Is the debate over embryonic stem cell research finally over? Now that scientists in the US and Japan have found more effective ways of harvesting adult stem cells from the umbilical cord, there may be no need to obtain fetal stem cells that destroy an embryo in the process. Even so, the pondering of the stem cell controversy begs some interesting questions. Is it worth destroying a life to save a life? When does life even begin? What are stem cells exactly?
When does human life begin? This is the quintessential theological question behind embryonic stem cell research. Devout Catholics and Protestants will tell you, “Human life begins at conception, at the very moment when sperm and egg come together. Development from there on out should be left up to God and God only.” They argue the problem is that embryos are killed in the process of harvesting stem cells, therefore aborting the developing embryo. In a speech on August 9, 2001, former President George W. Bush explained, “While we must devote enormous energy to conquering disease, it is equally important that we pay attention to the moral concerns raised by the new frontier of human embryo stem cell research. Even the most noble ends do not justify any means.” Pope Benedict XVI went so far as to say human stem cell research was “not only devoid of the light of God but also devoid of humanity.”
Scientists working with fetal stem cells argue they’re using primitive “blastocyte” cells fertilized in Petri dishes that are typically 3-5 days old and have not formed nerves or brain cells yet. The general consensus is that fetuses are not capable of feeling and processing pain until the third trimester, or 28 weeks, when the thalamocortical connections are developed. To others, it’s a matter of practicality. James Thomson, the first scientist to do embryonic stem cell research, told MSNBC’s Alan Boyle in June 2005, “The bottom line is that there are 400,000 frozen embryos in the United States, and a large percentage of those are going to be thrown out. Regardless of what you think the moral status of those embryos is, it makes sense to me that it’s a better moral decision to use them to help people than just to throw them out. It’s a very complex issue, but to me it boils down to that one thing.”
Embryonic stem cell research still has many hurdles to overcome before expensive, widespread human testing is funded. Scientists are still trying to understand what conditions cause a stem cell to differentiate into a particular tissue or organ, for instance. They’re also not sure what causes the proliferation and what stops the proliferation (to prevent uncontrolled cancerous growth). Stem cells research carries much promise but it will take a lot of funding and patience.
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