Is it ethical to use fetal issue tissue for transplantation?
We perceive no ethical dilemma in the proper use of fetal tissue. Abortion is legal in India and in the USA. The women who donate the tissue have made the decision to terminate their pregnancies that is totally independent of the transplantation procedure. That decision was made in consultation with their physicians following approved rules and regulations. The donors approved the use of the tissue for transplantation and the patients signed consents for being grafted with fetal tissue. There wa no compensation whatsoever to the donor or to the obstetrician. All the fetal tissues not used for transplantation, are simply discarded as medical waste. In fact, all of the tissue, except for the small amount we transplant is discarded. The protocols used in our studies have been approved by the review boards of the Wilmer Institute, the Prasad Institute and the University of Rochester. Nonetheless, we are looking for alternatives, and we have found it in the case of RPE cells used for experi
