The debate over stem cell research is a heated one with no simple answers. For years, ethicists and philosophers have discussed the moral issues surrounding this complex debate. As University of Regina Philosophy Professor David Elliott explains, stem cells have two remarkable capabilities that no other cells in the body seem to have: they can renew themselves over a long period of time, and they can be converted into almost any type of cell found in the body. However, the most promising source of human stem cells comes from early human embryos, usually taken from procedures used in “in vitro” fertilization (IVF). And this may be morally wrong.

Join Elliott as he weighs the therapeutic benefits of stem cell research against the ethical dilemma. His Philosophy Café talk is titled “Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research" and will be held on Tues. Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Café Orange (2136A Robinson Street). He will comment on the moral differences between the stem cell and abortion debates and the moral issues raised by embryonic stem cell research.

“The debate surrounding this issue is quite complex,” says Elliott. “The expectation is that stem cells, particularly those from human embryos, can be used to replace diseased or damaged cells and hence provide effective therapies for some of the most serious, chronic, and intractable diseases and disorders. Conditions like diabetes, spinal cord injury, heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease may not just be stopped or slowed down (as present therapies offer); they could be completely reversed or restored,” he says. “However, extracting stem cells from these embryos destroys them. And some people regard early human embryos as human beings; therefore they see the process as one of killing individual living humans.”

The Philosophy Café is a presentation of the U of R’s Faculty of Arts. It is an open exchange of philosophical ideas led by a U of R philosophy professor. For more information, call 585-4332.