 |
 |
this article explains how IVF is done and why it is not an abortion issue Ray Stem-cell research: Pro-life and pro-cure HOPE Joseph Ferretti and Stephen Prescott: HB 1326 prohibits hope. By JOSEPH FERRETTI AND STEPHEN PRESCOTT Published: 5/2/2009 2:21 AM Last Modified: 5/2/2009 3:36 AM Recently Gov. Brad Henry vetoed a bill that would have criminalized human embryonic stem-cell research, and the Oklahoma Senate sustained that veto. On behalf of patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions, we applaud this action. Because this is the first year of a two-year legislative session, the vote to override can be called up at any time before the end of next year's session in May 2010. To ensure this does not happen, we must continue to let our legislators know that misguided efforts to short-circuit promising research avenues cannot prevail. Proponents of House Bill 1326 have tried to make this a debate about abortion, but it is not. Oklahoma law already prohibits the use of any tissue obtained from abortions for research. We support this. But HB 1326 does something else entirely: It makes human embryonic stem-cell research a crime. This is what we oppose. But how can we support stem-cell research and advocate banning research on tissue from abortion? Because embryonic stem cells aren't obtained by abortion. They are created by in vitro fertilization. These cells have never been implanted in a woman's womb. If they were not used for research, they would be discarded as medical waste. To perform in vitro fertilization, doctors obtain eggs from the ovary of a woman and mix them in a laboratory with a man's sperm. This process uses multiple eggs, and if successful, the sperm will fertilize many eggs. Doctors then place some of these fertilized eggs (now called blastocysts) in the woman's uterus (womb) in hopes that they will implant, develop into human fetus and result in the birth of a healthy baby. The blastocysts cannot develop into a baby without being implanted in a womb. The remaining eggs that aren't implanted are frozen and kept in a freezer as a backup in case the pregnancy isn't successful. But if it is successful, then at some point the couple that owns the frozen blastocysts has to decide what to do with them: They can be kept frozen indefinitely, discarded or donated for research. It's estimated that in the U.S. there are almost one-half million blastocysts in freezers, many of which will be discarded. HB 1326 allows the frozen blastocysts to be discarded as medical waste but makes it a crime to try to cure diseases with them. Some have claimed that embryonic stem cells have not proven successful as treatments. This is an incomplete and incorrect perspective. Pre-clinical studies have shown that these cells hold promise for treating diabetes, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, arthritis and many other diseases. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a clinical trial to test human embryonic stem cells to treat patients with paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury. That trial will soon begin, and victims of spinal cord injury will receive this experimental therapy. But HB 1326 prohibits such a trial from being conducted in this state. Indeed, any Oklahoma physician who treated an Oklahoman with an experimental stem-cell therapy would be guilty of a crime. Let us be clear: Neither the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center nor the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation conducts any research on human embryonic stem cells. We oppose this bill because we believe it is wrong that cells that would otherwise be discarded cannot be used to help Oklahomans suffering from disease. Legislation like this steals hope from those who need it most. If we are to continue to fight human disease on every possible front, bills such as HB 1326 must not become the law of our state. Joseph Ferretti is senior vice president and provost of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Stephen Prescott is president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. By JOSEPH FERRETTI AND STEPHEN PRESCOTT Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn