ABSTRACT
Experimental evidence suggests that foetal islet cell transplants will restore normal insulin function in diabetes. Foetal thymus and liver transplants may also have beneficial effects in the treatment of blood and immune system disorders. The most immediate practical application of foetal tissue research is the transplantation of human foetal dopamine-secreting neurons to the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and medically unresponsive Parkinson’s disease. When considering the ethical problems raised by foetal tissue transplants it is important to restrict discussion to within the boundaries of research proposals. With regard to the objection that foetal tissue transplantation could encourage a market in foetal material it must be replied that the same objection has been raised in the context of organ transplantation in adult humans. Kathleen Nolan, having ruled out maternal consent and routine harvesting of foetal tissue, suggests a compromise whereby ‘foetal tissue obtained from ectopic pregnancy’ could be collected without setting any dubious ethical precedents.
