Making Sense of Stem Cell Research and Cloning. Alan Shlemon Stand to Reason

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1 Making Sense of Stem Cell Research and Cloning Alan Shlemon Stand to Reason

2 The body has over 200 different types of specialized cells.

3 Stem Cells A stem cell is an unspecialized cell Unspecialized cells differentiation specialized cells Stem cell Heart cell Stem cell Daughter cells

4 Stem Cell Types Unipotent turn into only one cell type Multipotent turn into few closely related cell types Pluripotent turn into any cell type of a human being Totipotent turn into any cell type AND supportive tissues

5 Embryonic Stem Cells

6 Purpose of Stem Cells Developing embryo Stem cells

7 Cloning Is the Solution to an ESCR Problem Problem: ESCR leads to tissue rejection. Solution: If the new tissue could be a genetic match to the patient s body, then there would be no rejection.

8 What Is Cloning? Cloning is a form of reproduction (SCNT). nucleus DNA DNA DNA Ovum (egg) Ovum (egg)

9 Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

10 Two Types of Cloning: 1. Reproductive cloning 2. Therapeutic cloning

11 Summary Cloning creates embryos that are genetically matched to the patient s body. ESCR takes the stem cells from the clone to use in the patient s body.

12 ESCR and cloning have the potential to treat disease and disability. Heart attack, stroke, Parkinson s, paraplegia, arthritis, Alzheimer s, diabetes, etc.

13 There s a moral obligation to perform this research It s morally wrong to oppose funding because the embryos are no bigger than a period at the end of a sentence. They do not have the capacity to become a human being. Senator Tom Harkin

14 We have a theological mandate to support ESCR and cloning. Salvation includes healing of body and soul. We emulate God when we heal through agape love. Therefore, this medical research contributes to God s healing on earth. Ted Peters & Gaymon Bennet Theological Support of Stem Cell Research in The Scientist

15 The embryos used in ESCR and cloning are not human beings or persons. Michael Kinsley We re talking here about newly formed embryos. These are not fetuses with tiny, waving hands and feet. These are microscopic groupings of a few differentiated cells. There is nothing human about them

16 The embryos that are being discussed, according to science, bear as much resemblance to a human being as a goldfish. Mary Tyler Moore Ron Reagan Yes, these cells could theoretically have the potential, under very different circumstances, to develop into human beings that potential is where their magic lies. But they are not, in and of themselves, human beings. They have no fingers and toes, no brain or spinal cord. They have no thoughts, no fears. They feel no pain.

17 Now, imagine going to a doctor who, instead of prescribing drugs, takes a few skin cells from your arm. The nucleus of one of your cells is placed into a donor egg whose own nucleus has been removed. A bit of chemical or electrical stimulation will encourage your cell's nucleus to begin dividing, creating new cells which will then be placed into a tissue culture. Those cells will generate embryonic stem cells containing only your DNA, thereby eliminating the risk of tissue rejection How'd you like to have your own personal biological repair kit standing by at the hospital? Sound like magic? Welcome to the future of medicine. By the way, no fetal tissue is involved in this process. No fetuses are created, none destroyed. This all happens in the laboratory at the cellular level.

18 The case for ESCR is seriously flawed for many reasons: The most obvious flaw: You must kill a human being in order to harvest their stem cells.

19 Some argue that there are 400,000 embryos currently stored in the U.S. that will die anyway. But less than 38,000 available for research CDC: 2.1 million infertile couples, 9.3 million women using infertility services

20 Kathryn and Claire

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22 On the morality of cloning Not about how a person comes into the world, but how we treat them once they re created.

23 The Island

24 Alternative to ESCR & Cloning Stem cells found in adult human beings. Found in bone marrow, blood, brain, umbilical cord, muscles, eyes, etc. Once thought to be unable to differentiate.

25 Advantages of adult stem cells Innocent human beings don t have to be killed. Consent can be granted. No need to clone humans because no tissue rejection. Eliminate genetic instability of cloned stem cells. Eliminate the potential harm to women who donate eggs. Can be induced into pluripotency Are more promising to treat disease, but severely downplayed.

26 Adult Stem Cells New England Journal of Medicine (July, 2000)

27 Treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes. Treatment worked partially for 14 others. Man with severely damaged eyes for 60 years now has near-normal vision.

28 Bartolo Colon Adult stem cells extracted from Bartolo s fat and bone marrow cells.

29 Adult Stem Cells Circulation (09/2002) Adult stem cells used to treat heart attack patients

30 Adult Stem Cells

31 Lab-Made Trachea Saves Man with Tumor-blocked Windpipe

32 Check the score on human treatments Adult Stem Cells 1. Brain cancer 2. Multiple sclerosis 3. Rheumatoid arthritis 4. Lupus 5. Heart attack 6. Blindness 7. Stroke etc. 73 Total Treatments Embryonic Stem Cells 0 treatments

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