Beyond the Embryo-Wisconsin and the Future of Stem Cell Research

Bascom Hill Society Showcase Series

Can stem cell research proceed without cloning? Yes and no, says Alta Charo, JD, UW-Madison professor of law and medical ethics. Scientific research into human stem cells may yield cures and therapies for humanity’s most intractable diseases. Clinical outcomes of stem cell therapy, called regenerative medicine, are touted as the future of biomedicine. But new science often provokes a redefinition of ethical, societal and legal standards. Stem cells have reignited the debate about the moral status of the embryo. How, as a society, do we balance our responsibilities to the unborn and the sick? Professor Charo addresses this and other important questions.