issues, the innovation in medicine, and the impact on science and medicine in relation to the law. In both essays Crichton and Shapiro be lend oneselfn many an(prenominal) immoralities that arise out of bioethical issues. For instance, Crichton refers to an example of the Canavan illness in which the routine to find a cure was halted due to gene pat enting. It was a bloom example of an issue that was unethical because the owner of the gene for the disease could tell apart whether or not to guardianship for a test and choose how a lot to charge for it, which full points medical innovations.Crichton states, There is no clearer indication that gene patents block innovation, inhibit research and put us all at luck (432). Crichton goes on to say that genes are part of humans naturally and should not be privately own (431). In comparison, Shapiro explains although embryonic stem cells give promise to the medical field, many ethical issues surround it such as the destruction of the embryo. Shapiro also writes that those who denounce embryonic stem cell research believe the embryo is already a human being with rights from conception, mend others believe that human rights do not exist prior to contain (435).Additionally, medical advancement is critical for innovation in both essays. Crichton states that gene patenting prevents me dical testing and slows medical advancement. Not only does it halt research, precisely it causes the costs of medical testing to rise because the owner usher out charge whatever he wants (431). He mentions doctors cannot get information on if a medication will or will not work on manyone because the lack of quality tests. Crichton says For years weve been promised the coming era of modify medicine medicine suited to our particular body giftup.Gene patents destroy that woolgather (432). In contrast, Shapiro states that stem cells are burning(prenominal) to the medical field because they can turn into a wide array of cell types that can answer people with diseases such as diabetes, nervous system diseases, and Parkinsons disease (434-35). In addition, he says stem cell research could provide important information on how human organs and tissues develop, which could lead to development of modernistic medications (435). In both sources, the law plays a significant role in the unethical issues surrounding science and medicine.Crichton mentions how the United States Patent Office issued gene patents by mistake because of misinterpreted Supreme Court rulings. The issue of gene patents make it hard for people to donate their genes because most of the genes are privately owned (431). Crichton states that two congressman sponsored the genomic research and Accessibility Act, a bill that would throw away patenting genes in nature (432). Shapiro denotes the growing importance of the law surrounding bioethical issues. He cites the United States Supreme Court cases of Roe v.Wade and Stenberg v. Carkart which dealt with a partial support abortion law. Shapiro states, In state courts, bioethical considerations inform judges balancing of long-suffering healthcare confidentiality with a duty to warn of potentially dangerous unhurried behavior (433). The most significant law Shapiro cites is the Dickey Amendment which prohibits federal official accompaniment for em bryo research (436). Shapiro mentions in addition to federal funding restrictions, many states have laws that limit embryonic stem cell research.Lastly, he cites the eligibility of federal patent protections significantly, the Thomson Patents (437). In conclusion, both Crichton and Shapiro can conclude the topics of gene patenting and embryonic stem cell research are unethical in some way. Although gene patenting blocks innovation and embryonic stem cell research promotes it, they both have laws that limit the impact on the world of science and medicine. According to Shapiro, As these issues have moved to the center of public debate, the law has sour an increasingly important place in the discipline of bioethics (433).Thus, when the law puts limits on human genetics it becomes unethical and immoral according to both essays in this bioethical debate. WORD COUNT 740 Works Cited Crichton, Michael. Patenting Life. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues Readings crosswise the Disciplines. sixth ed. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Boston Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 431-432. Print. Shapiro, S. Robyn. Bioethics and the Stem Cell Research Debate. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues Readings Across the Disciplines. 6th ed. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Boston Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 433-438. Print.