CLONE. B y J o e B o l l i g

Transcription

1 CLONE WARS Episode one: the rise of the Clone Masters B y J o e B o l l i g KANSAS CITY, Kan. It sounds like a B-grade horror movie: Human beings created in the lab, only to be killed for their useful parts. But it s not a movie. There really is an effort afoot in Kansas and Missouri to create human beings for the purposes of exploitation and profit. The issue is human cloning through the process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and human embryonic stem cell research (hescr), the process that critics have dubbed clone and kill. On Nov. 7, Missourians will vote on whether or not to add Amendment 2 to their state constitution. If passed, the amendment would enshrine in the Missouri Constitution the right to clone and kill human embryos immune to legal challenge to the limits allowed by federal law. This is not, however, just a Missouri issue. The same individuals and organizations spearheading the Missouri effort are mobilizing to promote this research in Kansas. The goal is the creation of a web of supporting entities engaged in human cloning and human embryonic stem cell research spanning the state line. To help our readers understand the issues involved, The Leaven contacted John Morris, Ph.D., a medical ethicist and associate professor at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo. Morris is a member of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and special adviser to Bishop Robert W. Finn, Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, on embryonic stem cell research.

2 The nucleus is removed (like taking the yolk out of an egg) from a woman s unfertilized egg. A somatic or body cell (i.e., a skin cell) is taken from a donor. Step 1 The process begins with two human cells. HOW IT WORKS CLONE AND KILL: A method to create a cloned human, through Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), and to destroy it for its embryonic stem cells. Step 2 The two cells are fused, most commonly by an electrical or chemical process, thus creating a cell with a full human genome 46 chromosomes. It is now a one-day embryo called a zygote. It is no longer an egg or a skin cell. It is, for all practical purposes, identical to a zygote produced by the union of male sperm and the female egg through sexual reproduction. Step 3 Two paths could be taken at this point. Path 1. Theoretically, the zygote could be placed into the womb of a surrogate mother and produce a live offspring (as was done for Dolly the cloned sheep). Path 2. However, for the purpose of obtaining embryonic stem cells, the zygote is placed in a petri dish that contains a growth medium, and left for five to seven days. At the end of, this time the embryo, which has reached the blastocyst stage, is sphere-shaped, with the embryonic stem cells inside. The first path has been called reproductive cloning, and the second therapeutic cloning, although the only difference between the two is the scientist s intent what he plans to do with the cloned embryo. Step 4 After five or seven days, the embryo, a developing human being, is destroyed and the stem cells are harvested.

3 THE ANSWER MAN DR. DR. JOHN JOHN MORRIS MORRIS Why is it important for Kansans to know about human cloning and stem cell research? There s a perception that the issue is pressing in Missouri because they have a vote coming up, but not in Kansas. However, the people who want to do embryonic stem cell research and cloning are already hard at work in Kansas. They ve set up an organization called the Kansas Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, just as they set up the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. They re already lobbying legislators and the governor. If we wait until we start hearing about it, it will be too late. We need to get involved now, while we have a chance to talk to our elected representatives, and can educate the public. Who is supporting human cloning and human embryonic stem cell research? The Kansas City Star has reported that the Stowers Institute set up and hired the people to run the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. All indications are that they re behind the Kansas Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. They re also partnering with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the University of Kansas. I d say they re the biggest players right now. But there are other groups around the state research groups, universities and institutes who want to pursue this unbridled embryonic stem cell research as a way to make a more efficient supply of cells for research. What is the relationship between human cloning and human embryonic stem cell research? Haven t the proponents advocated the use of unwanted in vitro fertilization embryos? Isn t it sad how they refer to these human beings? They re not leftovers or extras. They re human beings. However, in regard to research, there are a few key problems with this approach. First, you hear different numbers. No one really knows how many there are in the United States alone. But, when looked at statistically, perhaps only 10,000 or 11,000 might be usable for research, due to damage or other reasons. So, realistically, the supply is a lot smaller. Even if we can use these frozen embryos to extract their stem cells, there s no guarantee that we ll find genetic matches. If you transplant these cells, there s always the chance for immune rejection, and, in fact, we see that in a very high rate in animal testing. So, using clones is a way around this problem to create custom-based therapies for people to avoid the immune rejection problem. And there are still other problems with using embryonic stem cells forming tumors and genetic instability. The key thing they re focusing on is getting around the rejection problem. That, however, is decades away, even if they can get it to work. Right now what they want is a large supply of embryonic stem cells for research. They re just starting to admit that they need cloning to get a larger, more reliable supply of human embryonic stem cells. In an article published in The Kansas City Star, Donn Rubin, chairman of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, said their opponents exaggerate the need for large numbers of eggs. Once the stem cell lines are established, he said, they can be multiplied. [Rubin] is responding to the egg problem. They talk about 70 different cures that could come from human embryonic stem cell research. Well, just for diabetes alone, the National Academy of Sciences has said that it would take probably 800 million eggs just to treat people with diabetes and that s just one disease on their list. To respond to this, they re saying that they don t need that many eggs right now, because they don t have any cures, although they don t like to bring that up. So, what they re saying is we just need enough eggs to do the research. But they re very vague about how many they want. Keep in mind that the cloning process doesn t always work. It took over 270 tries to get Dolly the [cloned] sheep. The Korean researcher who fraudulently claimed he had cloned human embryos two years ago had used over 2,000, and he didn t get a single successful cloned embryo. The bottom line is that, even with smaller batches, it will require thousands and thousands of eggs just to do the basic research. Don t be misled. They aren t going to just clone a few embryos to get the stem cells they need. We re talking about thousands upon thousands of attempts just to get the research started. We ve heard about the Korean stem cell fraud, and how the researcher pressured female lab assistants to donate eggs. But proponents of the Missouri amendment say it has ethical safeguards. Not really. The way this amendment is presented, it creates a number of loopholes and gray areas in regard to interpretation. Pay attention to the amendment s definitions section, because parts of the amendment are directly contradicted in the definitions. What this will do is create, at the most basic level, ambiguity, but more deeply [it] is going to create loopholes where this can be taken any number of different ways. They make the claim that the amendment prohibits buying eggs, but the term used to describe it is consideration. But the amendment continued on next page

4 Answer Man continued would still allow reimbursing donors for eggs, lost wages, and for time and trouble. In effect, you could pay women for eggs. Some women might not be aware of the health risks. Women who are poor could be vulnerable to exploitation. Dr. Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology has tried without success to recruit women to donate their eggs, and he now admits that, after six months of exhaustive effort, it seems like this is going to be problematic without some form of compensation. There has been a lot of activity among leaders in business, academia and state government in both Kansas and Missouri to promote human cloning and human ESCr. They say if we don t do this research, we ll miss out on important economic development. This is very interesting because, rather than start their effort with the medical community, they began with the business community. They presented it as an economic opportunity, and they keep dangling that in front of everyone, saying that if we don t do this research, we re going to be set back economically and lose everything. I don t see that economic boom coming from research that doesn t work. They re going to get public startup money, but if it works, they re going to get patents and privatize the profits. It s very unclear how this will benefit the states at all. So what can we do? Find out all you can. Research the Internet. Go to lectures and talks, and then share what you ve learned. And then get politically active. Pay attention to what the candidates support. And finally, pray. Our greatest strength is prayer, to keep the hearts of our leaders and people open to the real danger of killing and exploiting human beings for research. Pray that we can get this message out. Adult stem cell research offers real people, real benefits Proponents of cloning (SCNT) and human embryonic stem cell research talk about its potential to those suffering illness and injury, but the most exciting progress has come from research with adult stem cells. Ian Rosenberg, 60 From Great Britain Heart attacks since age 38 Went to Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany, for injections of his own bone marrow, containing adult stem cells, into his heart. Calls the results a miracle. Established a charity in Britain to fund a trial with 700 patients to study repair of damaged hearts with adult stem cells. Dennis Turner, 64 From California Onset of Parkinson s disease in 1990 Went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1999, and was treated with his own neural stem cells. Had an 80 percent reduction in symptoms for four years. Because Parkinson s is a progressive disease, his symptoms have slowly begun to return, and he awaits further treatments. Ejduana Ross, 33 From Illinois Onset of lupus soon after high school graduation Went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago in 2003 to be treated by adult stem cells taken from her own bone marrow. While not a cure, the therapy offered substantial benefit (according to The Journal of the American Medical Association), and Ross says, It gave me my life back. Amy Foels, 21 From Iowa Paralyzed from the waist down in a 2002 car accident Went to Dr. Carlos Lima in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2005 to become the 38th person in the world to receive a treatment from adult stem cells taken from her own nasal tissue. She can flex her hip muscles and her steps are improving. Patrizia Durante, 31 From Quebec Diagnosed with leukemia in 2001 while 27 weeks pregnant. Given six months to live. Doctors at Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal collected her daughter s umbilical cord blood. It contained adult stem cells, which were used to replenish her bone marrow. Durante is in full remission. Gina Rugari, 6 From Ohio (originally Kentucky) Born with Krabbe s Leukodystrophy Three weeks after her birth, she went to Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. She was treated with chemotherapy and then received umbilical cord blood from a donor. Today, she is thriving. While embryonic stem cell research has produced exactly zero cures thus far, adult stem cell research has produced an impressive list of benefits for people suffering 72 diseases and conditions, including: Cancers; auto-immune diseases; cardiovascular; ocular (eye); immunodeficiencies; neural degenerative diseases and injuries; anemias and other blood conditions; wounds and injuries; other metabolic disorders; liver diseases; and bladder disease. (For a complete list of peer-reviewed references, go to the Do No Harm Web site, facts/treatments.htm).

5 Cloning: the rest of the story Supporters of human cloning and human embryonic stem cell research have put forward a number of arguments to bolster their efforts. John Morris, Ph.D., a medical ethicist and associate professor at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., answers a few of their arguments and corrects some misunderstandings. Assertion 1: Human cloning, through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and human embryonic stem cell research (ESCr) offer tremendous promise for cures. Such research helped paralyzed rats to walk again and helped rats with Parkinson s disease. Morris: Yes, there has been a lot of promise actually just speculation and hype and not benefits for people. That success with the rats occurred years ago, with little progress since. Plus, in the Parkinson s study, 20 percent of the rats treated died of fatal teratomas in their brains caused by the embryonic cells injected into them. In the meantime, adult stem cell research (ASCr) is moving far ahead. Assertion 2: It s unfair to compare ESC research with ASC research. After all, ASC research has been underway for 50 years, and ESC research is a new frontier. It needs to be given some time. Morris: Sure, people were benefiting from bone marrow transplants as long as 50 years ago, but doctors didn t know until about 35 years ago that it was the stem cells in the marrow that were at work. As for ESC research, animal ESCs were isolated in 1981, and human ESCs in Scientists have not been able to establish a proof of concept for ESCs in the lab or in animal models even after 25 years of research. ESC research is not new. Assertion 3: Embryonic stem cells are the most promising avenue for stem cell research. Morris: If that were true, why are there 1,154 human clinical trials for ASCs, but only three trials for ESCs, and those are just for cells in the lab? To see these, go to: www. clinicaltrials.gov/. Assertion 4: If the citizens of Kansas and Missouri do not support ESCr and cloning, biosciences research will be crippled in these two states and funding will go elsewhere. Morris: Promoters of the biosciences admit that all kinds of stem cell research actually comprise a very small part of total biosciences research. If ESC and human cloning research go elsewhere, we won t lose much. Several communities have moved forward in stem cell research without ESCr and cloning. St. Louis is home to one of the largest cord blood banks in the world, which utilizes adult stem cells. Michigan has banned cloning since the late 1990s, but its biosciences sector is thriving. Assertion 5: The cloned embryo at the blastocyst stage (when the embryonic stem cells are harvested) is not human because it s smaller than the period at the end of a sentence. Morris: Why is this relevant? How does size give one person human dignity and deny it to another? After all, all human beings were this size at the beginning of their lives. Assertion 6: The cloned blastocyst is not a human being because no human sperm was used in its creation. Morris: This argument ignores science. A self-developing blastocyst of human origin, with a complete human genome, is a human being. Theoretically, a human cloned embryo implanted in a surrogate mother could result in the birth of a human baby, just as Dolly the sheep was created. No human sperm is used in the creation of a natural human clone, otherwise known as an identical twin, and we accept them as human. Assertion 7: The embryo isn t human until it is implanted in a woman s uterus. Morris: This is an argument about geography. The DNA of the embryo doesn t change after implantation and make it become more human. Rather, implantation only adds nutrition for the developing human child. Leading embryologists say the evidence points to life beginning at conception (or in the case of a clone, creation of the new zygote). Science does not support their argument based on the location of the embryo. Assertion 8: The blastocyst produced by SCNT for harvesting ESCs is just a cluster of cells growing in a petri dish. Morris: No, that would describe a tumor. In SCNT cloning, that cluster of cells is a highly-organized, self-developing human being patterning normal human embryonic development. Calling it a cluster of cells is an ideological argument that ignores science. An embryo containing human DNA is a human being, and the term human being is a biological term indicating that one is of the human species. Assertion 9: People who oppose human cloning (SCNT) and ESC research are just making a religious argument against science and cures. Morris: Isn t it obvious by now that legitimate arguments against human cloning and ESC research can be made from science and justice, as well as faith? Even so, someone who tries to say that you can t share a religious argument in the public sphere is engaging in a not-so-subtle religious bigotry. Faith and reason can go together. So, too, can faith and science. We might mention here that most churches including the Catholic Church are enthusiastic supporters of ethical adult stem cell research.

6 War of the Words If the debate about human cloning and embryonic stem cell research (ESCr) seems confusing, it is because the proponents have used misleading language and shifting definitions. In a May 4 letter to archdiocesan pastors, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann warned that the Kansas Coalition for Lifesaving Cures had launched a broad and deceptive mail campaign in Kansas, and that KCLC, has employed a method of deception that involves re-defining words. The archbishop further urged pastors to make parishioners aware of this campaign of deception, warning that, unless our people are educated on the issues and are aware of the deceptive language, they will easily fall prey to this web of deception and evil. Opponents of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research claim that the proponents of these kinds of research often do one or more of the following to obscure the fact that experimentation is being conducted on a human embryo: Some ESCr proponents have claimed that human life begins at implantation in the womb not when the full human genome with 46 chromosomes is present. Thus, the way is opened for experimentation on what one ESCr proponent has referred to as a clump of cells in a petri dish. ESCr proponents refer to embryonic stem cells as early stem cells, to obscure the fact they have been taken from an embryo, causing its death. The proponents deny that the somatic cell nuclear transfer process (SCNT) is cloning, and that it produces an embryo, and thus a new life. Proponents of ESCr also refer to the cells of a cloned embryo as the donor patient s own cells when, in fact, the cloned embryo is actually an identical twin of the donor, and its cells are its own not those of the donor with whom they share the same genetic code. Proponents also make a distinction between therapeutic and reproductive cloning, and claim that SCNT for ESCr is for therapeutic purposes. In actuality, all cloning, regardless of its final intent, is reproductive cloning. ESCr proponents ignore the scientific arguments against cloning (or SCNT) and human ESCr, and imply that their opponents merely oppose them on religious grounds, thus employing anti-religious bigotry. Further, ESCr proponents imply that cures available to others would be denied to citizens in Kansas and Missouri if laws were passed banning cloning and human ESCr. Further, they give the impression that cures from ESCr are on the horizon. In fact, no therapies, cures, treatments or benefits of any kind have come from human ESCr, and even if ESC cures could be produced, they will only come after many years of research. Most researchers in the field say any therapeutic benefits from ESCr are 10 to 20 years away. Proponents of SCNT and human ESCr often lump both embryonic and adult stem cell research (ASCr) under the single category of stem cell research in order to accomplish three things: To obscure the fact that ASC research is making tremendous progress To imply that more progress is the result of ESCr than is actually the case To imply that any opponents of ESCr are simply anti-science and opposed to all stem cell research, when, in fact, there is almost no organized opposition to ASCr. Embryonic Stem Cells Problems and Risks According to Morris, the U. S. bishops, and a number of other opponents of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research, there are a number of scientific and moral problems with these kinds of research: Scientific problems: Tumor formation: Animal experiments with ESCs produced the growth of tumors called teratomas, often resulting in the death of the subjects. Nothing has been found to address this problem. Difficulty in obtaining pure cultures of cells: Experiments with ESC succeeded in growing pancreatic islet cells in petri dishes, but they were mixed up with hair, bone, teeth, and other tissues cells. Immune rejection: All transplants carry the risk of rejection, even with the best of matches. Not only is this true with ESCs, but these cells have been found to have a higher rate of rejection than in the average transplant. Attempts to avoid immune rejection through cloning leads to other problems, such as passing on genetic diseases. Passing on genetic diseases: Another potential problem with producing cures or therapies from ESCs is their instability. Also, ESCs derived through SCNT do not solve the problem of the host s own genetic problems (such as juvenile diabetes). With some scientists, this is not a bug, but a feature. Some scientists want to create embryos with genetic problems for purposes of research. Moral problems with human ESC research: It dehumanizes humanity by reducing human life to a commodity. It corrupts all scientific enquiry by creating a category of science that has few legal or moral constraints. It kills developing human beings. It harms and exploits women by subjecting them to harmful methods of egg harvesting. It raises false hopes by continuing to hold out the promise of ESC research even though 25 years of research have produced no cures, therapies or benefits to humans or animals, and diverts funding from more promising and productive ASC research. Adult Stem Cell Advantages Opponents of SCNT (cloning) and human ESCr say that adult stem cells (ASC), which are derived from a number of sources without harm, offer the most promise for cures and therapies. Briefly, ACSCs: Are the most promising source for treatments, benefits for 72 diseases and conditions, with 1,154 human clinical trials on record. (To see these, visit: Go to a search engine on the Web site, type in adult stem cells, select search, and click on the box at the upper left that says, Include trials that are no longer recruiting patients. ) Are able to generate virtually all adult tissues Can multiply almost indefinitely, providing numbers sufficient for clinical treatments Are a proven success in laboratory culture, animal models of disease, and in current clinical treatments Have the ability to home in on damage Avoid problems with tumor formation and transplant rejection Avoid ethical problems of ESCs and SCNT. (Sources: David Prentice, Ph.D., senior fellow for life science, Family Research Council and affiliated scholar, Center for Clinical Bioethics Georgetown University Medical Center; and John Morris, Ph.D., a medical ethicist and associate professor at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo.)

7 Definitions and Terms Adult (or somatic) stem cell An undifferentiated cell found in a differentiated tissue that can renew itself and differentiate (with certain limitations) to give rise to all the specialized cell types of the tissue from which it originated. Blastocyst A preimplantation embryo of about 150 cells produced by cell division following fertilization. Clone Generate identical copies of a molecule, cell, or organism. 1. When it is used to refer to cells grown in a tissue culture dish, a clone is a line of cells that is genetically identical to the originating cell. This cloned line is produced by cell division (mitosis) of the originating cell. 2. The term may also be used to refer to an animal produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Cloning Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Differentiation The process whereby an undifferentiated embryonic cell acquires the features of a specialized cell such as a heart, liver, or muscle cell. DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid, a chemical found primarily in the nucleus of cells. DNA carries the instructions or blueprint for making all the structures and materials the body needs to function. Embryo In humans, the developing organism from the time of fertilization until the end of the eighth week of gestation, when it is called a fetus. Embryonic stem cells Primitive (undifferentiated) cells derived from a 5-day preimplantation embryo that have the potential to become a wide variety of specialized cell types. Human embryonic stem cell (hesc) A type of pluripotent stem cell derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst. Multipotent Ability of a single stem cell to develop into more than one cell type of the body. Pluripotent Ability of a single stem cell to give rise to all of the various cell types that make up the body. Pluripotent cells cannot make so-called extra-embryonic tissues such as the amnion, chorion, and other components of the placenta. Preimplantation With regard to an embryo, preimplantation means that the embryo has not yet implanted in the wall of the uterus. Human embryonic stem cells are derived from preimplantation stage embryos fertilized outside a woman s body (in vitro). Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) A technique that combines an enucleated egg (nucleus removed) and the nucleus of a somatic cell to make an embryo. SCNT is the scientific term for cloning. SCNT can be used for therapeutic or reproductive purposes, but the initial stage that combines an enucleated egg and a somatic cell nucleus is the same. Stem cells Cells with the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells. Teratoma Scientists verify that they have established a human embryonic stem cell (hesc) line by injecting putative stem cells into mice with a dysfunctional immune system. Since the injected cells cannot be destroyed by the mouse s immune system, they survive and form a multi- layered benign tumor called a teratoma. Source: National Institutes of Health,

8 What can YOU do? Contact the below-mentioned and tell them that you oppose human cloning and human embryonic stem cell research. Tell them that you support ethical adult stem cell research. Contact Governor Sebelius and your state and federal legislators. To contact the governor, write Office of the Governor, Capitol, 300 S.W. 10th Ave., Ste. 2125, Topeka, KS ; call (voice) 1(877) , (Topeka) (785) , or (hearing impaired) 1(800) ; or by at the governor s Web site: To find your state legislator, go to and then click on How do I... find my legislator? Write to the chancellors of the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. KU: Chancellor Robert E. Hemenway, Office of the Chancellor, 1450 Jayhawk Boulevard, Strong Hall, Room 230, Lawrence, KS 66045; call (785) ; or send an to: rhemenway@ ku.edu. The Church Teaches Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life ( Evangelium Vitae ), no. 57, 1995 It can be concluded from this data that the human embryo in the phase of preimplantation is already: a) a being of the human species; b) an individual being; c) a being that possesses in itself the finality to develop as a human person together with the intrinsic capacity to achieve such development. Pontifical Academy for Life, International Congress on The human embryo in the preimplantation phase: Scientific aspects and bioethical considerations, April 26 The Catholic Church enthusiastically supports research using adult stem cells because they can be harvested without doing any harm to the donor. Adult stem cells have already been used to treat more than 65 human ailments and diseases, with many more trials underway. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, The Leaven, March 10 UMKC: Chancellor Guy H. Bailey, 301 Administrative Center, 5100 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO ; call (816) ; or send an to: chancellor@umkc.edu. Contact the Greater Kansas City Area Chamber of Commerce by writing: Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, 2600 Commerce Tower, 911 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64105, or call (816) Inquire to see if your organization supports human cloning and unethical stem cell research (i.e., American Diabetes Association, Cure Autism Now Foundation, and others). Contact your medical provider and hospital. And don t forget to... Pray and get involved in your parish pro-life organizations. Talk to your friends, neighbors and family. Go to the Web sites listed in the section called For More Information Enroll in the Kansas Catholic Conference e-newsletter for updates on current legislation and action alerts. Call the conference at (913) , or go to: For More Information U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issues/bioethic/ Cures Without Cloning Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas stemcells.html Missouri Catholic Conference StemCell-Cloning/SCHCDex.htm Do No Harm Pro-Life Office, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (913) , or prolife@archkck.org. Kansans for Life Major players in promoting embryonic stem cell research Here are the organizations that are prominent in promoting human cloning (SCNT) and human embryonic stem cell research (hescr), or use language employed by cloning and ESCr proponents: Stowers Institute for Medical Research (and affiliates) Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures Kansas Coalition for Lifesaving Cures Kansans for Lifesaving Cures University of Missouri- Kansas City University of Kansas KU Medical Center Center for Practical Bioethics Greater Kansas City Area Chamber of Commerce Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute