Stem cells from amniotic fluid.

Winston-Salem, NC -- On January 7, 2007, Dr. Anthony Atala, head of the Institute of Regenerative Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, announced that scientists had isolated a new type of stem cell from amniotic fluid and from the placenta. They labeled these cells "amniotic fluid-derived ceils." It was claimed that these cells can form muscle, fat, bone, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells, and that they do not form tumours. If AFS cells prove to have therapeutic value, they could, perhaps, be frozen and banked for future use by the donor's offspring.

If AFS cells are derived in a way that does not endanger the life of the unborn child, their retrieval would be morally acceptable, e.g., cells derived from the placentas after the birth of a child. Derivation of such AFS cells from placenta following live birth has already been achieved by scientists at the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburg in 2004 see http://stemcells.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/abstract/2004-0357vl.)

On the other hand, AFS cell derivation by physicians for clinical purposes, from routine pre-natal tests used to detect fetal abnormalities, e.g. amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, would not be morally acceptable.

Why? Amniocentesis is associated with a one-in-two hundred incidence, and chorionic villus sampling with a one-in-one hundred incidence of abortion of the unborn child. An increase in the number of amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling tests would probably significantly increase the number of abortions. Ironically, a pregnant woman might opt for this procedure that seriously threatens the life of her unborn child in the interest of a hypothetical cure of future disease of that same child. Furthermore, the availability of such tests might result in physicians promoting this procedure in order to lessen the probability that they would be sued in the future because they had not offered it to the patient. (John B. Shea, MD FRCP(C))