Lisa Chiyemi Ikemoto

Eggs as Capital: Human Egg Procurement in the Fertility Industry and the Stem Cell Research Enterprise

In public debate, assisted reproductive technology use and human embryonic stem cell research are not obviously linked. However, both activities use human eggs and human embryos as the raw materials of their respective enterprises. In some cases, eggs and embryos produced for fertility purposes are transferred for use in research. In addition, commercial and medical practices developed in the context of the fertility industry are being adapted and used in the research setting. This article examines the material, practical, and normative links between the two activities. The analysis identifies the doctrine of informed consent as the legal constant. It shows how informed consent has expanded in function; it not only protects patient interests but also transfers commercial benefit to the enterprise, whether that be the fertility industry or the research enterprise. The expanded role for informed consent locates both activities within the world of biotechnology, where adequate disclosure in the consent process is the key to transforming human cells and tissues into capital.

“Editing” Genes: A Case Study About How Language Matters in Bioethics

Metaphors used to describe new technologies mediate public understanding of the innovations. Analyzing the linguistic, rhetorical, and affective aspects of these metaphors opens the range of issues available for bioethical scrutiny and increases public accountability. This article shows how such a multidisciplinary approach can be useful by looking at a set of texts about one issue, the use of a newly developed technique for genetic modification, CRISPRcas9.

A Transparent Oversight Policy for Human Anatomical Specimen Management: The University of California, Davis Experience

The authors describe the development and implementation of a University of California (UC) system of oversight, education, tracking, and accountability for human anatomical specimen use in education and research activities. This program was created and initially implemented at UC Davis in 2005. Several incidents arising out of the handling of human anatomical specimens at UC campuses revealed significant challenges in the system for maintaining control of human anatomical specimens used in education and research. These events combined to undermine the public perception for research and educational endeavors involving anatomical materials at public institutions. Risks associated with the acquisition, maintenance, and disposal of these specimens were not fully understood by the faculty, staff, and students who used them. Laws governing sources of specimens are grouped with those that govern organ procurement and tissue banking, and sometimes are found in cemetery and funeral regulations. These variables complicate interpretations and may hinder compliance. To regain confidence in the system, the need to set appropriate and realistic guidelines that mitigate risk and facilitate an institution’s research and educational mission was identified. This article chronicles a multiyear process in which diverse stakeholders developed (1) a regulatory policy for oversight, (2) a policy education program, (3) procedures for tracking and accountability, and (4) a reporting and enforcement mechanism for appropriate and ethical use of human anatomical specimens in university education and research.

Can Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Escape its Troubled History

In 2013 and 2014, three U.S.-based research teams each reported success at creating cell lines after somatic cell nuclear transfer with human eggs. This essay assesses the disclosures about how oocytes were obtained from women for each of the three projects. The three reports described the methods used to obtain eggs with varying degrees of specificity. One description, in particular, provided too little information to assess whether or not the research complied with law or other ethical norms. This essay then considers methodological transparency as an ethical principle. Situating the research within the ethical and moral controversies that surround it and the high-profile fraudulent claims that preceded it, the essay concludes that transparency about methodology, including the means of obtaining human cells and tissues, should be understood as an ethical minimum.