Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research has been a topic of much debate within the ethics
community, centering largely on issues relating to the moral status of the embryo. While this discussion has
been ongoing, hESC research has progressed at an ever-quickening pace. As this research continues forward,
it is imperative that an ethically-optimized framework be established to help guide research. In particular,
inadequate attention has been given to issues of social justice and the importance of both protecting vulnerable
populations from bearing too great a burden for research while receiving too little of its benefits.
