Embryo Stem Cells For Therapy: Good Bad Or Ugly

[Storm]

We've been doing a lot about this in biology and theres quite a big controversy about it at the moment. As the title says, the topic is whether extracting stem cells from embryos for therapy is a good or bad idea.

For those who don't know...

Originally Posted by Salters Nuffield Advanced Chemisry AS textbook, page 116

Tissue typing for the transplantation of whole organisms is more complicated than blood transfusions, but the principles are the same. If whole organs are one day grown from stem cells- and this is a very long way off- it has been estimated that perhaps only 20 stem cell lineswould be needed to provide transplants for 90% of the UK population.

A second approach to the problem of rejection would be to use drugs that prevent the recipent from from rejecting any transplanted organ. Again, this approach has been around for many years and is widely used with conventional organ transplants.

A third and novel approach has now been proposed and is generally refered to as theraputic cloning, though the use of this term is regretted by many scientists working in the area. In theraputic cloning the patient needing a transplant would have one of their diploid cells removed-this could simply be a cell from the base of a hair or any suitable material (going through rapid mitosis). This cell, or it's nucleus, would then be fused with an ovum (egg cell) from which the haploid nucleus had been removed. The result in this would be a diploid cell rather like a zygote.

This cell would then be stimulated to divide by mitosis in the same way that gave rise to Dolly the cloned sheep. If all went to plan, after about 5 days a blastocyst would develop. Stem cells could then be isolated from this, and encouraged to develop into tissues. This procedure results in cell lines, and perhaps eventually organs for transplantation, which are genetically identical with the patient from whom the original diploid was taken.

As it is possible to maintain embryonic stem cells in tissue culture, it should also be possible to use them to find out how genes control human development. For example, they might be used to explore how genes trigger the onset of organ formation. They may help us to understand how cancer cells develop and how certain birth defects may occour. Stem cells could also be used to provide a source of normal human cells of virtually any tissue type for use in screening new drugs.

So, all the medical benifits do sound nifty, but there are ethical drawbacks. The cell is cloned up until a certain cell and is then destroyed. It is a living cell which can become a new life. A baby. Life is valuable.

Arguments for therapeutic cloning

• "This research is very pro-life. The life of a clump of cells smaller than a pin-head- the pre-14-day-old embryo- does deserve some respect. But the lives if people with cancer, diseases such as Parkinson's and organ failure who could be savedby the development of stem cells deserve to be given a higher value" -Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP and science spokeperson
• Those who oppose this development need to show good reason why people with chronic illnesses should be denied advances in medical treatments that would substantially improve their quality of life." -Parkinson's Research Interest Group
• "The human embryo has a special status, and we owe a measure of respect to the embryo. But we also owe a measure of respect to the millions of people living with these devesating illnesses and the millions who have yet to show signs of them." -Lord Hunt, Junior Health Minister
• "I may feel sorry for about two or three cells but I also care about the millions of cells that are a human person" -Professor Julia Polak, Director of the Tissue Engineering Centre at the Hammersmith Hospital, London

Arguments against therapeutic cloning

• "There is a widespread agreement that the huge philosophical and ethical implications of these developments have not been considered fully." -A coalition of 11 religious leaders representing Church of England, Free Church, Jewish, Muslim, Roman Catholic and Sikh traditions
• "The cloning of human embryos would be like a bursting of a dam.... Once human embryos are cloned and used for the breeding of organs, there would immediatly be attempts to go further." -Dr Piete Liese, Member of the European Parliament
• "To rush to approve the destruction of embryos in order to harvest and experiment on ES cells is inadvisable and unnecessary. We should address the ethical concerns first." -Frank E. Young, Reformed Theological Seminary, Fourth Presbyterian Church, USA

So I am interested in what YOU all think of therapeutic cloning and the use of embryos to do this.

[Sasquatch]

I agree that stem cells should be used to help prolong human life, but I see absolutely no reason to take them from an embryo instead of from the umbilical cords of newborns. There are stem cells there, too, and there's no reason to create a new embryo, only to "harvest" it. However, while I do believe this "harvest" is unethical and immoral, I don't equate it with abortion.

Stem Cells come up a lot in science these days and its because of their ability to become any cell in the human body. This type of research can save lives and prolong those already alive. A small foetus that really isn't alive that can give stem cells to save somebody's life is perfectly fine with me. Its a totally different matter when a born baby is used or at a later time in pregnancy.

[Tiffany]

Okay I'm kinda confused, so you'll have to enlighten me.

We didn't talk about stem cells back when I was in school


Anyways, my original position was that if millions of women are having abortions anyways, then might as well use the stem cells. Since the baby is going to "die" anyways, then why not make that death save thousands of other people?

But then someone said to me that the baby has to be alive, and that they can't use the stem cells after the abortion procedure. In that case, I'd say change the abortion procedure and give the mother the option if she wants the embryo to be involved in stem cell research.

Just think, instead of that baby being thrown into a dumpster or whatever it is that they do with them after the procedure, they could in turn help save people's lives. Sure it's "unethical" but something that could do so much good and give a small purpose to something that so many see as bad can't be that horrific.

Just my opinion.