This info is from a stemcell list-serve group.
I thought it might be of interest to some,
a different use of embryonic stem cells
and the initial discussion of the ethics.
We have heard of this case--on the PD list.
Ray
................................................................
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 11:00:22 EDT
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Unaffected Embryo Preselected as Cord Blood Donor to Sibling
Unaffected Embryo Preselected as Cord Blood Donor to Sibling
WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jun 26 - It took four tries, but
investigators
have successfully preselected a healthy embryo to be HLA-compatible with a
sibling with Fanconi anemia who needed stem cell transplantation.
A full report appears in the June 27th issue of The Journal of the American
Medical Association. Reuters Health previously reported on the case based
on
hospital news releases
http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2000/10/10.03/20001002prof003.html
October 2,2000
http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2000/10/10.20/20001019ethc001.html
October 19, 2000
http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/01/01.08/20010105ethc002.html
January 5, 2001
A couple with a 6-year-old daughter with the congenital disorder underwent
in vitro fertilization at the Reproductive Genetics Institute in Chicago.
Dr. Yury Verlinsky and colleagues conducted micromanipulation procedures to
biopsy single blastomeres from day-3 cleaving embryos.
"In this stage, each cell is still multipotent," making the procedure safe
for the developing fetus, Dr. Verlinsky told Reuters Health. He noted that
this was the first case in the world in which HLA matching was performed in
preimplantation embryos. Since then, he and his colleagues have conducted
similar testing for "about 15 new patients," he said.
Of 33 embryos tested during four clinical cycles, five were heterozygous
unaffected and HLA-antigen identical with the sibling. Transfer of one of
these embryos during the last cycle resulted in a clinical pregnancy and
birth of a healthy infant boy. Umbilical cord blood transplantation
resulted
in successful hematopoietic reconstitution in the older sister.
Dr. Verlinsky's group suggests that preimplantation genetic testing and HLA
matching will be feasible for other inherited conditions, such as
thalassemias. HLA antigen testing in single blastomeres could also be
conducted for couples who have children with cancer who need an
HLA-compatible donor.
In an editorial, Dr. Marian D. Damewood of the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine in Baltimore discusses the ethical implications of the
report. She suggests that "in this case, prediagnostic genetic diagnosis
and
embryo selection is morally justifiable."
"The avoidance of the pain and suffering of an affected child is considered
to be worth more than the moral status of early embryos," she writes.
She opines, however, that this procedure is not likely to be considered
ethical for couples wishing to select an embryo with a specific nonmedical
characteristic, which she refers to as "designer genetics."
JAMA 2001;285:3130-3133,3143-3144.
..................................................................
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 18:31:03 -0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: Preselected Embryo for Cord Blood Donor
In reading this article I was outraged. Not at the family who the
article was refering. I'm very happy that they were able to help
their daughter in this way. My outrage is mainly at the government.
This couple and the Reproductive Genetics Institute "created" 33
embryos, only one of these was a viable match to their daughter which
resulted in a pregnancy. So there are now 32 embryos which will
never result in a life because this family already got what they
needed. Dr. Marian Damewood stated in this article
that "prediagnaostic genetic diagnosis and embryo selection is
morally justifiable" and "The avoidance of the pain and suffering of
an affected child is considered to be worth more than the moral
status of early embryos". So why is it that Reuters Health can
preform this type of research knowing full well that there will be
resulting embryos that will never result in a life. And why is it
that the government is allowing this to occur but yet the government
will not allow the research facilities to use these other embryos for
stem cell research, to saves the lives of so many people, adults and
children, who are also going through pain and suffering. Am I
reading this article wrong or do you agree with me on this point? If
so what can we do about this??? I don't want this research to stop
because I believe in all research to help human life, I just want
Stem Cell research to go forward at full speed! Katie
...............................................................
Ray Strand
Prairie Sky Design
-----------------( on the Edge of the Prairie Abyss )---------------
when the sky is clear
the ground is visible
49/dx PD 2 yrs/40? onset
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