The Matrix of Stem Cell Research Revisited

This multi-disciplinary book presents the current state of stem cell science in society, twenty years on from the first cultivation of human embryonic stem cells and ten years after the invention of genetically altered human stem cells. The once specialist field has morphed into a billion-dollar global endeavor. An array of applications has developed in the context of a growing bioeconomy that is highly dependent on patient donations, consumers and industrial support. The landscape of promises, problems and practices now forms a flexible matrix of intersecting agencies. This volume engages with normative, conceptual and infrastructural issues of this matrix, combining perspectives from scientists, social scientists, philosophers and ethicists. Together the chapters give a comprehensive overview of the current condition of stem cell research and its ethical and societal issues. This topical up-to-date volume is a valuable resource for researchers in different fields with the empirical case studies adding to its accessibility as a textbook and for a wider audience.