Nobody can deny that some lives would be improved. That doesn't necessarily make one pro stem cell research.
The Case for Adult Stem Cells
by Dr Amin Abboud
Australasian Science, May 2002 (Vol 23, no 4)
Amin Abboud argues that the successes of adult stem cell research are extraordinary, and therefore embryos don't need to be destroyed.
The editor of the journal Stem Cells, hidden from the gaze of a public confused about cloning and stem cell research, made a revealing admission to fellow scientists in the September 2001 issue: "we scientists have exaggerated the immediacy of the prospects of clinical therapies using stem cells, and that this has led to public misunderstanding. I continue to think that clinical application is a long way off……Prior to clinical use of embryonic and foetal stem cells, it will be necessary to thoroughly investigate the malignant potential of embryonic stem cells."
Nurtured on the accepted wisdom that science is reasonable, rational and objective, the debates surrounding embryonic stem cells have weakened my confidence in science. The white coats have covered a campaign of misinformation, personal interest, and financial gain. There is an unwillingness by some in the scientific community to allow any barrier to their research. The words of ethicist Paul Ramsey could help them "The good things that men do can be complete only by the things they refuse to do." Cloning and embryonic stem cell research is something we should refuse to do. To manipulate and destroy embryos, whose ethical dignity we have often failed to consider, is ultimately a weakening of the dignity of our own society.
The pawns of the biotech companies public relations exercise have been the vulnerable. The diabetics and those who suffer Alzheimer's or Parkinson's have been promised hopes of cure that are non existent and more like a modern day snake oil than a true cure.
Stem cell research should be pursued enthusiastically and energetically by any government (knowing well that it will not be the fountain of eternal life it is made out to be). The debate over stem cells is not over their usefulness but over their source. Those that argue for embryonic stem cell research ask that we destroy the 'surplus embryos' from IVF or propose the creation of embryos to destroy them (the misnomer of therapeutic cloning). To many in the community this goes against the dignity of the human embryo, the dignity of the point in life where we all began. Why destroy when we all have an abundant supply of adult cells?
Stem cells are those primary cells which have the capacity to develop in many different cell types (muscle, skin, brain etc). Because of this capacity they may prove useful for treatment of some conditions. Embryonic stem cells come from embryos by destroying them. Adult stem cells, despite their name can come from children or adults without harming the person. Another rich source is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord after birth.
Research done in MIT has shown that adult stem cell research is more advanced and more effective than research on embryonic stem cells. In an article titled "Adult cells do it better' in the American Spectator of June 2001 stated that private US funding of stem cell research is nearly all directed into adult stem cells where the results are very promising. Of the 15 companies that do stem cell research 13 work on adult stem cells. "If you look at some of the medical and scientific indications, adult stem cells are much closer to therapeutic applications; embryonic cells still have a variety of obstacles that need to be overcome," says Kevin FitzGerald, an assistant professor of medicine in the United States.
The successes of adult stem cell research have been extraordinary . Eighteen-year old Melissa Holley, a paraplegic patient with a severed spinal cord, has been treated with her own immune cells, and has regained movement of her toes and bladder control. Scientists at Harvard medical school have turned human pancreatic ductal cells into cells that produce insulin promising hope for diabetics. An Australian researching at Columbia University, will begin a trial on treating sever heart damage with adult stem cells. In animal studies benefits for Parkinson's' patients appear promising with adult stem cells, while the experiments with embryonic stem cells led to twenty percent of the animals developing tumours.
Embryonic stem cells have not helped a single patient. Not one single patient. In a recent public forum on this topic, a courageous diabetic woman, who was very active in her local diabetic community group, was astounded to hear about adult stem cells. She told me that in all the literature she had read no mention had been made of it. Only destructive embryonic stem cell research was talked about.
Ultimately embryonic stem cell research will open the door to cloning in all its forms. To be able to effectively help patients and avoid rejection clones will need to be created to treat any person. The community sentiment is against cloning and this is logical.
We can have our cake and eat it with the ethical alternative of adult stem cell research. We should aim to direct our efforts into adult stem cell research and turn our back on the unethical embryonic stem cell research.
Dr Amin Abboud is director of Australasian Bioethics Information
That's true, but to leave out the fact that those who benefit from fetal stem cell research are benefiting from aborted babies is to leave out a very important fact.