No Need to Kill Human Embryos for Stem Cells or Research

For years, researchers have known there are stem cells in the amniotic fluid which surrounds unborn children during their development and is present in the placenta after birth, but recently a group of researchers from Wake Forest University published a study which shows what these cells can do.

Interestingly, the stem cells found in amniotic fluid appear to have many of the same properties as embryonic stem cells. The amniotic stem cells appear to be pluripotent, which means they have the ability to be turned into every cell type in the human body. The researchers were able to turn amniotic stem cells into a variety of different cell types including nerve cells and liver cells amongst others. Their research also showed these cells live for a long time in the lab and multiple quickly. Another huge plus is these cells don’t appear to form tumors like embryonic stem cells do when they are used in animal experiments.

One of the main reasons proponents of embryonic stem cell research claim research with embryonic stem cells has “more potential” than research with stem cells from ethical sources is because embryonic stem cells are pluripotent while some types of adult stem cells aren’t pluripotent.

Paolo De Coppi, one of researchers involved in the Wake Forest study, also noted to an Italian newspaper how their research was rejected four times and they felt “that many of the criticisms raised (in rejecting the paper) were motivated by a resistance to the idea of finding an alternative to embryonic stem cells because the American scientific community fears restrictions on research with embryos.”

While research into life-affirming stem cells which don’t necessitate the deaths of human beings continues to advance and show that treatments can be found without killing embryos, some politicians and scientists are steadfast in their desire to continue on the push for more federal funds to be spent on embryonic stem cell research.

On January 11, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 253-174 to pass a bill called the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act which would expand the use of federal tax dollars to fund embryonic stem cell research. President Bush has promised to veto this bill (as he vetoed a similar embryonic stem cell bill in 2006) if it passes the U.S. Senate and reaches his desk. The vote in the House fell more than 35 votes short of the number of votes which would be needed to override the President’s veto.

Michigan’s prolife representatives took a strong stand against taxpayers paying for the destruction of human embryos.

Newly elected Congressman Tim Walberg (R) said, “The legislation this Congress is considering not only destroys human life and could ultimately lead to human cloning, but also is antiquated. Embryonic stem cell research has seen consistently disappointing and fruitless results, while nearly every month more studies come out showing that ethical adult stem cell research continues to flourish.”

Congressman Bart Stupak (D) representing Michigan’s 1st Congressional District spoke out saying, “As elected representatives, we have been cloaked with America’s legislative responsibility. With this responsibility we are entrusted to determine the ethical and moral bounds of scientific research and to determine what value America places on human life. I believe our work today must reflect America’s belief that all life has value, from the human embryo to those in the twilight of their life. We must not legislate shortcuts for one life over another.”

Joe Knollenberg (R), a congressman from Bloomfield Township issued a statement saying, “I hold the strong conviction that life begins at conception and that our laws should protect the sanctity of life. While I share the desire to find breakthrough treatments for chronic diseases like MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer, I cannot in good conscience support legislation that would authorize federal funding to be spent to destroy innocent human life for the purposes of medical research.”

As time goes by and life-affirming research presses on, it is becoming more and more apparent to open-minded individuals that our society doesn’t need to kill human embryos to obtain stem cells and find treatments for some of our worst maladies. Scientific research can stay within ethical limitations and still work. It’s also becoming apparent that the promise that embryonic stem cells will cure millions of people is nothing more than hype. For more information on stem cell research, please visit www.stemcellresearchcures.com.

Mark your calendar to attend Right to Life of Michigan’s Legislative Day on April 25. Richard Doerflinger, who is the deputy director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be the guest speaker. Mr. Doerflinger has testified before Congress, the National Bioethics Advisory Commission and the National Institutes of Health on ethical issues involving human embryo research. This will be an excellent opportunity to join other prolife people in Lansing and learn about current pending state legislation as well as becoming more informed on human embryo stem cell research.

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