Doctors: Adult stem cells, cord blood hold most promise
By Jim Shea
Correspondent
At the 18th bi-annual interfaith Breakfast for Life Oct. 26 at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, approximately 150 doctors, students, clergy, members of the professional community and other pro-life advocates heard from one of the leading experts on the topic of ethics and stem cell research.
Speaker Dr. David Prentice is a founding member of Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics and a fellow of the Wilberforce Forum Council for Biotechnology Policy, both in Washington, D.C., and an advisory board member for the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, Chicago.
“We keep hearing about the promise of embryonic stem cells, but the claims are simply unsubstantiated,” he said. “At this point in time there is little evidence of the effectiveness of embryonic stem cells. Proponents have yet to take even one dish of embryonic stem cells and have these cells change into one specific cell, i.e. a heart cell or brain cell. Based on experiments to date, it’s not safe to even try and apply them to patients.
“The bottom line,” continued Dr. Prentice, “is that our real promise lies not in the use of embryonic stem cells but with adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are today already at work in patients. I can document, through published scientific papers, with over 65 human diseases, where patients are better already, having been effectively treated through adult stem cells.”
“Some scientists admit there are ethical concerns in the use of embryonic stem cells,” Dr. Prentice said. “But, these same scientists continue to ignore the success in patients and the use of adult stem cells. The debate is ongoing. We face a lot of challenges, but the key question remains, ‘What does it mean to be human, and what kind of values do we give to any human life, whether it be a little embryo, a fetus in the womb, a newborn or someone at the other end of their life with advanced Alzheimer’s?’
“We must value every human life,” he added. “We need to push ethical science. We have an ethical problem in one sense, to make sure that everyone knows the real facts about the stem cell debate. The ethical question is that you have to kill a human embryo, a young human life, in order to obtain an embryonic stem cell. What we are dealing with is a human being at its earliest stage of life. We need to make sure we know the full facts and get out and talk about them with our friends, family and people at work. We have to write letters to the editor and to our legislators.”
Dr. Prentice also referred to a push in the U.S. Senate for a national cord blood bank, “Where we can do the kinds of magic we need to do in order to treat patients. There are thousands of patients already better, thanks to the use of cord blood alone.”
“Yesterday, (Oct. 18) Acting Gov. Richard Codey signed an executive order to establish a cord blood bank for umbilical cord blood,” said Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, adding to Dr. Prentice’s comments. “Umbilical cord blood is ethical stem cell research, and is already providing cures for people with sickle cell anemia and leukemia.”
Tasy also discussed issues that could be addressed by the legislature after the November election. “One would use $150 million in funds to construct the New Jersey Stem Cell Institute in New Brunswick,” she said. “There are also two legislative measures that would place a question on the ballot to have voters approve millions of dollars in public bond money. One measure would use $230 million and the other calls for $500 million.”
Fellow guest speaker Dr. Gary Friedman, medical director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine, Morristown Memorial Hospital, and trustee for the New Jersey Stem Cell Research and Education Foundation, agreed with Dr. Prentice’s assessment. “As of 6 p.m. last night, there were over 141 approvals for human clinical trials, utilizing human umbilical cord stem cells,” he said. “Going back 10 or 15 years, there were probably only five or 10 such cases. At the current rate, use of adult stem cells is exploding.”
“What I have learned,” Dr. Friedman said, “is that life is precious. I get to see people giving life to other people, day in, day out. People volunteer to donate their organs to a friend or family member. This shows the great giving capacity of human beings. We also understand, through the process of arranging for organ transplants, that we cannot forcibly take a life from another human being.”
Those who attended the breakfast felt it provided them with vital information that often isn’t discussed in regard to stem cell research.
“I didn’t know how effective adult stem cell research was,” said Nicole Czarnecki, a Rutgers University student. “I had no idea adult stem cells worked so well and that embryonic stem cells were not as effective.”
Shannon Varga, a student from St. Peter the Apostle High School, New Brunswick, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to attend the breakfast.
“I’m so glad I came today, to find out the importance of adult stem cell research,” she said. “I’m convinced embryonic stem cell research is wrong.”
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law