In the stem cell debate there has been a lot of heat generated, but not much light. Many claims and promises have been made, but most people, the public and the policymakers alike, do not know the whole truth about stem cell research and its cousin, cloning. THERE ARE ACTUALLY MANY sources of stem cells, yet most of the media attention has focused on embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells from mice were first isolated in 1981, but the debate began in earnest in 1998 when human embryonic stem cells were first harvested. Embryonic stem cells come from early embryos within the first few days of life. At that stage of our life, about one week after conception, we resemble a hollow ball with some cells inside, a stage of our life called the “blastocyst.” It is at that point that we can implant into the wall of the uterus and start obtaining our nutrition from our mother’s womb. This is also the point at which scientists obtain embryonic stem cells.

Obtaining them requires breaking apart the embryo, resulting in his or her death. The cells are placed into a Petri dish, and the hope is that from the dish scientists can generate any tissue needed to repair damaged or diseased organs in the body. Despite the hype surrounding them, embryonic stem cells actually have little to offer for treatment of disease. Their supposed advantages—unlimited growth and potential for forming all tissues—are hindrances when it comes to transplants to repair damaged tissue. When transplanted into experimental animals, these cells generally continue this untamed behavior, with a tendency to form tumors or various unwanted tissues. A recent attempt to treat diabetes in mice using embryonic stem cells showed that the cells did not even form insulin-secreting cells, but they did form tumors.

Other experiments aimed at treating Parkinson’s disease in animals gave a slight improvement in some of the animals, but also killed 20% of the animals with brain tumors caused by the embryonic stem cells. The scientific literature is filled with similar results, even after more than 20 years of research with embryonic stem cells. Indeed, the National Institute of Health has noted that: “Thus, at this stage, any therapies based on the use of human ES cells are still hypothetical and highly experimental.” Cries for more human embryonic stem cell lines to be made available for federal funding are unjustified, as research on current lines shows insufficient evidence that they are either safe or effective. In terms of the science, proponents of embryonic stem cell research are playing on the emotions of the vulnerable—lacking facts and making empty promises about possible treatment of diseases. There is also the significant ethical question about embryonic stem cell research—should some human beings be sacrificed for the potential benefit of others? Embryonic stem cell research destroys the youngest, most vulnerable members of the species. We may not look now as we looked then, but we were all embryos at one time. If we had been used for research when we were embryos, we would not be here now to read these words. Is the remote possibility that medical treatments might arise worth the cost of cannibalizing other human beings? Similar promises are made about cloning. Cloning starts with creation of a new embryo. The process, termed “somatic cell nuclear transfer” or SCNT for short, involves removing the chromosomes from an egg cell, and transferring the chromosome-containing nucleus of a body cell (a somatic cell) into that egg cell.

What results is a new embryo, containing the genetic information of the person who supplied the body cell. All human cloning is reproductive. It creates—reproduces—a new developing human intended to be virtually identical to the person who was cloned. Both “reproductive cloning” and “therapeutic cloning” use exactly the same technique to create the clone. The clone is created as a new embryo and grown in the laboratory for several days. Then it is either implanted in the womb of a surrogate mother (“reproductive cloning”) or destroyed to harvest its embryonic stem cells for experiments (“therapeutic cloning”).  It is the same embryo, but used for different purposes. In fact, the cloned embryo at that stage of development cannot be distinguished under the microscope from an embryo created by fertilization joining egg and sperm. And “therapeutic cloning” is obviously not therapeutic for the embryo—the new human is specifically created in order to be destroyed as a source of cells for experiments.  Cloning research also poses a significant health threat to women. The process requires a tremendous number of human eggs to create a single clone, one scientist estimating that at least 100 eggs would be needed for each patient even if the process could ever be shown to work. A simple calculation reveals staggering numbers—to treat just the 17 million diabetes patients in the United States will require at least 1.7 billion human eggs, and approximately 85 million women to “donate” eggs.

The harvesting of eggs is not a simple process, like today’s plasma donation. It will subject huge numbers of women to health risks from high hormone doses and surgery required to harvest the eggs. The result will be that human eggs will become a commodity and disadvantaged women will be exploited on a global scale. The lack of success of cloning and embryonic stem cells should be compared with the real successes of adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are found not only in adults, but also in virtually every tissue of our body from birth onward, as well as in umbilical cord blood and placenta. Unlike destructive embryo research, harvesting these cells from patients does not harm the individual from whom they are obtained. Hundreds of scientific studies over the last few years document that adult stem cells are much more promising for repair of diseased tissue. Studies now indicate that some adult stem cells can form virtually all tissues of the body.

In a study published in May 2001, researchers found that one adult bone marrow stem cell could regenerate not only marrow and blood, but also form liver, lung, digestive tract, skin, heart, and muscle. Other researchers have found an enormous capacity to make new tissue in adult stem cells from various sources including bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood. Even liposuctioned fat contains adult stem cells that can be transformed into other tissues. More importantly, adult stem cells have been shown repeatedly to be effective at treating disease. Studies in animals over the last several years have proven their ability to heal and repair damage from diseases such as diabetes, stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, and retinal degeneration. But the biggest news, largely unreported, is that adult stem cells are already being used successfully to treat human patients. Thousands of patients have now benefited from adult stem cell treatments. These include reparative treatments with various cancers, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and arthritis, and anemias including sickle cell anemia. Adult stem cells are also being used to treat patients by formation of new cartilage, growing new corneas to restore sight to blind patients, potential treatments for stroke, and studies using adult stem cells have helped several hundred patients to repair damage after heart attacks. Early trials have shown initial success in treating patients for Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury. And, the first FDA approved trial to treat juvenile diabetes in human patients is ready to begin at Harvard Medical School, using adult cells.

An advantage of using adult stem cells is that in most cases the patient’s own stem cells can be used for the treatment, circumventing the problems of immune rejection, and adult stem cells do their repair work without causing tumor formation. These quiet successes, using the patient’s own adult stem cells, are advancing rapidly and producing the therapies about which embryonic stem cell advocates can only speculate. (An extensive list of the adult stem cell scientific literature can be found at :// ?i=IS04J01.)

We don’t yet understand how adult stem cells work their repair magic, but they continue to surprise even the scientists. As Robert Lanza, a proponent of embryonic stem cells and cloning has noted, “there is ample scientific evidence that adult stem cells can be used to repair damaged heart or brain tissue… if it works, it works, regardless of the mechanism.” That’s certainly the attitude of the patients who have experienced the real benefits of adult stem cells. Overwhelmingly the evidence reveals that it is adult stem cells that hold the promise of medical advancement, not the use of embryonic stem cells.  Could there be more behind this debate than meets the eye? An attempt to view life within the first few days as a commodity, further moving us from a fixed reference point that all life, no matter if it is seven minutes old, seven months old or 70 years old, is still sacred as it reflects the Creator. To capitulate to the rhetoric and emotional appeal, which current science does not support, allowing seven day old embryos to be used for their cells today could lead to seven month old fetuses to be used for their parts tomorrow. The bottom line is this; the contrast between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells is one of hype versus hope, empty promises versus real results. Adult stem cell research is daily proving itself capable of helping patients without moral and political difficulties.

If we are truly interested in providing treatments for suffering patients, we should rapidly pursue that which shows real promise without compromising the sanctity of human life. Tony Perkins is President of the Washington, D.C., based Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is a former member of the Louisiana legislature where he served for eight years, and was recognized as a legislative pioneer for authoring measures like the nation’s first Covenant Marriage law. Under his leadership, FRC has worked to defend the Judeo-Christian values that this nation is founded upon. David A. Prentice, Ph.D., is Senior Fellow for Life Sciences at Family Research Council, and Affiliated Scholar for the Center for Clinical Bioethics, Georgetown University Medical Center. Online counseling is always available to help you out.

Dr. Prentice received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Kansas, and was at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Texas Medical School-Houston before joining Indiana State University, where he served as Acting Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, Assistant Chair of Life Sciences, and was recognized with the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award and Distinguished Service Award. He is an internationally recognized expert on stem cell research and cloning, and has testified before the U.S. Congress, numerous state legislatures, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Presidents Council on Bioethics, various international parliaments, and the United Nations.