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When researchers announced earlier
this year that amniotic stem cells have
been found to possess many of the same
traits as embryonic stem cells, scientists
weren’t the only ones cheering.
Although the Catholic Church recognizes
that stem-cell research can lead
to life-saving medical breakthroughs,
the Church has been among the opponents
of embryonic research because
fertilized eggs are destroyed in the
process. But research using amniotic
stem cells “doesn’t require harming
anyone or destroying life at any stage,”
says Richard Doerflinger, deputy director
of pro-life activities at the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops, as reported
in The Washington Post.
Phil Gingrey is a Georgia Republican
and obstetrician who objects to
embryonic stem-cell research. Regarding
the news about amniotic stem cells,
he says, “We don’t have to split the
nation on this if we’ve got an alternative,”
The New York Times reported.
“We’re talking about saving lives.”
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The amniotic stem-cell study performed
at Wake Forest University School of
Medicine was hailed for scientific reasons,
too. The study found that both
embryonic and amniotic stem cells
have the ability to grow into many
types of tissues.
An additional benefit is that “embryonic
cells can form tumors when
implanted in lab animals, but amniotic-fluid
stem cells do not appear to do so,”
reports the Los Angeles Times.
Anthony Atala, leader of the Wake
Forest study, says if 100,000 women
donated their amniotic cells to a “bank”
for storage, there would be enough
genetic diversity to provide immunologically
compatible tissues for virtually
everyone in the United States, The Washington
Post reports. Since these cells can
be found in amniotic fluid as well as in
the placenta, Atala says it wouldn’t take
long to collect 100,000 specimens.
In addition to amniotic cells being
easy to retrieve during routine prenatal
testing, they are easier to maintain in
lab dishes than embryonic cells.
Constantly Changing
If you are confused by the terminology
and continual changes in the field of
stem-cell research, you aren’t alone.
Even the experts are puzzled.
“Amniotic-fluid stem cells lie somewhere
between the two major categories
of stem cells: embryonic and
adult,” says the Los Angeles Times.
But the National Institutes of Health
admits that scientists do not agree on
which stem cells should be termed as “adult.” Stem cells obtained from children
and adults, as well as umbilical-cord
blood and placentas, are usually
described as falling into this category.
Then there’s the connection between
stem-cell research and chimeras (organisms
that carry both human and animal
genes). In a recent article about chimeras,
National Catholic Reporter (NCR)
recalls that people feared the smallpox
vaccine in the 1880s because children
were injected with a disease found in
cattle. Today, pigs have been injected
with human blood cells to study the
AIDS virus.
“The Catholic Church has no inherent
objection to implanting genetic
material from an animal into a human
being,” says the NCR article. “Where
the Church demurs, however, is transplantation
of either the brain or the
reproductive organs, which it considers
essential to personal identity.”
Richard Doerflinger warns, “You’re
creating beings without knowing what
your ethical obligations to them are.”
Bioethics (the study of ethics surrounding
health care and biological sciences)
is the focus of many conferences
around the world (www.bioethics.net).
The Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith is addressing this topic by
updating its 1987 document Donum
Vitae (“Gift of Life,” www.vatican.va).
Close to Home
We can’t afford to ignore stem-cell
research just because it’s complicated
and continually changing. For one
thing, we need to stay informed about
issues our taxes might support (http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp). And
when we hear emotional appeals for
funding, we need to understand the
position of our Church.
It’s likely that many of us will be
faced someday with making life-saving
decisions involving stem cells, for ourselves
or others. An article in National
Geographic (July 2005) explains that
adult stem cells from one man’s hip
helped repair his ailing heart. In
another case, a lupus patient who had
experienced two strokes received stem
cells from her own bone marrow. Six
years later, this woman “has exceeded
expectations: Even damage previously
thought permanent is healing.”
Today, pregnant women need to
decide if they want to donate or bank
their amniotic fluid, umbilical-cord
blood or placentas for stem-cell
research. No doubt, many of them will
determine that the cost of banking
(about $2,000 initially, plus annual
fees) doesn’t fit into their budgets.
Banking needs to be affordable to
encourage more people and to avoid
future guilt trips when unseen medical
conditions occur. When I gave birth
to my three children, I had no idea
that both of my sons would be diagnosed
with cystic fibrosis or that my
mother would be diagnosed with diabetes
and Parkinson’s.
Stem-cell research is both exciting
and terrifying. There are still many
questions to be answered. We all need
to stay informed so we can make ethical
and intelligent decisions about
issues that are bound to keep affecting
us and those we love.—M.J.D. |
