http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/opinion.pat,opinion/3accd1a6.713,.html
By MARY PILCHER COOK - Special to
The Star
Let there be no doubt. Everyone wants
to find cures for diseases and stop the suffering of families. We all want
breakthroughs on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, diabetes and other
diseases. And we are achieving those breathtaking outcomes -- with adult
stem cells.
Notice the difference. There are
adult stem cells and there are embryonic stem cells. All too often the
media use the term "embryonic stem cells," followed by references to "stem
cells."
However "stem cell" research often
refers to progress of adult stem cells. Because terms are not precise,
articles and polls become misleading and embryonic research is emphasized
when it has never helped a single human patient.
A study by Statistical Assessment
Service, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization, revealed the unbalanced
reporting: "... as the political stakes were elevated, the subsequent silence
on nonembryo developments was striking."
The group revealed a widely circulated
report that mouse embryonic stem cells were programmed to secrete insulin
(Science, April 2001). This research received enthusiastic coverage. However,
no mention was made of a more significant development discovered a year
earlier, where mouse adult stem cells had successfully reversed diabetes
(Nature Medicine, March 2000). Reporters left out that mice receiving embryonic
stem cells still died from diabetes.
Information derived from science
journals indicate adult stem-cell advances are taking place quickly. Human
patients were effectively treated for heart disease using cells from their
arm muscles (The Lancet, January 2001); umbilical cord cells repaired brains
damaged by stroke or other diseases (Associated Press); and bone marrow
adult stem cells in rats created heart muscle and blood vessels. The University
of California at Los Angeles used human fat cells to create bone, cartilage
and muscle tissues, and adult bone marrow stem cells can form many types
of cells, including liver, nerve, brain, etc. (Science, June 2001). Human
patients have found success in relief of lupus, multiple sclerosis, arthritis,
and repairing nerve damage.
Adult stem cells have shown capacity
to form essentially any tissue. One enormous advantage of adult stem cells
is no transplant rejection, since recipients can use their own tissue.
Alternatively, embryonic stem cells have risks of tumors. When early cells
are coaxed to differentiate, there is a risk of contamination, which does
not happen with adult stem cells.
Unfortunately, embryonic stem cells
have been held up as the "potential" universal remedy for disease despite
advantages that adult stem cells have already shown us. If the most potential
life-saving adult stem cell research were ignored, it would delay valuable
studies that are necessary to help people today.
We need to pause, put aside emotion
and promises, and take a hard look at this. Science is not the final authority
and should only give information that can help guide us. It is up to us
to answer questions of what is most efficient and morally correct for humanity.
As we do, it is imperative that we consider long-range ramifications of
different research methods.
The argument that embryos are going
to be discarded anyway is fallacious. Human embryos should not be thrown
away. Humanity needs to acknowledge that a human embryo is life that deserves
special respect.
There should not be hesitation to
pursue research with adult stem cells, since it has not been conclusively
determined that embryonic stem cells have more potential for curing disease.
We are a civilized society and should not deliberately kill one living
human to possibly benefit another.
History offers endless examples of
what happens when groups of humans are treated as "less than humans" and
as objects for others' use and destruction.
A total ban on embryonic research
and human cloning, as the Brownback-Weldon Human-Cloning Prohibition Act
in Congress is trying to achieve, would enable all of us to look forward
to the future.
Research concentration will then
be on the most promising and exciting adult stem cell developments.
Mary Pilcher Cook is a Kansas state
representative from District 18. She lives in Shawnee.
All content © 2001 The Kansas
City Star
Date: 07/13/01 22:00