Editor,
Gov. Richardson is planning to legislate for $10 million devoted to the same thing. My concern is that there is so much misinformation and intentional disinformation out there that people are being taken advantage of without knowing the full truth.
There are two types of stem cell research: adult stem cell research and embryonic stem cell research. It is important to note that neither has provided any complete cures to human patients for any of the diseases they are attempting to eradicate, but adult stem cell research has been used to successfully treat more than 70 diseases, many times in a profound way.
This research has resulted in treatments for ailments including brain cancer, Parkinson's disease and stroke damage. These, and the other treatments, are confirmed by peer-reviewed journals. Because patients typically receive treatments derived from their own bone marrow or tissue, there is virtually no rejection from the body.
The alternative form of stem cell research, and the one that I think needs the most clarification, is embryonic stem cell research.
To date, this has provided no treatments for human patients, although some researchers hope it will provide treatments or cures for diseases such as Parkinson's, diabetes and many muscular ailments. Embryonic stem cell research is thought to have great potential because the cells are pluripotent, meaning they can develop into any type of cell.
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Embryonic stem cell research relies on what are typically called lines. These lines are primarily derived from either frozen embryos or newly created ones by a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Although this method sounds complicated, the phrase is simply a fancy way of saying a word most scientists try to avoid - cloning. This is the same process they used for Dolly, the sheep cloned in 1996. Cloning is something that the majority of Americans are not socially and ethically comfortable with, which has led us to create some incredibly strange laws. One such law states that it is legal to clone, so long as you kill the clone before a certain point in its development. It is illegal to let the clone live.
Many scientists say they have a method of extracting stem cells from a clone at a very early stage in a way that does not harm the clone. Never mind the fact that, if practiced, this would be financial suicide, since most of the lines experimented on don't derive the results scientists are looking for. Also, even if this procedure didn't kill the human clone, it would be illegal to let the clone live under federal law.
Embryonic stem cell tests are primarily being done on nonhuman patients, namely rats. The primary reason for this is not because of abstract and restrictive laws or lack of funding but for a much more serious reason. A known phenomenon and serious consequence of embryonic stem cell research is the formation of teratomas. A teratoma is usually a benign tumor that involves the growth of all three primitive germ layers. Teratomas, especially in the brain region, can have devastating and often lethal results. Needless to say, the elimination of teratomas in embryonic stem cell grafts is a priority for
scientists.
In one study attempting to treat Parkinson's disease, almost every rat showed an increase in motor capabilities. The problem, however, was that, after 10 months, every single rat developed a teratoma.
So, here's my take on this issue. All human beings from the moment of conception are valuable. The facts of science make it clear that from the earliest stages of development, embryos - whether created through normal reproduction or through cloning - are living, distinct and whole human beings. Leading embryology textbooks confirm this. This means that we are creating, killing and harvesting other human beings to better our own lives. This is a morally reprehensible solution to our problems. What if we discovered that the brains of children before the age of 5 had within them the cure to all forms of cancer? We wouldn't advocate the killing of infants to cure cancer, would we? Why, then, do we advocate killing members of the human community at an earlier stage of development with the prospect of doing the exact same thing?
Taking into account these very serious ethical concerns, and the fact that adult stem cells currently treat more than 70 diseases while embryonic stem cells treat none, I wholeheartedly support adult stem cell research and hope that after carefully looking into it for yourself, you will, too.
Matt Martinez
President, Justice For All
UNM Chapter
