Subject: Embryonic Stem Cell Research Alternatives Exist: Use Them
Source: Washington Times; July 31, 2001

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Alternatives Exist: Use Them
by Michael Fumento

[Pro-Life Infonet Note: Michael Fumento is a Washington writer completing
a book titled "BioEvolution: How Biotechnology Is Changing Our World."]

"Bloody rotten timing," as the Brits might say. On July 24, researchers in
Rostock, Germany, announced that two weeks before they had successfully
transplanted stem cells into the heart of a man whom, they report, is now
doing well.

The problem_ The cells came from the man's own marrow. No embryos were
harmed in the making of this miracle.

What bloody awful news. It does nothing to help the full-court press to
force the Bush administration to lift the funding ban on embryonic stem
cell experimentation.

Which is why you've probably heard about the German experiment for the
first and last time.

You see, over the last few months there has been a desperate effort to
convince us that either (A), the ban covers all stem cell research, (B)
the only type of stem cell is from embryos, or (C) if you have heard about
non-embryonic cells, trust us, they're not worth spit.

What the Ban-Lift Bunch has on its side is celebrities like Christopher
Reeve and Nancy Reagan, nice people who either have or live with persons
with severe physical problems. But they don't exactly have medical
backgrounds.

The Ban-Lift Bunch also has full media support.

Consider a recent issue of Newsweek, putting what it wants you to think is
the entire argument right on the cover.

"The Stem Cell Wars," declare the boldest words. "Embryo Research vs.
Pro-Life Politics: There's Hope for Alzheimer's, Heart Disease,
Parkinson's and Diabetes. But Will Bush Cut Off the Money_"

Get it_ It's pro-life fanatics vs. science, pro-life fanatics versus the
sick.

But actually it's science, not abortion opponents, making the case for
non-embryonic cells. Overwhelmingly, the incredible breakthroughs in stem
cell research have involved NON-embryonic stem cells.

* A recent report in New Scientist described the successful use of stem
cells from adult human hair follicles to create skin grafts.

* Two studies in Nature Medicine reported that nonembryonic stem cells
injected into rodents can transform themselves naturally into neurons and
insert themselves into the brain, giving hope to persons with Parkinson's
and other disorders. A third study found that injecting a chemical into
damaged areas of rats' brains stimulated stem cells to grow and
differentiate into a massive number of normal, fully developed nerves. The
cells were able to repair damage and restore mobility to the rodents.

* At least four rodent studies and one pig study have shown that
nonembryonic stem cells can be injected into animals with damaged hearts
and repair heart tissue.

* As reported in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, rats with degraded
retinas were injected with nonembryonic stem cells that traveled to the
site of damage, which then showed signs of making connections with the
optic nerve and hence improve or even restore vision.

* Johns Hopkins School of Medicine researchers injected nonembryonic stem
cells into the spinal fluid of paralyzed mice and rats, half of which
partially or fully recovered.

* Cells from liposuctioned fat (North America's most plentiful resource)
have been transformed into bone, muscle, cartilage and mature fat cells,
according to the journal Tissue Engineering.

Time and again, scientists involved in non-embryonic stem cell work,
including even some who say they support lifting the funding ban, have
commented that one of the important results of their and others' findings
is that they would bypass the emotion-charged embryonic tissue debate.
Among them:

* Dr. Donald Orlic of the National Genome Research Institute told NBC News
in late March that, "We are currently finding that these adult stem cells
can function as well, perhaps even better than, embryonic stem cells."

* Eric Olson, chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center say that almost "every
other week there's another interesting finding of adult cells turning into
neurons or blood cells or heart muscle cells. Apparently our traditional
views need to be re-evaluated."

* Markus C. Grompe, a professor of molecular medical genetics at Oregon
Health Sciences University said of one study: "This would suggest that
maybe you don't need any type of fetal stem cell at all . . . that our
adult bodies continue to have stem cells that can do this stuff."

One of the richest sources of cells that are not adult, but more
importantly are nonembyronic, are umbilical cords and placentas from live
births. Each year, more than 4 million umbilical cords are simply
discarded. Connected end-to-end, they would stretch further than from New
York to Houston.

Stem cells from newborns are not only available in unlimited amounts,
there's also reason to think they may be far more versatile than the other
nonembryonic cells used in the aforementioned studies.

But it's not just that embryonic cells are unneeded; pragmatism counsels
that they should be shunned.

Much of the current fear over therapeutic human biotechnology comes from
angst over embryonic stem cell research, expressed across the spectrum of
the abortion debate. Rightly or wrongly, use of embryonic cells invokes
visions of Dr. Josef Mengele and a spooky slippery slope toward playing
around with human life.

Maintaining the ban on embryonic stem cell research while we continue to
watch the fantastic results pour in from nonembryonic stem cell work will
leap right over this moral chasm. This action will not just promote stem
cell research, but prove invaluable to all future therapeutic genetic
research and the vast promise it holds.