EMBRYO STEM CELL

RESEARCH
LESSON XI
What are Stem Cells?
Stem Cells are cells that are capable of
totipotent and pluripotent operations by which the
dicerased bodily cells can be replenished.
Totipotent Capacity
By totipotent capacity is meant that stem cells
are capable of becoming any kind of bodily cells.
For example, serving as stem cells, blood cells
from bone marrow can become nerve cells.
Pluripotent Capacity

By pluripotent capacity means that stem cells

are capable of being coaxed into producing
different specific types of cells. For example,
umbilical cord stem cells can be a source
producing blood cells, brain cells, and the likes.
Replenishment of Diseased Bodily Cells
Stem cells can be used to replace diseased
bodily cells, repair a sick tissue or organ, and get
them back to their normal condition and
functioning.
What is Stem Cell Research?
Stem Cell Research is a scientific and biological study of a
stem cell that can become any kind of cell and develop into
specific different types of cells.

The goal of this research is to use stem cells to develop

various tissues that can then be used to repair damaged tissues
in the body – heart tissue to repair damaged tissues in the
body-heart tissue to repair a damaged heart, nerve tissue to
repair a damaged spinal column or reverse the effects of
Alzheimer’s disease, brain tissue to mend brain damage, and
so on and so forth.
 The goal of this research is to use stem cells to
develop various tissues that can then be used to
repair damaged tissues in the body – heart tissue
to repair damaged tissues in the body-heart tissue
to repair a damaged heart, nerve tissue to repair a
damaged spinal column or reverse the effects of
Alzheimer’s disease, brain tissue to mend brain
damage, and so on and so forth.
How Important are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are essential to the human body in

preserving its normal condition and functioning.
Without them, the human body would not be able to
grow and restore or repair its damaged part.
One has to realize that when he is slightly wounded or
has a slight abrasion, with or without medical
intervention, the affected bodily part heals itself and
recovers on its own. Of course, when necessary, health
care services are rendered so as to help the body restore
some damaged tissues in the healing process. The fact
cannot be denied however, that the body has the
inherent capacity to heal itself as designed by the
biological law of nature.
 Thus, stem cell research recognizes this
amazing power of the body by making use of
resources that are found therein so as to heal the
body itself. In other words, to conduct said research
from which new and more effective therapy for
various diseases can be discovered is to closely
conform to and assist the body in using its natural
capacity to bring it back to its normal condition.
 In fact, a lot of medical and biological
scientists are quite positive of what stem cell
research can bring which may rather be
considered a major breakthrough of technological
advancement in the field of medical science
during the 21st century and onwards for the health
and well-being of humanity.
What is Embryo Stem Cell Research?
Embryo Stem Cell Research is a scientific and biological
study of stem cells that are extracted from a human embryo
possessing the capacity to become and develop into various
specific types of cells for possible use to repair damaged
tissues and organs.

Like the stem of a plant from which spring leaves and

branches and fruits and flowers, embryonic stem cells (along
with other stem cells) give rise to nerves, bone, blood –
virtually every cell of the body.
Like the stem of a plant from which spring leaves
and branches and fruits and flowers, embryonic
stem cells (along with other stem cells) give rise
to nerves, bone, blood – virtually every cell of the
body.
 Embryonic stem cells are perceived to
have more active pluripotent capacity than
other cells so that they become the most
desired stem cells in the production of cells
meant to fix up diseased tissues and organs.
In fact, some scientists and researchers have
some up with scientific results of their
experimentation on the notable ability of
embryonic stem cells to divide into different
specific types of cells.
 A group of development biologists from
the University of Winconsin-Madison led by
James’ Thomson established five independents
stem cell lines in November 1998.
This was the first time embryonic stem cells
had been successfully isolated and
proliferation in culture and yet maintained the
ability to develop into a variety of specific cell
types, including neural, gut, muscle, bone and
cartilage cells.
 Moreover, other scientists have recently
reported success in having embryonic stem cells
grow into three different types of blood cells.
Thus, they can be employed to treat blood
disorder like leukemia.
 The different specific types of cells emanating
from cultured embryonic stem cells are also treated
with chemicals out of which medications and
therapies can be formulated that are good for
various pathologic conditions. They have the
potential to treat or cure myriad of diseases
including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart
disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries, and burns.
Is Embryo Stem Cell Research Moral?

The question is very specific: is

embryo stem cell research moral? It
implies the moral objection of
scientific research on embryo which
does not, of course, include research
on other stem cells.
Is Embryo Stem Cell Research Moral?

Hence, the question necessarily points out

which stem cells should be and should not
be subjected to scientific and biological
research so that the norms of morality may
not be compromised. But what makes
embryo stem cell research morally
inadmissible?
Against the Natural Law and the
Decalogue
In extracting stem cells from it for scientific
and biological study, the embryo gets destroyed
and killed. Stem cells are vital parts that
constitute the embryo.
Against the Natural Law and the
Decalogue
Any extraction of cells from the embryo may
result to its death considering its delicate
biological condition. To take stem cells from it is
to destroy it. It is obviously contrary to the
dictates of right reason to get stem cells resulting
to the killing of human embryo.
 No circumstances, whatsoever,
even in an intention to study about
embryonic stem cells for possible cure
of various diseases, can justify the
destruction of the embryo itself. The
end does not justify the means.
An evil act done for a good motive does not
become good. To destroy innocent life so as
to save another life is not morally justified.
Besides, there are other ways and means
indicating the equivalent desired results of
stem cell research that can be employed
without harming the donor.
 Moreover, the Fifth of the Ten Commandments which
necessarily includes prohibition of taking innocent life is
enormously violated. Hence, the biblical and moral
condemnations and all the moral guilt attributed to the
killing of innocents are present in the killing of human
embryo which, in and of itself, is innocent. It may even be
morally worse considering the very nature and condition
of life at embryonic stage which reasonably needs all the
nurturance and care for its sustenance.
 In like manner, research on embryonic stem
cells is expensive, and scientists are asking
governments, private companies, and universities
for lots of money. But every type of embryonic
stem cell research costs more than money. It costs
the lives of the youngest human beings on earth.
Against Human Dignity
In the extraction of stem cells from the
embryo for experimentation and study
aimed at the discovery and formulation of
therapy for various pathological
conditions, human life is reduced to a
mere biological species or object which
can easily be discarded as desired.
By being subjected to experimentation
resulting to its destruction. the human embryo
is no different from other species that non-
human as if it is just a blob of flesh. Its human
value is taken out and is merely perceived as
that which is to be experimented for possible
medical remedy if diseases to sustain others’
health and life.
 Thus, embryo stem cell research is
inimical to human dignity. It does not
recognize human life present in the embryo
which at the very start involves the creative
action of God and remains forever in a
special relation with the Creator, who is its
sole end.
It does not recognize the dignity and sacredness
of human life – of the embryo created in the
image and likeness of God – redeemed by the
blood of Christ and sanctified by the Holy
Spirit which is ultimately destined to be in
union with God after sometime of its human
existence in accordance with the Divine will.
 Finally, like abortion and other forms of
killing the innocent, embryo stem cell research is
an insult to the authority and power of God who
is the giver of human dignity and the Lord of life
from its beginning until its end (so that) no one
can, under any circumstance, claim for himself
the right directly to destroy an innocent human
being.
 Again, how credible is the claim that the
embryo has human life in itself?
 As mentioned, unlike spermatozoon and
ovum, the human embryo has the immanent
capacity to develop itself into a fetus, infant,
child and adult. It is a distinct, unified, self-
integrating into being undergo a substantial
change or change of nature. It is an immature
human (being), as is an infant, but a human
being nonetheless.
 The letter of Scott Klusendorf,
Director of Bioethics to U.S.
President George W. Bush
requesting the upholding of ban on
tax-funded embryo stem cell
research, follows:
…Living things do not become entirely different
creatures in the process of changing their form
(figure). Rather, they develop according to a
certain physical pattern precisely because of the
kind of being they already are.
Second, we know the embryo is human because it
has human parents. According to the law of
biogenesis, every living thing reproduces after its
own kind. If we want to know what something is,
we simply ask: “what are its parents”? In the case
of human embryo, its human parents produce
human offspring. Indeed, that’s all they can
produce
 Really, it is hard to conclude that there was a
period in the life of the human person, as in his
embryonic stage, when he was not human as he is
in his current period of existence. There could be
no other reasons giving rise to the contention that
the embryo is not human than because it does not
look like human.
 As contended by Director Klusendorf, the
differences of human embryo from a child or adult
in terms of size, location, and development are not
philosophically and morally relevant.
 The difference of Filipinos in terms of size
along with height and complexion from
Americans does not in any manner make the
former less human just because they are shorter,
smaller, and brown in color.
 Although demeaning of human dignity, the
location of the poor living in a squatter’s are or the
prisoners in the detention cell does not make them
substantially less human than the rich of free
individuals living in subdivisions and elite
villages.
So also in terms of growth and development, the
infant is as human as the child, the child is as
human as the adult, and the adult is as human as
the elderly. Whatever difference resides in the
physical and accidental properties and not in the
substantiality of the human person as he is.
 Therefore, just as the human person after
birth experiences differences in terms of size,
location, and development, so also, the human
person, after the moment of conception during
gestational period.
Is Adult Stem Cell Research Moral?

As long as it does not put the life of the

human person at risk, there is no
disproportionate reason, and informed consent
is secured, stem cell research is morally
admissible.
An example is adult stem cell research which
is a moral alternative. In fact, the purpose for
which it is conducted, that is, to find solutions
s to pathological problems for health and well-
being – is noble and pure so that adult stem
cell research is not only morally allowed but
also advisable.
 Contrary to the claims that it is only the
embryo stem cells that are actively
pluripotent, there are numerous supporting
studies that stem cells derived from adults
have the same potential (with that of
embryonic stem cells).
They can also develop into several different
cell types such as skin, bone marrow, fat,
heart, brain, and so on and so forth. If these
studies continue to yield fruitful results, the
need for embryonic stem cell research will be
put to rest eradicating a serious ethical and
moral problem.
A certain author says:

…many people have been helped using adult

stem cells: people with Parkinson”s diseases,
spinal cord injury, sickle-cell anemia, heart
damage, corneal damage, and dozens of other
conditions. This is not science fiction, it is
happening right now.
This is not science fiction, it is happening right
now. Moreover, there is cautious optimism that
adult stem cells will offer treatment for many other
diseases and injuries in the future… Not only that,
adult stem cell research is already working, already
producing cures and treatment right now. Isn’t it
tragic that we are not putting all the available
money into adult stem cell research instead of
spending too much of it the wrong way?
In support of the aforementioned, Director Klusendorf
adds in his letter:

Numerous peer-reviewed studies indicate that adult

stem cells are far more effective at treating disease than
previously thought. Unlike embryo stem cell research,
we can extract these cells without harming the donor.,
Here are just a few of the many examples:
adult bone marrow stem cells can be grown
into neutral stem cells for the brain raising the
likelihood that treatment for Alzheimer’s
disease and Parkinson’s disease can be
pursued…
 According to researchers, adult stem cells
found in the bone marrow can be coaxed to
provide an abundant and accessible supply of
nerve cells for the brain. Because these stem cells
come from the patient’s own bone marrow, there is
no risk of the body rejecting them. Cadavers can
supply versatile brain stem cells that can turn into
different kinds of nerve cells.
 Skin, bones, and just about every other
tissue can be coaxed into producing brain cells.
Remarkably, the body of a 72 – year – old man
(dead 24 hours) produced bone marrow cells
capable of growing (into) nerve cells… Even
body fat contains a virtually limitless source of
cells needed for people with damaged joints .
 On the other hand, scientists in Great Britain
found that adult stem cells from the patient’s own
transplanted bone marrow can turn into liver
tissue. The authors of the study state: adult stem
cells offer great promise in medicine, as they may
generate the full spectrum of cell types needed to
repair a damaged organ.”
At the University of Florida, researchers
have reversed diabetes in mice using adult
pancreatic stem cells. People with diabetes
could one day undergo transplantation of
pancreatic stem cells to provide a
permanent source of insulin…
 …Adult stem cells are increasingly being
shown to have a similar and perhaps an identical
capacity (with that of embryonic stem cells) to
become cells of other types.
They can be taken from the patient himself, then
reinjected, thus eliminating the problem of
immune rejection, which is a real problem in
using tissues from another human (in case of
mismatch), even from an embryonic human… In
fact, adult stem cells may prove to be superior
because they don’t suffer the problem of
rejection.
 Hence, to transplant adult stem cell is the safest
stem cell option for people. This avoids the
problems of rejection, disease transmission,
chromosomal abnormalities and uncontrolled
growth (as compared with embryonic stem cells).
One problem with embryonic stem cells that is
rarely mentioned is that methods have yet to be
developed to grow these cells in a manner that does
not induce significant chromosomal abnormalities.
Is Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Research Moral?

Other stem cells found to be productive

are those taken from the umbilical cord
during birth. Well, there is no moral
question in extracting stem cells from the
cord which turns out to have a lot of
amazing potentials in the field of medicine.
Stem cells from cord blood come from blood
in the placenta and umbilical cord. Once the
cord is cut and both mother and child are
well taken care of, a simple procedure
collects the cord blood into a special
collection bag which is then processed,
frozen and stored in a special laboratory.
According to Dr. Hollands :

Cord blood stem cells have

currently been transplanted just
over 6,000 times worldwide in the
treatment of 45 different
diseases…
(That are) blood disorders and also the
repair of the bone marrow following
high dose chemotherapy for cancer. The
most dramatic cord blood transplant is
perhaps that of Patrizia Durante who
developed leukemia during pregnancy
and was transplanted with her own
babies’ cord blood stem cells.
 Like the morally objected embryonic stem
cells, stem cells from cord blood are capable or
repairing such things as nerve tissue, muscle
(skeletal and cardiac), connective tissue and
endocrine cells such as insulin secreting
cells…
Dr. Hollands indicated that the process has an
80 percent success rate and not one of the
6,000 cord blood recipients ever developed
transplant related tumors or any major
complications related to the said transplant.
 Now, it goes to show that there are stem cell researches
which can be an alternative means to embryonic
experimentation posing no moral objection at all. Not
only are they effective, but also do not take innocent life
of the human embryo that should be treated as a person
from conception (and) must be defended in its integrity,
cared for and healed like every other human being.
These researches should be done for human development
and growth in the realm of health and well-being.
 Embryo stem cell research is both
unnecessary for having no proportionate reason
considering the alternatives available and immoral
for taking innocent life. It provides no reasonable
argument for its justification whatsoever.
Moral Teaching on Human Scientific Researches

To clarify suspicions and rectify

misconceptions about the perceived Church’s
opposition to scientific and technological
advancement and development, let it be known
that the Church is not against stem cell research or
any scientific and biological researches.
On the contrary, the Church even encourages
scientists with high degree of optimism to conduct
researches meant to discover effective therapy for
specific sicknesses and even for non-curable
diseases.
In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(C.C.C.) recognizes that:

Scientific, medical or psychological

experiments on human individuals or groups
can contribute to healing the sick and the
advancement of public health.
Basic scientific research, as well as
applied research, is a significant
expression of man’s dominion over
creation. Science and technology are
precious resources when placed at the
service of man and promote his integral
development for the benefit of all.
Nevertheless, it reminds that:

…By themselves however, they cannot

disclose the meaning of existence and of
human progress. Science and technology are
ordered to man, from whom they find in the
person and in his moral values both evidence
of their purpose and awareness of their limits.
 It is an illusion to claim moral neutrality
in scientific research and its applications.
On the other hand, guiding principles cannot
be inferred from simple technical efficiency,
or from the usefulness accruing to some at
the expense of others, or even worse, from
prevailing ideologies.
Science and technology, by their very nature
require unconditional respect for
fundamental moral criteria. They must be at
the service of the human person, of his
inalienable rights, of his true and integral
good, in conformity with the plan and the
will of God.
 The aforementioned is in harmony with the
key principle and goal of medical research that is
always directed towards a person’s health and
well-being. As commendable a goal as this is, it
(medical research) needs to be held accountable
to a higher discipline and subjected to a higher
set of principles.
In short, scientific research into the promise of
embryonic stem cells needs to be guided by the
overarching principles of human morality and
medical (health) ethics.
 And the teaching of the Church which
manifests principles of human morality
along this line is very clear: research or
experimentation on the human being cannot
legitimize acts that are in themselves
contrary to the dignity of persons and to the
moral law.
Since the human being is to be respected and
treated as a person from the moment of
conception and therefore from that same moment
his rights as a person must be recognized, any
research that reduces him as mere biological
commodity and brings about destruction of his
life from said moment on, which necessarily
includes his embryonic stage, is against human
dignity and is immoral.
The Churches declares :

Experimentation on embryos which is not

directly therapeutic is illicit… It is immoral
to produce human embryos destined to be
exploited as disposable biological material
(for experiments or transplantation).
The moral teaching of the Church
along this area stems from the fact that
human life is sacred and dignified from
the time it was conceived and onwards.
It has to be accorded all the necessary
protection and care from the moment
of its beginning until its natural end.
It has to be valued in the sense that every
human endeavor and achievement should
always be contributing to its fullness and
abundance. For this reason, human life should
not be at the service of medical and scientific
researches, rather, life. Reverberating what
John Paul II once said, the human person is the
master (and not a product) of science and
technology.
Pointers for a Health Care Practitioner
The following pointers are given for the health care
practitioner to consider:

1. The Church is not opposed to any development and

advancement of medical science and technology as long as
they are placed at the service of life for health and well-
being of mankind.

2. Embryo stem cell research is contrary to human dignity and

immoral for it reduces the human life of the embryo to mere
disposable, biological material causing’s its destruction.
Pointers for a Health Care Practitioner
The following pointers are given for the
health care practitioner to consider:

1. The Church is not opposed to any

development and advancement of medical
science and technology as long as they are
placed at the service of life for health and
well-being of mankind.
Pointers for a Health Care Practitioner

2. Embryo stem cell research is

contrary to human dignity and
immoral for it reduces the human
life of the embryo to mere
disposable, biological material
causing’s its destruction.
3. Other stem cell researches like adult and
umbilical cord stem cell researches are
morally licit as long as they do not expose
life to a disproportionate risk and that
informed consent is sought prior to any
procedure.
4. With clear and certain conscience,
you are not obliged to cooperate in
the illicitness of embryo stem cell
research procedure. Polite refusal and
explanation for said refusal can be
done.