ABSTRACT
The use of electively aborted human fetal tissue in research and therapy such as transplantation raises tempting clinical possibilities and a variety of social, ethical, and legal issues. Advocates of fetal tissue research and therapy include scientists, clinicians, and patient populations that may benefit from the use of human fetal tissues. When compared with other sources of human tissue for research and transplantation, human fetal tissues exhibit distinct biological characteristics, including an enormous capacity for growth and functional differentiation. Human fetal tissue has been used for many decades in viral research, in the development of vaccines, and in the testing of efficacy and teratogenicity of new pharmaceutical products. A survey of gynecologists and family doctors in Canada indicates that fetal tissue transplant may pose a conflict of interest for practitioners who both counsel women considering abortion and collect fetal tissues at the time of abortion.
