Stem cell research

Stem Cell research opinion of Conrad Keezer.

There is much debate about whether or not it should be considered "Ethical" to fund stem cell research. First, I'd like to make a differentiation. There are at least two types of major stem cell research. Embryonic, the more well known and controversial one, and Adult stem cell research, the less known, and hardly controversial method.

First, I'd like to state the failings of embryonic stem cell research before going into details about adult stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research is not only controversial, but arguably less successful than adult stem cell research. One case that happened as recently as February of this year involved a young boy who had a fatal neuromuscular disease called ataxia telangiectasia. He received an embryonic stem cell treatment for his condition. Four years later he developed severe headaches and was found to have several tumors in his brain and spinal cord. The results of the tests of the tumors show that they genetically matched the embryos used in his treatment.

Now, according to Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former director of the national institutes of health, and once an ardent embryonic stem cell supporter, this case is the fear of many doctors and scientists. Embryonic stem cells often have the potential to mutate into cancerous cells which, while most of the time benign, can cause damage, and sometimes grow as large as a football. Despite best attempts to control and discipline these cells in the laboratory, they still can run wildly out of control, growing into tumors.

Another major problem of these types of stem cells are the rejection of them by the body's immune system. Addressing a convention in Wisconsin in 2007, Dr. James Thomson from the university of Wisconsin stated that this research was still "decades away" from become practical. He did not blame it on federal bans, or a lack of funding, rather a simple fact of biology. Among other problems he stated with the research, was the need for continuous use of dangerous immunosuppressive drugs to ensure that the recipient's own body doesn't reject the tissue and cause massive complications. Another advocate for Embryonic stem cell research, William Hastletine, a former CEO of human genome sciences stated to the press in France in the year 2001 that "The routine utilization of embryonic stem cell research is 20 to 30 years away" and that it would take so long to commercialize the research as products that he would simply not invest in it. Dr. Bernadine Healy also stated that Embryonic stem cell research is simply "obsolete"

My final argument against embryonic stem cell research will be on the bioethical side of the issue. There is a great deal of controversy and debate about the ethicality of using embryos for research. Charles Krauthammer, a former member of the President's council on bioethics stated that he does not believe that human life begins at conception, and that he does not agree with religious arguments against this research. However, he also said that "many secularly inclined people such as myself have great trepidation about the inherent dangers of wanton and unrestricted manipulation -- to the point of dismemberment -- of human embryos. You don't need religion to tremble at the thought of unrestricted embryo research. You simply have to have a healthy respect for the human capacity for doing evil in pursuit of the good."

So, while human embryonic stem cell research is not only facing scientific barriers, it is facing growing ethical barriers from not only the Religious community, but also from the Secular community. As Society continues to become more educated on this issue, the trend seems to be forming that more people are growing opposed to embryonic stem cell research for not only moral reasons, but also for practical scientific reasons.

Now, I will make my argument for the continued funding and support for Adult stem cell research. Adult stem cells are currently in use and have been for several years. Some examples include; bone marrow transplants, and the treatment of several illnesses including cancers, auto-immune disease, cardiovascular disease, immunodeficiency disorders, and neuro-degenerative diseases.

Adult stem cells also are far more controllable than their embryonic counterparts. This means that scientists can control what type of tissue it can turn into for treatment. Scientists can find these cells in almost every major organ now. This means that they can extract stem cells from your heart, or other major organs, and can coax them to mature into several different cell types. This process of extraction is almost as easy as removing a unit of blood according to Dr. Healy.

Another major advantage of adult stem cells, is that there is no chance of rejection. Doctors are able to extract stem cells from various areas of the human body, including olfactory cells from the mucous lining of the nose. They can be obtained without harm to the patient, and with some slight chemical alterations to the cell in the laboratory, they can be used to treat almost any tissue in the human body, with no chance of rejection. This eliminates the need for the immuno-supprsive drugs that would otherwise be needed for embryonic cells.

One of the most recent major success stories of adult stem cells was the case of Claudia Castillo, a woman from columbia whose trachea had collapsed from tuberculosis. Researches from the university of Padua, and the university of Bristol removed a small portion of a trachea donor, and stripped it of the foreign cells, essentially leaving it a hollow section of cartilage. They then took stem cells from Ms. Castillo, and "seeded" the trachea. Over a period of just four days, they were able to grow a new trachea for her that they then transplanted into her. She was not given immuno-suppresive drugs, because there was no concern of rejection. When she was interview four months later, she was alive and healthy with no complications.

Now, to close the arguments on stem cell research, I believe that science has shown researches where to look for cures for the diseases that afflict humanity. This path that science is leading is also the ethical path; it will not require the destruction or harvesting of human embryos to accomplish this task. In light of my research, I believe that the Federal government should pursue funding of adult stem cell research with vigorous support.

Sources; stemcellresearch.org, Why Embryonic Stem Cells Are Obsolete

March 04, 2009 11:52 AM ET | Bernadine Healy, M.D.,

Embryonic Research Driven by Greed, not Science
(Original title: “The Great Stem-Cell-Research Scam)

By Michael Fumento

New York Post, July 15, 2009
Copyright 2009 The Independent Journalism Project

Wikipedia.org ^ Rose, David (19 November 2008). "Claudia Castillo gets windpipe tailor-made from her own stem cells". The Times. The Times Newspapers Ltd. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5183686.ece. Retrieved 20 November 2008.