M.D. Questions Ethics of Using 'Dead' Embryos for Stem Cells
by Mary Rettig
October 4, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Last month, Spanish and English researchers reported that they had derived stem cells from an "arrested" or dead human embryo that spontaneously stopped developing after a few days. But while the temptation may be to hail this as an medical and bioethical breakthrough, one Christian M.D. says getting cells from dead embryos for embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) is not as uncomplicated as some might suppose.The European scientists who made the announcement said they had derived the embryonic stem cell line by removing a few of the cells of a "dead" embryo. But Dr. David Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA), says before anyone gets too excited, some important questions need to be asked.
"What are these cells that are being broken up?" Stevens asks. "In this embryo, there are cells called blastomeres, and the question is whether they're totipotent or pluripotent." And that, he asserts, is a very important distinction to clarify.
"Totipotent," the Christian physician explains, "means they have the capability to develop into a complete human being -- in other words, the same process that happens in identical twinning." On the other hand, he says, "Pluripotent means they don't have that ability -- they can become any cell in the human body."
In human reproduction, a fertilized egg begins a process of mitotic divisions, creating these blastomeres, or cell groupings. During this repetitive cell division process, errors may occur and, in some cases, the embryo stops developing. The scientists who say they created a stem cell line from a human embryo that had stopped developing naturally have suggested that using such embryos could make ethical concerns about ESCR moot.
But Stevens says there are more unanswered questions that need to be addressed with regard to this research. "Number one," he contends is "what's the moral status of these blastomeres? Can this become a human being?"
And the second thing to consider, the CMDA official says, is whether "arrested" development is really equivalent to death. "Is the arrested embryo really dead and equivalent to an organ donor?" he asks. "And then thirdly, are these cells safe to use?"
If science could answer these questions, Stevens says, using "arrested" embryos could possibly be an ethical way to do ESCR. However, the Christian M.D. points out, science does not have the capability to answer these questions right now. And until these issues are cleared up, he says, the most ethical route is simply not to use human embryos for research.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
