Researchers around the world are continuing to make breakthroughs in the controversial area of stem cell research. Yet there is much debate between pro-life groups and some stem cell research facilities. To better understand the debate, we need to know that there are two kinds of stem cells, Embryonic and Adult.
Adult stem cells (any not taken from embryos) are readily available from all over the body, and from umbilical cord blood and placentas. Christianity Today tells of a man cured of Parkinson's Disease in 1999 with adult stem cells taken from his own brain. The National Right to Life News reports of injected umbilical cord stem cells healing the spinal injury of a South Korean woman paralyzed for 20 years. Christianity Today (Oct 05, p. 64) has a chart showing 65 human conditions, from several kinds of cancer, auto immune diseases, Parkinson's, anemia, to heart damage, spinal cord damage, skull bone repair...the list goes on.
Although used for decades to replace bone marrow and forming blood, it was thought adult stem cells could not form various other tissue types. However, thousands of patients have benefited from adult stem cells that have grown new blood vessels to prevent amputation from gangrene, new corneas to restore sight, and many other applications. Molecular biologist Eric Olson at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center says, "Almost every other week there's another interesting finding of adult stem cells turning into neurons, or blood cells, or heart muscle cells." Also, the body contains at least 14 kinds of adult stem cells. If one kind does not work in a given situation, there are 13 other kinds to try. The same pluripotency enjoyed by embryonic cells may well exist among the 14 types of adult stem cells.
The story is not over. New advances are happening. Harvard has recently had success, not quite understood, in causing adult stem cells to revert back to embryonic cells, but there are DNA obstacles to conquer before they are usable. University of Minnesota researchers have recently turned embryonic stem cells into cancer fighters, and have watched cancer cells die in the culture dish. They now plan to see if these will attack cancer in mice. But adult stem cells have already been used in humans to cure several kinds of cancer.
Why do we not hear of all these adult stem cell successes in the media? Although there have been no successes with embryonic stem cells, some scientists are determined to overcome the obstacles, and continue to promise great potential of healing the masses of almost every incurable disease and situation. The media sees this as exciting news and have neglected to give space to the thousands of individual cures quietly happening with adult stem cells.
As Christians, we need to be aware of the success of adult stem cells, and continue to stand up against destroying embryos in the unfulfilled hope of great healing. Our God, who said, "Thou shall not kill," really did mean what He said. He is showing us that adult stem cells are immensely more effective than the empty promises from life-destroying embryonic stem cell researchers.
The harvesting of Embyonic stem cells causes the destruction of the embryo, which is why President Bush has not allowed federal funding for research in this area. The exception is the 78 lines of stem cells that are reproduced from embryos already destroyed prior to 2001. After harvesting, Embryonic stem cells reproduce very rapidly, and have the ability, called "pluripotency," to grow into any kind of tissue needed, such as bone, muscle, nerve, etc. A problem is that cells taken out of their natural environment in a woman's body are hard to control, and sometimes wildly grow into tumors. It is important to note that after half a century of research and millions of dollars spent, not one workable cure for any human disease has been found from embryonic stem cells.
You can find much more information on the Web at:
www.stemcellresearch.org