The ethical reasoning of the panel advising the National Institutes of Health on human embryo research was clearly expressed by its policy cochairwoman at a news conference at which the group's report was released in September.
"The basic finding of the panel is that it is acceptable public policy to fund research on the human embryo, subject to stringent guidelines," said Patricia A. King, who is also a professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C. "There were three principles that guided us in our determination. First, that the promise of benefit from doing research on the human embryo was significant and carried great potential for couples and for families and for individuals. Two, that the preimplantation embryo warrants serious moral consideration but does not have the same moral status as infants and children. And three, that federal funding and...
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