Ethics of Embryo Models
Human embryo models are increasingly sophisticated structures created from pluripotent stem cells, fundamentally reshaping developmental biology by mimicking aspects of early human development.
Some Key Questions
Key ethical questions include how to conceptualize the moral status of embryo models that do not result from fertilisation but closely mimic early developmental stages; how to delineate permissible boundaries for their creation, use, and destruction; and whether current legal and regulatory categories remain adequate. These questions are both extensions of long-standing debates in human embryo research and responses to the novel characteristics of these models.