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Ethical and policy issues relating to progenitor-cell-based strategies for prevention of atherosclerosis

¹ Berman Institute of Bioethics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
² Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
³ Berman Institute of Bioethics and Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Correspondence to:
Dr J Sugarman, Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Hampton House 351, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA; jsugarm1{at}jhmi.edu

Objective: To examine important ethical and societal issues relating to the use of progenitor-cell-based strategies for disease prevention, particularly atherosclerosis.

Background: Several nascent lines of evidence suggest the feasibility of using progenitor cells to reverse the health consequence of atherosclerosis. Such potential uses of progenitor cells are scientifically exciting, yet they raise important ethical and societal issues.

Method: The Working Group on Ethics of Progenitor Cell-based Strategies for Disease Prevention met to discuss the relevant issues. Several drafts of a report were then circulated to the entire Working Group for comments until a consensus was reached.

Results: Scientific evidence suggests the appropriateness of using progenitor-cell-based strategies for some rare conditions involving atherosclerosis, but additional preclinical data are needed for other, more prevalent conditions before human trials begin. All such trials raise a set of ethical issues, especially since trials aimed at prevention rather than treatment may involve persons who do not yet have disease but will be exposed to the risks of interventions. In addition, enrolment in prevention trials may be hazardous and harmful if participants erroneously believe experimental interventions will necessarily prevent disease. Finally, given the high prevalence of atherosclerosis, there are some important public policy implications of taking such an approach to prevention, including the sources of progenitor cells for such interventions as well as the allocation of health resources.

Conclusion: Potential uses of progenitor-cell-based strategies for preventing atherosclerosis must be considered in the context of a range of social and ethical issues.

Abbreviations: UCB, umbilical cord blood