WI-38細胞的來源爲人工流產後的人胚胎,更具體地說是取自這些胚胎的肺部成纖維細胞[3]。上述事實引起了倫理學上的爭議,而且這種爭議直到今天仍然存在[23]。反墮胎活動人士一直反對WI-38細胞的應用。部分社會活動人士拒絕使用利用WI-38研發的疫苗等產品[16]。社會活動人士黛比·溫內奇(Debi Vinnedge)表示,研發疫苗完全可以用那些不存在倫理學爭議的細胞系進行,但研發者卻仍然一直使用WI-38細胞系[16]。那位1962年實行了墮胎手術的瑞典女性(她並不願意公開自己的姓名)在接受專訪時表示,她對自己人工流產後的胎兒在未經允許的情況下被用於研究感到十分憤怒[3]。但一位科學家在接受自然雜誌專訪時表示,WI-38細胞確實拯救了數百萬人的生命。WI-38細胞系的建立者雷納德·海弗里克在一篇與S.J.奧利尚斯基(S. J. Olshansky)合著的文章中表示,WI-38細胞促成了許多疫苗的問世,減少了這些疾病的患病率,拯救了無數人的生命[19]。
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^Ahmed, EK; Picot, CR; Bulteau, AL; Friguet, B. Protein oxidative modifications and replicative senescence of WI-38 human embryonic fibroblasts.. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. November 2007, 1119: 88–96. PMID 18056958. doi:10.1196/annals.1404.020.
^Bernard S. Marasa; et al. MicroRNA profiling in human diploid fibroblasts uncovers miR-519 role in replicative senescence. Aging (Albany NY). 2010 Jun; 2(6): 333–343. 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)
^ 5.05.1Eckhard Alt; et al. Fibroblasts share mesenchymal phenotypes with stem cells, but lack their differentiation and colony-forming potential. Biol. Cell (2011) 103, 197-208.参数|journal=与模板{{cite web}}不匹配(建议改用{{cite journal}}或|website=) (帮助); 缺少或|url=为空 (帮助) 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)
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^EFTHYMIOS POULIOS; IOANNIS P. TROUGAKOS; EFSTATHIOS S. GONOS. Comparative Effects of Hypoxia on Normal and Immortalized Human Diploid Fibroblasts. ANTICANCER RESEARCH 26: 2165-2168 (2006).
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^BetzabéM.Stanulis-Praeger. Cellular Senescence revisited: a review. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development,1987,38(1):1-48.
^Freestone, D. S.; et al. Vaccination of schoolgirls against rubella. Assessment of serological status and a comparative trial of Wistar RA 27/3 and Cendehill strain live attenuated rubella vaccines in 13-year-old schoolgirls in Dudley.. Br. J. Prev. Soc. Med. 29,258–261 (1975). 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)
^HAYFLICK L; et al. Preparation of poliovirus vaccines in a human fetal diploid cell strain.. Am J Hyg. 1962 Mar;75:240-58. 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)
^ 19.019.1S. J. Olshansky; L. Hayflick. The Role of the WI-38 Cell Strain in Saving Lives and Reducing Morbidity. AIMS Public Health, 4 (2): 127-138. 2017.
^Xiuying Pu, Jing Ren; et al. Guiqi polysaccharide protects the normal human fetal lung fibroblast WI-38 cells from H2O2-induced premature senescence. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2015; 8(5): 4398–4407. 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)
^L Ren; et al. MRI-visible liposome nanovehicles for potential tumor-targeted delivery of multimodal therapies.. 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)