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New Jersey Family Policy Council PO Box 6011 Parsippany, NJ 07054 P: 800-653-7204 F: 888-453-6346 Click Here to Contact Us |
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Cloning/Stem
Cell Research: view the .pdf | note: all footnotes are included within the .pdf By Toni Meyer, Sr. Research Analyst, NJ Family Policy Council Embryonic stem cell research has received major press coverage since Ron Reagan’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. Judging by convention speeches, and the media reports that followed, one might think that President Bush is limiting all stem cell research, and holding back future cures for many of the diseases that have plagued our loved ones. Nothing could be further from the truth. What has not been made clear by the media, and is critical to understanding this debate, is that there are actually two different types of stem cells that can be used to cure diseases: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cell research has been on-going for 20-30 years, is not under any government restriction, and does not require the destruction of human life. These stem cells have already been used to treat spinal cord injuries, Leukemia, and even Parkinson’s disease . Adult stem cells are derived from umbilical cords, placentas, amniotic fluid, various tissues and organ systems like skin and the liver, and even fat obtained from liposuction. In contrast, embryonic stem cells are obtained by harvesting living embryos generally 5 to 7 days old, which are destroyed in the process. Most importantly, embryonic stem cells have never yet been successfully used to help cure disease. In fact, in animals they have caused tumors and other complications. Embryonic stem cells are also being touted by some as a possible treatment for repairing the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, but stem cell researchers confess that this is a distortion that is not being aggressively corrected by scientists. Michael Shelanski, co-director of the Taub Institute for Research of Alzheimer’s Disease and Aging of the Brain at the Columbia University Medical Center in NY, says “embryo studies may lead to insights into Alzheimer’s” but “the chance of doing repairs to brains by putting in stem cells is small” . In addition, the type of research most frequently cited, requires the creation of cloned human embryos – which neither the public, nor Congress is willing to support . A new poll, conducted by International Communications Research, reveals that once Americans understand the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells, Americans strongly prefer funding adult stem cell research that does not destroy human life, by a margin of 61% to 23%. So, what is driving the biotech industry and many government officials to press for government money to subsidize embryonic stem cell research? Free money, and research without ethical limitations. Private industry has not been willing to put up any large sums of money on their own for embryonic stem cell research, because they are not sure it will yield the results they hope for. However, some drugmakers are getting into the field of research utilizing adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow . Investors are now taking notice that adult cells are actually working with human patients , and researchers are finding that these cells appear to be as flexible as the embryonic type . Politicians, like those in NJ, who are being told that they need embryonic stem cells to boost biotech development, should take note, especially since the state budget cannot afford any uncertain investments. Despite
the exaggerated promises made for embryonic stem cells,
such research requires the destruction of human life. Adult
stem cell research does not, and has already been used to
successfully treat thousands of patients. Let’s put
politics aside and put our efforts behind the research that
is both ethical and effective. 1Stem
Cell Research, Cloning, and Human Embryos, by Tadeusz Pacholczyk,
Ph.D. (in Neuroscience from Yale University), Family Research
Council, www.FRC.org.
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