Stem Cells Controversy.

Medical Miracle-Moral Dilemma

Fourteen-year-old Cody Unser hopes to dance at her senior prom. But first, she will need a medical miracle. The ninth-grade daughter of racing star Al Unser Jr. is paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair.

While playing basketball a few years ago, Cody collapsed. She was later diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare, often paralyzing, spinal-cord inflammation.

This past August, when President George W. Bush announced his decision to partially fund stem cell research, Cody saw her miracle on the horizon.

The President said that he would allow federal funding--but only on approximately 60 stem cell lines that have already been cultivated (grown). But, he added, federal funding cannot be used to grow stem cell lines from an additional 100,000 to 200,000 frozen embryos now stored in U.S. labs.

What are stem cells exactly, and why do many people find their use morally troubling?

Adult and Embryonic Cells

There are two major types of stem cells: adult and embryonic. Adult cells can be found throughout the body: in skin, heart, and blood cells. Study of them is less controversial than embryonic cells, but their ability to multiply and grow into other types of tissues is limited.

Embryonic cells come from human embryos (fertilized eggs in the earliest phase of development). About four days after fertilization, scientists extract the cells from the blastocyst (a hollow ball of cells holding them), and isolate them in a petri dish.

When combined with nutrients, these cells can be grown into heart or brain cells, muscle or nerve tissues. Their capacity to multiply is limitless.

"It's like having a blob of clay that can be molded into any shape possible," explains Brian Butcher, a scientist at Tulane University in Louisiana.

"A Winnable War"

Researchers hope to use such cells some day to cure cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. Who knows, such cells may make it possible for Cody to walk again.

Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, strongly supports stem cell research. "The war against Parkinson's is a winnable war," Fox told Congress. "And I have resolved to play a role in that victory." During the presidential campaign last fall, Fox openly pleaded with Bush to decide in favor of federal funding.

In his televised speech, the President said that the issue was too complex for a simple solution. "As the genius of science extends the horizons of what we can do," Bush said, "we increasingly confront complex questions about what we should do."

His compromise (a resolution between two extremes) drew mixed reactions from both religious leaders and scientists.

"The trade-off he has announced is morally unacceptable," said Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "It allows our nation's research enterprise to cultivate a disrespect for human life." The Catholic Church and other conservative groups oppose experimentation on unborn human embryos.

"Tying" Scientists' Hands?

While some scientists support Bush's decision, many complain that he is standing in the way of progress. "Limiting the number of stem cell lines ... is basically tying [scientists'] hands behind their backs," said Dr. James C. Pierce, a professor at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. "We cannot predict what experiments [will] lead to the therapeutic tools doctors need to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, and organ failure."

The 60 or so existing stem cell lines, whose research value is still unknown, are located in 10 labs in five countries. In addition to the U.S., the countries include India, Sweden, Australia, and Israel.

Some U.S. scientists say that other countries are further along in their research because no restrictions have been placed on their work. These scientists also express concern that privately-funded companies will control the direction of future research. Medical discoveries can mean big money for businesses. So ethical standards sometimes suffer in labs not required to follow government guidelines.

The First Step

A few days after Bush's decision, Cody thanked the President in person, when he visited her home state of New Mexico. "I just told him, 'Welcome to New Mexico, and thank you for your decision on stem cell research,'" she told reporters.

Cody is satisfied with the President's decision. She has never let limitations dampen her spirit. The energetic teen recently founded the First Step Foundation, to help doctors learn more about her disease. She also hopes that research on stem cells will lead to a cure for her paralysis.

For Cody, it must happen soon. Her prom is only three years away.

Creating an embryonic stem cell 'line'

Before embryonic stem cells can be used for research, they must be used to create a continuously growing "line" of master cells, a difficult laboratory process that works only a small percentage of the time.

1 Stern cells extracted from a four-or five-day-old human embryo are put in a petri dish with a culture of nutrients

2 The growing stem cells consume all of the nutrients and fall a petal dish in four days

3 About one-quarter of the stem cells are moved into a new petri dish with more nutrients, where they continue dividing; the rest are thrown away and the process is repeated

Using the cells

4 To grow one of the 200 kinds of cells in the human body, the researcher moves part of the stem cell line into a new petri dish

"Growth factor" chemicals are used to encourage the stem cells to develop into new, specialized cells

A cell line can fail if all the cells:

* Stop growing in the culture

* Start turning into other cell types

* Become contaminated with bacteria or other organisms

Source: University of Wis., George Daisy of Mass. Institute of Technology, U.S. National Institutes of Health

News Special: Stem Cell Research

OBJECTIVES

Students should understand

* the potential of stem cells to help cure numerous diseases;

* the controversy surrounding this research;

* President Bush's compromise solution.

SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

Grades 5-8: * science, technology, and society * controversy over stem cell use

KEY TERM

STEM CELL: A cell is the smallest structural unit of an organism that can function independently. A stem cell is unspecialized and can transform and multiply into specialized cells for the heart, brain, skin, and other tissues.

THINKING SKILLS

COMPREHENSION: Why are scientists hopeful that stem cell research can produce cures for certain diseases? (By replacing damaged cells, it may be possible to cure diseases and repair brain and spinal injuries.)

MAKING COMPARISONS: Two types of stem cells--embryonic and adult--can be used. How do they differ? (Embryonic stem cells are extracted from fertilized eggs. They have great ability to multiply and transform into specialized cells. Adult stem cells can be extracted from blood, heart, and skin tissue. But they have limited ability to transform and multiply.)

EXPLORING PERCEPTIONS: Why is there strong opposition to stem cell research? (Anti-abortion groups and others oppose the dissection of human, embryos to provide stem cells for research.)

REACHING CONCLUSIONS: What decision did President Bush make regarding stem cell research? (He would allow government funding only for the 64 stem cell lines already existing on August 9, 2001.)

ACTIVITY

Explore and discuss: How have proponents and opponents of stem cell research reacted to the President's decision? What is your opinion about stem cell research? Explain.

RESOURCES

Print * "Stem Cells: A Moral Dilemma," Macleans, August 27, 2001, pp. 44-45.

* "In a Tiny Room in Sweden: A Large Trove of Stem Cells," The New York Times, August 29, 2001, pp. A1/A7.

* Ruiz, Andres, The Life of a Cell Sterling, 1999) Introduction to the types, structures, and functions of cells. Grades 6-9.

Video

* Bioscope (animated cell biology)National Film Board of Canada 350 Fifth Ave Suite 1212 New York, NY 10018 1-800-542-2164