Ethics of Modern Stem Cell Research and Therapy

This book provides an authoritative and comprehensive overview on the ethical issues surrounding the most promising and most controversially discussed topic in modern biotechnology and medicine, stem cell therapy. It is written by a scientist who has been involved in the basic research of stem cell therapy for over 20 years and was part of the initial experimental studies demonstrating benefits and damage repair using stem cells, and who also is a clinical cardiologist involved in the clinical studies of stem cell therapy in patients with mainly cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases from its early stage until now. The book starts with a brief overview of the history of stem cell research, the administrative and regulatory aspects including the federal governmental changes with every political administration over the last 20 years, and the stand of the FDA on research and therapy. It also discusses the issues of medical tourism, patient funded studies, false marketing claims, and the ethical and religious aspects of stem cell research, anti aging research, and immortality research including the Roman Catholic Churches view on embryonic stem cells. Ethics of Modern Stem Cell Research and Therapy will be a valuable resource for clinicians, physicians, and researchers who are looking to either conduct or use stem cell therapies. It offers a one-stop guide to the current regulations of the FDA as well as the potential that stem cell therapies have on many degenerative diseases.