Tuskegee University
Team Members: Brittany Blount, Ashley Wood, Edlethea Owens, Ivory Tenee, Chokwe Lumumba Advisor:
Darryl Roberts & Pamela Foster Executive Summary Crimson & Gold Consulting Firm is a company that assists in the solutions of ethical, financial, and legal issues that arise in the business world. Crimson & Gold’s current client is BioCommerce International. BioCommerce International now employs 55, 250 individuals worldwide. BioCommerce International currently faces ethical issues in the area of stem cell research and its procedures. In order for BioCommerce International to compete with foreign and exclusively private Biotechnology firms, it will have to pursue new and imaginative avenues in regards to market and research. Crimson & Gold has been called upon to propose a course of action that will both revitalize and increase the financial and legal status of the company, while at the same time allowing it to work within an acceptable ethical framework. This will also insure the securing of invaluable federal funding. The following information will introduce the background information that will be presented in the presentation. Stem cells are relatively young and new discoveries are being made everyday. As with anything new, there are always skeptics in new discoveries. Yet, the benefits of stem cell research greatly outweigh any skeptic opinions towards the study. Stem cells are cells with the ability to become any of a number of specialized cells such as a brain cell, a red blood cell, or a muscle cell to name a few. This potential to become a specialized cell can be utilized or the stem cell, itself, can remain a stem cell for the duration of its life. Stem cells also have the ability to divide for an indefinite period of time. Stem cells are classified in two different ways: embryonic and non-embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, the most well known, are taken from human embryos that are only a few days old. Non-embryonic stem cells are cells that are harvested from adults and have been found in many different places of the human body such as bone marrow, the cornea, liver, and the skin, etc. The major difference between embryonic and non-embryonic stem cells is their abilities to differentiate. Embryonic stem cells have no predisposition to become any particular specialized cell, which makes them more valuable than adult or non-embryonic stem cells that have a predisposition to become a particular cell. Embryonic stem cells are also available in far greater numbers than adult stem cells and are more easily grown in cultures. Embryonic stem cells are taken from 3 to 5 days old embryos created by in vitro fertilization procedures, and they are then donated to research facilities with the written consent of the donor. Contrary to popular belief, embryonic stem cells are not taken from a pregnant female but are only derived from in vitro fertilization. Non-embryonic stem cells, or adult stem cells, are taken from the resonating location they are found in. This means that a stem cell found within bone marrow has a tendency to become a red blood cell. This does not mean that an adult stem cell can only become that within which its’ locations precludes. In fact, scientists have found that with the right amount of stimulation and a certain amount of gene therapy, you can manipulate a stem cell into a number of different specialized cells. Recently, a male had stem cells transplanted into his heart from his bone marrow. The transplant was completely successful and the remarkable part was that the adult stem cells were used. In the legal
aspect, stem cell research has raised many questions. Human stem
cell research suggests an immense promise for generating medical
therapies. These therapies are meant for various debilitating
ailments and a decisive means to investigate essential questions
of biology. The benefits obtained through stem cell research are
remarkable, however, there are several legal implications that
must be observed in regards to corporate decision making. Federal
grants appear to be essential to unveiling the promise of stem
cell research. Federal grants are not allocated without legal
overheads, and the acceptance of federal funds generates an open
door policy. Public funding is allocated only under the provision
of established legal standards. The acceptance of federal funding
most often arrives under the terms of a regulatory policy of open
scientific exchange. The government institutes this standard in
order to police the research of the company and to accelerate
the success of the research. This policy is immensely beneficial
to the overall success of the research, but it is not economically
advantageous to the company. This policy could become a handicap
in the race to fully develop the medical therapies created through
the research. Public funding will constitute the establishment
of a procedure of peer review and public oversight, which could
possibly impede the development of the company’s research.
The scrutiny of the public eye may comprise grounds for increased
litigation against the company. Private contributors often become
impatient with the meticulous nature of research and funds are
frequently limited. The company’s findings may suggest that
it is economical favorable to seek federal funds. In order to
avoid a torrent of legal proceedings, the company must take into
consideration the legal, ethical, and medical implication of this
research. It is the advice of Crimson & Gold’s legal
council that the company should institute a review board to insure
that the company functions in harmony with the pertinent federal
regulations. Compliance with federal regulations encourages federal
lenience.
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