Today's lesson: Embryonic Stem Cells

I’m fired up about this election for so many reasons. One of the main reasons is because of the itty-bitty, almighty stem cell. Here’s a little lesson for you:
· Embryonic stem cells are cells derived from four- or five-day-old embryos, or fertilized cells. Opponents of embryonic stem cell research, which often uses embryos discarded by fertility clinics, want it to be severely restricted or banned outright as inhumane.
· Embryonic stem cells are the key to making neurons to treat Parkinson’s disease, cardiac cells to repair the damage caused by a heart attack, or pancreatic islet cells to replace those destroyed by diabetes.
· And now… “some scientists say an early therapeutic use of such cells might be more prosaic: making red blood cells for transfusions (Pollack, New York Times, 9/8).”

What about cord blood or adult stem cells, you ask?
· You’ll hear many politicians tout the value of cord blood. The cells in cord blood can be useful, for example to make red blood cells, however those cells cannot reproduce indefinitely in culture like embryonic stem cells.
· Adult stem cells can be harvested from blood or bone marrow, and while they are currently being used to treat some diseases, they do not have the versatility of embryonic stem cells.

Where do the candidates stand?
According to the New York Times, Obama and McCain both acknowledge the potential benefits and social concerns related to genetics research. Both candidates also support expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research (Broad, New York Times, 9/15).

According to the candidates' responses from Science Debate 2008, Obama says, “Stem cell research holds the promise of improving our lives in at least three ways—by substituting normal cells for damaged cells to treat diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, heart failure and other disorders; by providing scientists with safe and convenient models of disease for drug development; and by helping to understand fundamental aspects of normal development and cell dysfunction. For these reasons, I strongly support expanding research on stem cells….”

McCain says, “While I support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, I believe clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress. Moreover, I believe that recent scientific breakthroughs raise the hope that one day this debate will be rendered academic….”

To quote Theodore Roosevelt, “Those who often speak highly of morals are those who often lack them.”

Class dismissed.