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Anyone with reservations about using embryonic
stem cells is now being cast as a heartless
fanatic. Here's just one of many examples: Rep.
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), exclaimed on the floor of
the House, "We must not say to millions of sick
or injured human beings, 'Go ahead and die, stay
paralyzed, because we believe this clump of cells
is more important than you.'... It is a death
sentence to millions of Americans."
In fact all this hype is without foundation. The
elusive promise of embryonic stem cells is based
entirely on the theory that with a little tweaking
the cells can be coaxed into becoming almost any
tissue or organ. Scientists have admitted in
their own journals, however, that they have no
idea yet how to regulate and control embryonic
stem cells to effect a cure. Just the opposite:
the results have been horrifying. In one case in
China, when the cells were injected into a
Parkinson's patient, they grew wildly and
developed into one of the most primitive and
terrifying cancers, a "teratoma." When finally
autopsied -- the cure had killed him -- they found
at the brain site of the injection a tumor full of
hair, bone and skin. In July, the highly
respected journal Science, reported the results of
a stem cell experiment using mice. Even though
the embryonic stem cells were identical, the
properties of the tissue or organism they
developed into were wildly different.
Meanwhile, stem cell research from morally
acceptable sources such as umbilical cord, adult
stem cells, etc. continues to steal the show with
a number of successful cures and recoveries -- see
related story. Adult stem cells taken from a
patient's own body are easier and far less
expensive to obtain, are plentiful and harbor no
chance of rejection. Last but not least,
harvesting these stem cells does not require
anyone to die so that others might live.
Success stories from adult stem cells continue to
be buried in the back pages of our newspapers,
leading Charles Krauthammer and others to opine
about the Great Stem Cell Hoax, intended only to
support a push for legalized cloning. Already
there is a great hue and cry coming from the
scientific community that all existing stem cell
lines have been infected with mouse cells, the
ones in existence are not of sufficient quality,
and there just aren't enough. This summer we were
told there were 100,000 to 150,000 frozen embryos
on the verge of being discarded in fertility
clinics that scientists could use. That estimate
has now dwindled to fewer than a 1000, causing
scientists to once again demand legalized
therapeutic cloning.
Aside from the specter of creating embryo farms,
no one can guarantee that a cloned embryo will not
be implanted into a woman's uterus. Some
scientists boldly claim that cloning humans may
actually be easier than animals, and 1500 couples
await the procedure.
Dolly the cloned sheep, however, was the first
success in 247 pregnancies. Of the small number
(little more than 1%) of animal clones that
survive the gestation period, most have severe
abnormalities -- malfunctioning livers, abnormal
blood vessels and heart problems, underdeveloped
lungs, diabetes, immune system deficiencies and
possibly hidden genetic defects. Several cow
clones had head deformities and none survived very
long. Little is known about the long-term health
of clones or other health problems, and research
is ongoing. There is also grave risk to the
mother in that clones tend to grow abnormally
large, often threatening to tear the womb, which
can also become swollen with fluid.
A comprehensive cloning bill passed overwhelmingly
in the House this summer, but is expected to have
a harder time in the Senate.
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