What Are Stem Cells?

1
(No Transcript)
2
What Are Stem Cells?

• Stem cells are specialized cells that can produce
  several different kinds of cells
• Just like the stem of a plant will produce
  branches, leaves, and flowers, so stem cells can
  usually produce many different kinds of cells.

3
What Are Adult Stem Cells?

• Over one trillion cells in your body. Most will
  only divide a few times.
• Specialized stem cells continually produce new
  cells in certain tissues.
• There are skin, bone marrow, liver, muscle, etc.
  stem cells.
• These are adult stem cells.
• No ethical difficulties

4
What Are Embryonic Stem Cells?

• Blastocyst Inner Cell Mass
• The Inner Cell Mass eventually forms all the
  cells of the body. These are embryonic stem cells
  (ESC).
• In order to retrieve them, the embryo is
  destroyed.
• Human ESC have been obtained from leftover
  embryos from fertility clinics potential immune
  rejection
• Many researchers attempt to refer to these as
  simply reproductive cells.

5
What Can Stem Cells Be Used For?

• It is hoped that stem cells can be used to treat
  and even cure diseases like diabetes,
  Parkinsons, Alzheimer's, and brain and spinal
  injuries.
• Embryonic stem cells offer the most hope since we
  know they can become any cell in the body.

6
The Promise of Adult Stem Cells

• You can harvest adult stem cells from the
  individual to be treated. Therefore, there are no
  rejection problems.
• Adult stem cells can switch tissues.
• Adult stem cells migrate throughout the body in
  the blood.
• The discovery of the ultimate adult stem cell
  was announced 1/23/02

7
The Promise of Adult Stem Cells

• Last year the National Institutes of Health spent
  190 million on adult stem cell research and 25
  million on embryonic stem cell research
• Clinical trials are already underway using bone
  marrow (adult) stem cells for treatment of heart
  attacks, liver disease, diabetes, bone and
  cartilage disease and brain disorders.
• Adult stem cells can even be injected
  intravenously in large quantities and they will
  migrate to where the injury is located.

8
The Problem with Embryonic Stem Cells

• The embryo must be destroyed.
• The proper chemical signals to direct stem cells
  to turn into the cells you want are unknown.
• Human ESC have been coaxed to differentiate but .
  . .
• Immune rejection
• In China a man with Parkinson's was treated with
  human ES cells which turned into a tumor
  (teratoma) in his brain that killed him.
• The power of ESCs is also the source of their
  peril.

9
The Ethical Dilemma

• Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC) possess uncertain
  promise
• The use of ESC requires the death of the embryo.
• All therapies with any kind of stem cell are
  experimental and may not work.
• Too much is being promised.
• Coverage in the media has been biased and
  inaccurate.

10
The Humanity of the Unborn

• The Argument from Biology
• It is a human life at conception
• The fertilized egg contains 46 chromosomes in a
  new and unique configuration.
• Fertilization begins a directional process.
• Separate from the mother, genetically distinct

11
The Humanity of the Unborn

• Argument from Scripture
• Thou shalt not murder. (Exo. 2013)
• Hebrew and Greek do not distinguish between
  pre-born and born children
• Gods intimate involvement in the development and
  life of the pre-born infant (Ps. 139 13-16)

12
Humanity of the Unborn

• Psalm 13913-16
• Isaiah 491
• Psalm 515
• Jeremiah 15
• Luke 139-44

13
The Humanity of the Unborn

• For You created my inmost being You knit me
  together in
• my mothers womb. I praise You because I am
  fearfully
• and wonderfully made Your works are wonderful, I
  know
• that full well. My frame was not hidden from You
  when I
• was made in the secret place. When I was woven
• together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes
  saw my
• unformed body. All the days ordained for me were
  written
• in Your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 13913-16
14
The Humanity of the Unborn

• The Lord called me from the womb
• from the body of my mother He named me.

Isaiah 491
15
The Humanity of the Unborn

• Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the
  time my mother
• conceived me. Psalm 515
• Male seed combines with female seed to produce a
  child.

16
The Humanity of the Unborn

• Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
• Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and
• before you were born I consecrated you I have
• appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 14-5
17
The Humanity of the Unborn

• At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town
  in the hill country of Judea, where she entered
  Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When
  Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped
  in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the
  Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed
  "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
  child you will bear! But why am I so favored,
  that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As
  soon as the sound of your greeting reached my
  ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Luke 139-44
18
Saving Lives!

• Clinical trials are already testing the treatment
  of Parkinsons using gene therapy and adult stem
  cells.
• Alzheimers is likely not treatable by stem
  cells.
• When we think about saving lives we must count
  the cost.
• Is relieving the symptoms of disease worth the
  cost of the lives of the weakest and most
  defenseless members of society?
• whatever you did for one of the least of these
  brothers of mine, you did for me.'

19
President Bush

• Embryonic stem cell research is legal.
• Federal funding of ESC was limited in August 2001
  to ESC already created.
• Congress has prohibited federal funding of
  research harmful to the embryo since the Clinton
  administration.
• Adult stem cell research is being fully funded.

20
Senator Kerry

• Wants full federal funding for ESC research.
• Makes no public distinction between ESC and adult
  stem cell research.
• Never warns that clinical trials are 10-15 years
  away.

21
The Problem with Therapeutic Cloning

• In order to avoid the immune rejection problem
  with ESC, many want to clone the affected
  individual and use the ESC from their clone
• Treats the human embryo as a thing, a clump of
  cells before 14 days and beyond according to the
  new law in New Jersey.
• The basis of this ethic is strictly the end
  justifies the means.
• Even the term therapeutic is problematic. The
  subject is destroyed.
• Supposedly more ethical than reproductive
  cloning, the aim of which is at least to produce
  life.

22
The Future?

• If we allow federal funding of ESC research, we
  have stated that our government supports research
  at any cost to human life deemed less than worthy
  as long as we can think of a good reason.
• We would therefore endorse the view that the end
  justifies the means.

23
Politics ofStem Cells
24
Stem Cells Potential Politics

1. Potential of stem cells
2. Politics of stem cells

25
Stem Cell Research Options

1. Prohibit ES cell research.
2. Close off all federal funding.
3. Funding of existing lines.
4. Funding creation of ES cells.
5. Full federal funding of research.

26
Stem Cell Research

• Adult stem cell research seems most promising (74
  clinical successes).
• Embryonic stem cell research has been a failure
  (China man with Parkinsons developed grotesque
  tumor).