Stem-cell advance raises hope, ethical questions

Posted: 9/06/06

Stem-cell advance raises hope, ethical questions

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

WORCESTER, Mass. (ABP)—New scientific research may defuse the culture war over embryonic stem-cell research, but it also may raise new ethical questions.

In a study publicized on the website of the journal Nature, members of a team of scientists headed by Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., reported they had successfully grown stem-cell colonies that were extracted from human embryos without destroying the embryos in the process.

Many biologists believe embryonic stem-cell research holds significant promise for treating several types of terminal diseases. Such cells are valued because they are what scientists call “pluripotent”—they have the potential to grow into many different kinds of tissue. Researchers believe tissue grown from stem cells could be used to replace diseased or destroyed tissue in patients suffering from terminal or debilitating conditions.

However, until now, scientists had not been able to extract stem cells that could multiply into stem-cell colonies, or “lines,” without destroying the donor embryo. Many abortion-rights opponents believe that destroying any embryo—at any stage of development—amounts to abortion.

In 2001 President Bush effectively banned federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. It is commonly practiced on an embryo at the blastocyst stage, with about 150 cells.

But the new technique, using technology developed for in vitro fertilization, extracts a single cell from an embryo containing only eight cells—much younger than has previously been used in research. The technique, according to the study’s authors, leaves the embryo with the ability to develop into a fetus.

However, Nature reported, the paper raises other ethical questions.

“There are fears that removing a cell from an embryo will lower its chances of implantation in the womb or alter its development and cause later health problems for the resulting child,” the journal said. “Lanza answers this by saying that the risks of the procedure are minimal and that it would only be performed on embryos that are to undergo pre-implantation genetic diagnosis anyway.”

The technique, which has been used for about 10 years to test embryos fertilized in vitro for genetic defects, has apparently produced healthy children.

The White House released a statement expressing skepticism about the development.

“Any use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical concerns,” it said. “The president is hopeful that with time scientists can find ways of deriving cells like those now derived from human embryos but without the need for using embryos.”

The statement alluded to adult stem-cell research, which many abortion opponents point to as the only ethical alternative to embryonic research. However, many scientists in the field agree embryonic research holds much more potential for treating or curing a host of diseases.