Posted on 09/22/2005 1:47:25 PM PDT by NYer
PALO ALTO, September 22, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The use of human foetal brain tissue in spinal cord experiments with mice has shown some success, but is likely to alarm medical ethicists as well as raise objections from pro-life advocates.
Researchers at University of California at Irvine injected stem cells derived from the brains of human foetuses into mice with severe spinal cord injuries. The mice regained some mobility and the research team is cautiously hopeful that this experiment will lead to progress with spinal cord injuries in humans. The stem cells were derived from babies aborted at about 16 to 18 weeks.
Pro-life activists have for years decried the use of aborted babies in medical research maintaining that not only is it a desecration of the dead, but it creates an additional profit motive for killing the unborn and treating unborn children as commercial commodities.
The rationale given for using aborted children’s bodies in medical research is usually that since the children are going to be killed anyway, some good might as well be had from their remains which would otherwise be discarded. Exactly that argument is regularly applied to the use of living frozen embryonic children left in storage after IVF treatments. Pro-life advocates have often pointed out that precisely the same reasoning was used at the Nuremberg war crimes tribunals to justify the use of living human test subjects in Nazi concentration camps.
Problems with the ethics of using embryonic or foetal stem cells derived from aborted babies, however, are not confined to the horror of creating a medical research market for killing babies. Previous experiments with tissue or stem cells derived from embryos or foetuses have proved to be medically disastrous for patients as well.
The Washington Post reports that three California companies have applied to the Food and Drug Administration for permission to begin experiments to use foetal stem cells in direct experimentation with human patients.
The Post says that StemCells Inc. of Palo Alto, one of the most prominent of the private stem cell companies, has asked permission to start injecting the cells directly into the
brains of infants with Batten disease, an inherited illness that destroys the central nervous system.
Dr. John Shea, a physician and researcher who has made extensive study of the medical consequences of using embryo cells on human patients told LifeSiteNews.com that this could be disastrous for the patients. “When they used neural cells on Parkinson’s patients in 2001, it made the patients much worse,” he said. “In fact, the doctors themselves called it ‘catastrophic.’”
Shea is referring to a series of studies done in which foetal cells were injected into the brains of patients with severe Parkinson’s disease and resulted in severe irreversible side effects. One of the researchers in the 2001 experiment, Dr. Paul Greene, a neurologist at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, said the results for patients were “absolutely devastating… tragic, catastrophic,” and “a real nightmare.” Green said, “We are absolutely and adamantly convinced that [foetal transplants] should be considered for research only. And whether it should be researched in people is an open question.”
Read coverage from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic...
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jun/04063011.html
Well then why don't they start aborting mice and using mouse stem cells on human spinal cord injury victims. Oh yeah, then PETA would be upset.
Adult stem cells are already successfully working for spinal cord injuries.
"I'm hoping the research on placental and adult stem cells pans out in lab and clinical trials as more viable than embryonic stem cells. Otherwise, the outcome you fear shall be inevitable."
Good to hear from you my FRiend.
Sad to say, there always seems to be someone who is willing to check their conscience at the door and supply whatever the market is willing to purchase. I share your hope that adult and placental stem cell research pans out in a big way.
I don't know why this struck me, but 'mice with severe spinal cord injuries?' Where in the hell did they find mice with severe spinal cord injuries? The next thing you know is some laboratory with a government grant will be conducting experiments on mice with erection deficiency. Where do they find these mice? I really need to know!
More evidence that embryonic stem cell research isn't a good idea.
The article is simple gruesome. There is no word for these researchers other than ghouls. This is criminal and subhuman behaviour.
Exactly. An ever growing number of medical research articles published by major research companies, and by renown scientists working in this field have acknowledged that there is no need for embryonic stem cells due to the fact that adult stem cells produce better results.
Thanks for the ping!
No, it's all about justifying killing 16-18 week old innocents by those who want to be god.
Sorry for any redundant pings, if any.
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FYI
They sever the spinal cords of the mice with a scalpel.
I really believe there will come a day (if it isn't happening already) to when unwanted babies will be delivered early by C-section and all their organs harvested and sold. The thought is beyond awful. I cannot imagine being a doctor or nurse performing an abortion. HOW CAN one see that little body and not see it as a baby? There truly is a special place in Hell for these people. I also believe the pro-lifers in this country put WAYYYYY TO MUCH faith in our politicians and courts on the abortion issue. I'm of the belief that the battle should be to win hearts and minds one at a time through individual ministry efforts. Our political leaders will ALWAYS FAIL us on this effort. They give nothing but lip service.
Paraplegic breakthrough using adult stem cells for Spinal Cord Repair
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