The recent announcement of the reprogramming of human skin cells to mimic embryonic stem cells has caused much confusion. As usual, the publicity arm of the Republican Party a.k.a. Fox News is talking it up to follow the right wing position that now research is no longer needed on embryonic stem cells. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Why would a promising breakthrough in curing disease be abandoned because a new breakthrough, untested and with serious problems, has come along? Wouldn’t it make sense to pursue both research avenues?
Let’s look at examples of some diseases. Stem cell research holds promise for a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. Scientists are also researching other methods to grant relief from Alzheimer’s. We have drugs today we didn’t have ten years ago and a better understanding of Alzheimer’s. Should other research into Alzheimer’s be stopped because of the promise of a stem cell cure? I don’t think so. Every avenue of research should be open to every scientist because we don’t know where the cures lie without taking advantage of every method of research.
We’ve made great strides in cancer research and many lives have been saved because of that research. Suppose, however, that once chemotherapy was proven to kill cancerous cells, we cut off research into other treatments and causes of cancer. So we give up looking for genetic cures, radiation cures, investigating the role of pollution in air and water because we now have one treatment that seems to work. Pretty foolish, huh?
This is what the religious fundamentalists are proposing. These fundamentalists and the Republican Party know that 70% of Americans support embryonic stem cell research. This is a serious election issue for them because it could cost them the election. They mistakenly connect embryonic stem cells research with abortion. There is no relationship with abortion, which is the termination of pregnancy, since the embryos were never implanted in a womb.
Then there is the old “slippery slope” argument used by Sen. Valde Garcia, R-Marion Township. Using embryonic stem cells will lead to all kinds of abuses, he claims. I wonder why the "slippery slope" argument is never applied to war or capital punishment, which HAVE taken us to terrible abuses of human life.
Garcia does not understand how in vitro fertilization creates embryos. The embryos are created with sperm and ova from one set of parents OUTSIDE the body. More embryos may be created than a couple will use. Today, in Michigan, these become medical waste. If Garcia is really concerned about the destruction of embryos, then he should be against the in vitro fertilization clinics that create the embryos. No danger of him doing that – taking such a position would definitely raise a huge outcry.
There are serious drawbacks to skin cell stem cells. Retroviruses are used to open the cell and retroviruses can cause cancer. There are other serious hurdles for the skin cells that may take years to overcome. How well the skin cells can mimic embryonic stem cells is not yet known.
It’s important for us to understand this new science well enough to make choices whether we will support it and whether we will vote for legislators who will support it. Future cures and the future of Michigan’s high tech jobs will depend on us, the voters.
Come to the Stem Cell Research presentation on Tuesday, Nov 27, at Democratic headquarters to get the information from experts you will need to make up your mind about stem cell research. This will be your opportunity to ask important questions.
Contact information: 810-229-4212. E-mail: livcodems@sbcuc.net
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