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Stem cell research President can find a compromise that is ethical 07/13/2001 Science always has pushed the edge of ethics – both in interpreting and affecting the world. Whether it's Copernicus and Galileo with their heliocentric views or Charles Darwin proposing evolutionary theories, new scientific thought breeds controversy. And when new theories drive new possibilities such as atomic bombs or in-vitro fertilization, science disturbs conventional thinking even more. Although one might like to remain undisturbed and to ignore scientific frontiers, doing so does not forestall change. Perhaps that's the lesson President Bush should learn from the recent controversial announcement by the Virginia-based Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine that it has been fertilizing human eggs to do research on their stem cells, in short creating potential life and then destroying it for research purposes. While the president continues to deliberate whether to allow federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells, the scientific community – using private money – moves forward. This page already expressed its support for funding research on stem cells, including embryonic cells. An ABC News poll found most Americans, including Catholics, agree. Stem cells, the precursors to other cells in the body, have the potential to cure or treat many terrible diseases. Stem cells taken from the youngest sources, embryos, present the greatest potential. These can be obtained from existing embryonic stem cell "lines," which are self-perpetuating tissue. Those limited variations could benefit research but compromise applications. Embryonic stem cells also can be culled from the thousands of fertilized eggs left over from in-vitro fertilization and destined for elimination. The president can achieve an ethical compromise. He can allow federal funding for stem cell research to include research on existing embryonic cell lines, which are very limited in number, and on stem cells culled from already existing frozen fertilized eggs that were the byproducts of in-vitro fertilization. A policy to "grandfather" the embryos from which stem cells could be taken for federally funded studies would not encourage the production of potential life just for research purposes. That is not to say that won't continue to happen anyway. Science will continue to push society further than it is comfortable going. In 1981, the Jones Institute helped give life to America's first test-tube baby, and since then about 60,000 Americans have been similarly conceived. Today, in-vitro fertilization, which previously was the stuff of science fiction, is almost noncontroversial. Mr. Bush should not hesitate any longer. The sooner government participates significantly in the scientific process, the more public supervision can be assured. Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research should be carefully structured, but supported. SOURCE: The Dallas Morning News http://www.dallasnews.com/editorial/417248_stemcellresear.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn