Browsing by Author "Kidha, Dan Kidha"

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    Human embryonic stem cell research in transplantation and regenerative medicine : a principlist assessment
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University., 2020-03) Kidha, Dan Kidha; Van Niekerk, Anton A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Bioethics and scientific literature present transplantation and regenerative medicine as the next frontier for medical practice. The status of global disease burden also indicates that traditional approaches to medical services may be outdated. Use of medicinal drugs that alter the metabolism of cells may not successfully tackle the insurgent noncommunicable disease that target and destroy human organs. Moreover, cadaveric organ transplantation is facing logistical and ethical challenges that has led to the limitation of its efficacy in fighting disease. Stem cell research, particularly, that which involves the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) has been hailed as the answer to debilitating medical conditions, including organ failure. Pluripotent stem cells derived from embryonic organisms can be used to regenerate failing tissues and organs. However, bioethical literature point to the opposition towards hESC research because of the process which involves the destruction of human embryos. Many consider embryonic destruction a morally undesirable behaviour. Traditional theories of morality, on the other hand, have only managed to heighten the debate on the embryonic personhood thereby stalling progress of hESC research. This thesis demonstrates that the stalemate created by the debates on the personhood and moral status of the embryo need not stifle the potentially beneficial research. It therefore offers Principlism as an ethical framework approach for assessing the moral suitability of hESC research. The study finds that hESC research, though morally contentious, has potential for saving lives and relieving human suffering. It therefore recommends rapid progress on the research while advocating for a research focus that gradually reduces reliance on human embryos as primary subjects of research. Finally, the research recommends that a multi-disciplinary approach to tackling the challenges of bioethics, particularly, those related to scientific advancement.