USING FETUS-DERIVED TISSUES FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE - TENSION BETWEEN RESEARCH AND ETHICS

In April 1995, a research group reported that a patient with Parkinson 's disease had apparently been successfully treated with injections of fetus-derived cells. An editorial that addressed the ethical and lega l issues surrounding this research accompanied the report. Illustratin g the additional burden shouldered by investigators who use fetus-deri ved tissues for medical research and corresponding implications for pa tients who might benefit from this research. No matter how impressive the results or how great the burden of disease the research seeks to a ddress, molecular medicine and medical ethics are inextricably intertw ined in this field.