Oversight of Stem Cell, Article Writing Example

Lo, B. et al. Resolving Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Clinical Trials: The Example of Parkinson Disease. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 38.2 (2010): 257-266.

In Lo et al. (2010) recommendation for strengthening peer review and institutional research board (IRB) oversight of stem cell clinical trials is based on the research history of those studies in regard to Parkinson’s Disease (PD). According to the study, degenerative neurological diseases are desirable targets for stem cell trials. Those experimental studies look to stem-cell regeneration results that might correct primary pathophysical defects in PD patients due to inadequate levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Targeted clinical research in this area is due to unsatisfactory performance of treatments currently available to those patients, and recent findings that human fibroblasts can be reprogrammed in vitro to induced pluripotential cells free of reprogramming factors is a boon. The results to clarity in engineering are subsequent differentiation of cell into dopominergic neurons. In PD patients those neurons are deficient, says Lo at al. and the discovery of transplant technologies allows replacement of neural stem cell with genetic match to the recipient. Hence, immunosuppression would not be required as it would in unmatched transplant procedures.

Advocacy for advancement of stem-cell replacement clinical trials on PD has been somewhat slowed, however, by potentially adverse reactions to transplants such as brain tumors. Although medical researchers still have significant support for expeditious implementation of clinical trials with generally, the complications of relatively new stem-cell engineering models and questionable findings from existing lab and clinical trial research indicates the verdict is still out.