Some European Countries Hesitate to Back ESCR
by Natalie Harris
July 28, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The leader of a pro-life group says he's reassured by the number of countries in the European Union questioning embryonic stem-cell research. The European Union voted last Monday to continue funding ESCR, but also voted not to fund human cloning or the actual destruction of embryos.Dr. Andrew Fergusson, president and CEO of The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, says the vote maintains the status quo. Poland, Austria, Malta, Slovakia, and Lithuania voted against the measure. After some hesitation, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia voted for it because it did not fund the destruction of embryos. Fergusson regrets their votes because they could have overturned the measure completely, but he says their hesitation is a good thing.
"I think we're seeing the same sort of tension in Europe as we are in the USA," Fergusson said. "And in that sense, that's kind of reassuring, that people from different cultures, different languages, different backgrounds are showing the same concerns. It's not just, for example, Roman Catholic countries."
According to Fergusson, many countries do not use the European Union's research funding. Because of this, he says the vote was mostly symbolic, like President Bush's recent veto of federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.
On the same day of the EU vote, scientists in the U.S. announced that they have found a way to transform adult stem cells from fat into smooth muscle cells, potentially treating such maladies as heart disease and gastrointestinal and bladder problems without any potential for bodily rejection. Reuters says the stem cells found in fat -- known as "multipotent" stem cells -- are not as flexible as embryonic stem cells are purported to be, but can produce a variety of cell and tissue types.
Fergusson contends this report from the National Academy of Sciences reaffirms the logic of pursuing adult stem-cell research.
"All the clinical benefits at the moment are coming from stem cells which have not come from the ethically controversial embryo source," the Center spokesman points out. "A human embryo is a living human being with real potential to become a fetus, to become a little newborn baby, a toddler, a child, an adult, and so on."
The pro-life group Do No Harm documents 72 cases of adult stem cell clinical treatments that already exist. If this treatment is effective, says Fergusson, it will be the 73rd clinical use. None, however, exist using embryonic stem cells.
Natalie Harris is an intern/news reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
