Seyedeh Leila Nabavizadeh - Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Today, the therapeutic applications of the embryonic stem cells and the adult stem cells are important and despite of wider applications, the embryonic stem cells in treating diseases pose numerous ethical issues due to using embryonic sources and today, it has become the most controversial scientific issue in the world. Some believe that the researching on problematic issues is useless. They think that there are other ways with less ethical problems. For example, why must research be done in the field of embryonic stem cell with its numerous ethical issues while it is possible to research in the field of adult stem cells It is noteworthy that the outcomes of each of the two ways are not hundred percent reliable. Therefore, if after a long time of research on adult stem cells fail, other alternatives are to be tried and or get to conclusion so that they compensate for the failures. Thus, parallel researches are important and need support. In our country, Iran, with respect to the culture and religious and national beliefs, it is more necessary to prepare and codify ethical, legal and lawful bylaws than before. Formation of ethical committees independent from the research and medical team, supervising the researchers and therapeutic centers that use stem cells, is also necessary.

Adult: Stem Cells, Embryonic stem cells, Bioethics, Legal, Jurisprudence, Informed consent