10
benefi ts, considering the scientifi c and commercial value of cell lines that could be
created from EGCs. It was suggested that great care be taken in these circumstances
to separate any decisions regarding the abortion and the subsequent use of the fetal
tissue and to prohibit the donor from specifying how the donated fetal tissue must
be used (Review of the Guidance on the Research Use of Fetuses and Fetal Material
1989 ). However, this suggestion to prohibit inappropriate incentives for fetal dona-
tion contradicts standard guidelines for obtaining informed consent which requires
that a mother must be adequately informed, in a comprehensible manner, to enable
her to make an informed decision whether or not to allow the fetus to be used for
research purposes and the extent of the research to be conducted on the fetus. The
Polkinghorne Review recognized that although women might be willing to consent
to certain research activities, they might not consent to all (Review of the Guidance
on the Research Use of Fetuses and Fetal Material 1989 ). The National Bioethics
Advisory Commission’s (NBAC) report recommended the prohibition of directed
donation of cadaveric fetal tissue for EGC derivation, to prevent an expectation of
inappropriate incentives and that no direct therapeutic benefi ts resulting from the
production of such tissue or abortion are received (National Bioethics Advisory
Commission 1999 ).
Although issues regarding incentives may be addressed suffi ciently by separat-
ing decisions pertaining to abortion and the use of aborted fetal tissue, specifi c con-
sent is still necessary when an immortal cell line is to be produced from the aborted
and donated fetal tissue, as is the case with donated embryos (Nuffi eld Council on
Bioethics 2000 ).
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer ( SCNT )
Pluripotent cells produced by reprogramming the nucleus of a somatic cell have the
potential to produce tissue that would allow autologous transplants of specifi c tissue
types with the benefi t of lowered risk of rejection of these tissues by the recipient’s
immune system (Tashibana et al. 2013 ). Producing cells via this method requires
oocytes, which raises concerns similar to those mentioned above in section
“ Sourcing of Oocytes for Creation of Embryos .”
1.2.2.2 Therapeutic Versus Reproductive Cloning
If implanted into a uterus, an embryo created by SCNT has the potential to develop
into a human being and thus raises issues of human reproductive cloning. The out-
come of using this technique is the production of a genetically identical copy of the
person from whom the nucleus was taken and transferred into the somatic cell. This
may lead to potential eugenic uses by creating offspring with desired genetic traits
or enhanced characteristics, which invites a plethora of ethical and legal issues,
including diminished human individuality and integrity, limitations on a person’s
W.M. Botes et al.