Stem Cell Research

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

Ok, I plead ignorant.

What is stem cell research, and why is the Catholic church against it?

 

[Generic_Man]

iirc it’s killing a zygote (abortion) to extract the stem cells, which are supposedly very useful for repairing broken cells.

The Church is against it because it aborts the zygote, and we all know how evil that is.

 

[DrPiano]

Ok, I plead ignorant.

What is stem cell research, and why is the Catholic church against it?

Having an extensive background in the Biological Sciences - and an interest in exploring the various options of stem cells - I feel qualified to answer at least the first question.

Stem cells are cells that retain the ability to renew themselves indefinitely and can differentiate to produce multiple types of cells. Unlike what Generic Man said, there are actually many sources of stem cells - an embryonic (or zygotic) source is simply one of them. These various sources (and types) of stem cells have different potentials for differentiating. Some include
Hematologic stem cells - found in bone marrow. It is these stem cells that we use when we do a bone marrow transplant. Another source for these cells are the placenta and the umbilical cord.
"Mesenchymal stem cells" - these actually have multiple sources. Like hematologic stem cells these can be found in cord blood. They also get stuck in the filter that is used when we extract bone marrow - usually they are discarded, however I worked in a lab next door to someone who was experimenting with these cells. He was able to get them to differentiate into quite a few surprising tissues. Another surprising source is the roots of baby teeth - you can even send the teeth in to some stem cell banks to have the cells banked for later.

There are other “adult” stem cells (like those listed above) - many if not all of which do not have the moral objections that many (including myself) see in embryonic stem cells. As far as I know (correct me if I’m wrong, please), the Catholic church does not oppose experiments and procedures and therapies with these cells because they do not destroy life (or even hamper it).

Generic Man is right, however, in that some stem cells are taken from human embryos somewhere between the 8-cell and slightly bigger (morula) stage. These are often the ones you hear about in the media and in legislation, and the do require the destruction of these embryos. As I, and I’m guessing many other people on this forum, and the Catholic church believe that these human embryos are human life, and as such are protected, the use of embryonic stem cells is morally wrong and objectionable.

I hope that helps!

 

[Sabda]

The Church is against the use of embryonic stem cell research. Because it’s human life.

The Church is not against stem cell research as a whole, just embryonic stem cell research.

It’s my understanding that most embryos come from couple’s who went in for IVF. The embryos are those that were not used during the IVF process. Now they can use stem cells from other parts of the body and it’s acceptable. For example they can use stem cells from adults and the placenta and it’s ok according to Church teaching. There not destroying human life by doing this. The use of embryonic stem cells destroys the human life and that’s wrong.

 

[villagefish]

I agree with Sabda: The church only opposes stem-cell research that involves extracting the cells from fetuses. In fact, many Catholic hospitals are conducting stem-cell research using cells from umbilical cords and placentas. In Donald DeMarco’s book, Biotechnology and the Assualt on Parenthood, the author makes a point of saying that no one has actually been helped using embryotic stem cells. However, people have benefitted from placental and/or umbilical cells.

In fact, DeMarco’s book states that pro-embryotic stem cell scientists want to create embryos just to “extract” the cells from them; essentially creating life and then destroying it. Stem cell scientists need more cells to do their research, and view creating embroys for cell extraction as a way to have a never ending supply. This does not respect life and is therefore in opposition to Catholic Teaching.

 

[MariaGorettiGrl]

How sick is it that we have rules to keep companies from testing products on animals, but we test and kill our own babies!

God help us!

Also, some of the scientists who have been working on embryonic stem cell research have been lying about their success. They take a developing human embryo and when he/she begins developing organs, the scientists claim they made the organs.

There have already been recorded successes in human implant treatments with bone marrow stem cells! So why don’t we stop killing babies and do something that has already been shown to save lives?!?! :banghead:

Sorry. Just wrote a report about this topic and it really steams me!

 

[vern_humphrey]

Ok, I plead ignorant.

What is stem cell research, and why is the Catholic church against it?

First of all, the Catholic Church is not opposed to stem cell research.

A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell which can develop into a different type of cell. The easiest way to understand it is to realize that at conception, all of us were only one cell. That one cell split and multiplied, and some of the “child” cells became our hearts, our brains, our livers, and so on – and each of those organs has a cell that is different from the others.

Stem cells are found in the body, and can be “coaxed” into growing into various types of tissue. In theory, at least, you could cure a diseased organ by growing a replacement from your own stem cells. And you could repair organs that way.

And, in fact, medical science has used stem cells in this way – but those stem cells were taken from mature bodies. These are so-called “adult stem cells” and some say they are limited in what can be done with them.

One theory is if you take an embryo – which is all stem cells – you can do a lot more with it. Of course, in the process, you kill the embryo, which is a living human being. The Church opposes that aspect – killing a living human being for scientific research. It is, when you think about it, no different from the “experiments” monsters like Mengele carried out in the concentration camps in WWII.

A great many cures have been made with adult stem cells. To date, no cure has been made with embryonic stem cells – and a great many attempts have resulted in disaster.

In the end, the argument for embryonic stem cell research is simply political – it offers cover to those who consider abortion to be a good thing.