Stem Cell Research - Obama's Ethics

Stem cell research, a scientific practice which originated in the 1960's through the efforts and research of Canadian scientists Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till, has recently been infused back into the headlines with President Obama's decision to lift the Dickey-Wicker amendment. This amendment was put place in 1996 as a cap on the use of federal dollars to support and further embryonic stem cell research. Thus, American scientists wishing to dabble in the research of these cells have had to seek funding through private means. However, this doesn't mean that stem cell research has not continued in the United States. While still in office, President Bush happily supported the science in the use of adult and animal stem cells, but kindly refrained from the use of human embryos and fetuses. This was due to a profound belief in the truth that human embryos and the more mature fetus ought to be protected by the government as uniquely human individuals. But with the ushering in of the new Democratic government comes the expected torrent of conservative policy reversals, and the Dicky-Wicker amendment is one of the first to be thrown to the dogs. President Obama, a self-proclaimed man of faith, stated that moving forward in this area of research required a most careful and, "delicate balance."  Ahem! This leaves the more conservative members of the USA, not to mention the entire world, wondering how one could possibly offer an ethical and "delicate balance" to the borrowing of embryonic and fetal cells - cells that are inexplicably and uniquely human. 

To be fair, I must confess that when I contemplate the idea of stem cell research as a whole, my mind automatically and entirely focuses on the use of aborted babies as research cadavers. To use the tiny bodies of these medically murdered persons surely sends a "positive" message of, "Don't worry. Choosing to have an abortion can further scientific research. Your "donation" will enable us to, one day, re-create the spinal column of a crippled man, or reverse the effects of cancer in children." To employ the bodies of the unborn in such a manner is to use them in a most ill fashion, and it degrades them to an even further degree. Not only does this world view paint these tiny individuals as inhuman, but it gives science license to arrogantly borrow their cells and reproduce them as if their lives were worth nothing more then an experiment. But to focus merely upon that one aspect is a gross understatement of all that the research implies. Indeed, the aspect of research can be widened to include the use of adult, animal, embryonic (as mentioned above) and parthnogeneic cells. In order to increase my own understanding and further the comprehension of the reader, this author will attempt to present concise medical definitions of the above procedures. My aim is to widen understanding, expel ignorant notions and provide information which can be formulated a most careful and unbiased opinion. That being said, I humbly submit the following {definitions taken from www.wikipedia.org}:

The Use of Adult Cells - "The term adult cell refers to any cell which is found in a developed organism that has two properties: the ability to create another cell like itself and also divide and create more differentiated then itself. Also known as somatic {referring to the cells of the body, rather then the gametes [egg and sperm]}, stem sells and germline {giving rise to gametes} stem cells, they can be found in children, as well as adults. [NOTE - oftentimes, the use of fetal stem cells are grouped into the "adult" category]

Plurpotent stem cells {cells which can differentiate into nearly all types of cells [ie: cells derived from the three germ layers ( - a germ layer is a group of cells, formed during animal embryogenesis. They include the ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm)] are rare and generally small in number but can be found in a number of tissues including umbilical cord blood. A great deal of adult stem cell research has focused on clarifying their capacity to divide or self-renew indefinitely and their differentiating potential. Most adult stem cells are lineage restricted (aka. multipotent - stem cells which can differentiate into a number of cells, but only those in a closely related family of cells) and are generally referred to by their tissue of origin.

Adult stem cell treatments have been successfully used for many years to treat leukemia and related bone/blood cancers through bone marrow transplants. Adult stem cells are also used in veterinary medicine to treat tendon and ligament injuries in horses. The use of adult stem cell in research and therapy is not as controversial as embryonic stem cells because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an embryo. Additionally, because in some instances adult stem cells can be obtained from the intended recipient, the risk of rejection is essentially non-existent in these situations. Consequently, more US government funding is being provided for adult stem cell research" (information obtained from www.wikipedia.org).

The Use of Embryonic Cells - "Embryonic stem cell lines are cultures of cells derived from the epiblast tissue of the inner cell mass {the mass of cells inside the primordial embryo that will eventually give rise to the definitive structures of the fetus. This structure forms in the earliest stages of development, before implantation into the endometrium of the uterus has occurred} or a blastocyst or earlier morula {an embryo at an early stage of embryonic development consisting of cells called blastomeres arranged in a solid ball} stage embryos. A blastocyst is an early stage embryo - approximately four to five days old in humans and consisting of 50-150 cells. ES cells are pluripotent {the ability to have more then one potential outcome} and give rise during development to all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm. In other words, they can develop into each of the more then 200 cell types of the adult body when given sufficient and necessary stimulation for a specific cell type. They do not contribute to the extra-embryonic membranes or the placenta.  

After nearly ten years of research, there are no approved treatments or human trials using embryonic stem cells. ES cells, being pluripotent cells (see above for definition), require specific signals for correct differentiation - if injected directly into another body, ES cells will differentiate into many different types of cells, causing teratoma {an encapsulated tumor}. Differentiating ES cells into usable cells while avoiding transplant rejection are just a few of the hurdles that embryonic stem cell researchers still face. Many nations currently have moratoria {a ban} on either ES cell research or the production of new ES cell lines. Because of  their combined abilities of unlimited expansion and pluripotency, embryonic stem cells remain a theoretically potential source for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease" (information obtained from www.wikipedia.org). 

And last but not least:

The Use of Parthenogetic Cells - Parthenogenesis is the term that is used when an egg spontaneously activates on its own. "It is an asexual form of reproduction found in females where growth and development of embryos or seeds occurs without fertilization by a male. The offspring produced by parthenogenesis are always female in species that use the XY sex-determination system" {Definition taken from www.wikipedia.org}. This condition is often common in the human female. Sometimes a woman's eggs activate and form cysts or benign tumors inside of the ovary. When those activated eggs begin to divide, they resemble the human embryo in its earliest stages, and form blastocysts containing stem cells. The use of these cyst-like, unfertilized eggs could be viewed as a possible and "ethical" alternative to embryonic stem cell usage. Unlike in animals who reproduce through parthenogenesis, the effect in female humans is the exclusive formation of a cyst in the ovaries. If the aforementioned egg were to be implanted inside the womb of a woman, the result would not yield the formation of a fetus. 

Forgive the dry nature of the above information, but I find it necessary in order to form an educated opinion on the subject of stem cell research as a whole. As you have observed, there are many different ways to obtain stem cells. The cells in question can be harvested from a wide rage of benefactors - adult humans, animals, embryos, fetus' and cyst-like cells in the ovaries of a human woman. Up until recently, all of the above save adults and animals have been checked off the research list by the Dickey-Wicker amendment and protected by the government as containing life or the potential for it . Even if the scientific community is using the term loosely, after reading the above information, one might be left wondering whether any of the methods of stem cell research are worthy to be deemed "ethical." Despite this, President Obama has decided to trek the slippery slope of ethics by promoting the use of tiny humans and their cells in the name of scientific advancement. One wonders why science need dabble in the use of embryos at all, especially when there are many other means of obtaining these coveted cells - methods less fraught with ethical and spiritual conundrums. This author will once again remind the reader that Obama is a self-proclaimed man of faith. This leaves me wondering, "Exactly what religion is he practicing?" 

{NOTE - If you want to view the President making his speech on Stem Cell Research, go to www.youtube.com and check it out. Educate yourself!}