Every time you turn around, scientists discover new and ethical sources of stem cells–now from fallopian tubes removed during hysterectomies. From the story:
Discarded fallopian tubes from hysterectomies could be a good source of donor stem cells, say researchers. Work shows they are an abundant source of the immature cells that have the potential to become a variety of the body’s tissues, like muscle and bone. The discovery offers another “ethical” route to creating stem cell treatments for diseases like arthritis without using embryos.The findings are published in The Journal of Translational Medicine…
Once harvested, the scientists were able to multiply and then coax the mesenchymal stem cells to turn into apparently healthy muscle, fat, cartilage and bone cell lines in the lab. Given that these adult stem cells are capable of replacing damaged cells in the fallopian tube, the researchers envisage the cells could be useful for understanding and treating fertility problems as well as providing a source of stem cells for regenerative medicine.
Here are some good morals to this story: First, ethical science is good science. Second, never underestimate the capability and creativity of scientists. There’s more work to be done, but the good news keeps on coming.
June 18th, 2009 | 9:35 pm
At the moment of conception, sperm and egg fuse and create one cell – the first. It is a totipotent stem cell. However an adult stem cell reverted back to the same state possess the potential as the embryonic stem cell.
After about four days, the cells of the embryo begin to specialize into pluripotent stem cells. This poses a new moral challenge – are individual, specialized embryonic still capable of expressing life?
If the answer is no, then it morally acceptable to use embryonic stem cells as long as it does not cause destruction to the fetus. But if the answer is yes, then a ban must also be applied to pluripotent adult stem cells in order to safeguard the cells potential for new life.
In short, I am very skeptical about the thought process Christians use to justify adult stem cells. They do not appear to fully understand the implications of reverting adult stem cells into totipotent and pluripotent forms.
June 20th, 2009 | 1:37 pm
The ethical advantage to reverting adult stem cells to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state is that you can then have a cell with the same capabilities of embryonic stem cells (if that is indeed what you want) WITHOUT having to destroy an embryonic human being in order to get it. The problem with ESCR is NOT “destroying a cell,” as you seem to imply, but rather destroying an embryonic human being in order to OBTAIN that cell.
June 22nd, 2009 | 2:33 pm
bmmg39,
In 2006, Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) of Worcester, Massachusetts, described in the journal Nature how to remove an embryonic stem cell without destroying the embryo called “single-cell-derivation”. In January 2008, ACT announced the development of five hESC lines without the destruction of embryos. The new method was published in the journal Cell Stem Cells.
So we have now established embryonic stem cell research can be conducted on stem cell lines that did not result from the destruction on embryos.
But many (most?) still say its wrong because research is being conducted with human potential.
That’s leads us back to the problem with adult stem cells. An embryo starts, as one totipotent stem cell, so by reverting ASC to ESC that same human potential is created – and then destroyed.
As I said, most Christians have not fully though through the implications.
June 22nd, 2009 | 3:06 pm
R. Hampton. Thanks for being here.
You are mistaken and misdirecting. The ACT situation was designed to get past the Bush restrictions. It isn’t taken very seriously as a viable source of many ESC lines –Lanza said we would need hundreds of thousands in another venue.
More importantly, you are mistaken about adult stem cells. They are not totipotent and cannot become an embryo absent their being used in some form of cloning process. Same with IPSCs. An IPSC is not an embyronic stem cell. It is a pluripotent cell. It is not totipotent. It can become tissues, but not an organism.
What matters morally is what something IS, not how they could be manipulated to become.
June 23rd, 2009 | 9:33 pm
Mr. Smith, you need to read:
‘Pluripotent’ Stem Cell (iPS) Research is Not the Usual ‘Adult’ Stem Cell Research
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_138ips_notadultstemcell.html
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