“Latest Stem Cells News”

Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday admonished visiting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic who advocates abortion rights, that “all Catholics” should uphold the Church’s teachings on life.
Benedict “took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death,” the Vatican said in a statement.

These “enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists as well as those responsible for the common good of society to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development,” the statement said.

Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to see the pope since President Barack Obama took office last month, describes herself as an “ardent” Catholic while advocating reproductive rights.
The top lawmaker drew fire from the US Catholic Church last August after she appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” when, responding to a question about when human life begins from anchor Tom Brokaw, she said: “The doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition… We don’t know.”

She added: “The point is, is that it shouldn’t have an impact on the woman’s right to choose.”
Cardinal Edward Egan of New York expressed “shock” over the comments, saying, “What the speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age.”

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“They call it the ‘global gag rule’ because it forbids federal funding to every international group of family planning which even simply speak about abortion as theoretical possibility.
Officially known as “mexico City Policy”, it has been inserted by Ronald Reagan in 1984 (do you remembe the novel?). Bill Clinton did cancel it on 1993, then George W. Bush made it re-born in 2001, and new President Barack Obama cancelled it again by an executive order.
From now on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) could restore on its list of payees all the world wide organizations which give informations and suggestions about abortion as a solution.

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Austria

In the debate on embryonic stem cell research, or its regulations, it seems that the wind is changing both in the US, where President Obama has just changed the rigid guidelines laid out by his predecessor George W. Bush, and in Austria. “There was no pre-arranged organization, however, we were not against it,” said Christiane Druml, the president of the Bioethical Commission, presenting their new recommendations on March 23. A large majority, “including 17 out of 25 women”, believe that embryonic stem cell research is “scientifically relevant, morally legitimate, and worthy of support” and recommended a substantial easing of the laws. Five members of the commission proposed the laws to be stricter (these five supporters were not present at the meeting and one of their supporters, philosopher Guenther Poeltner, criticized their absence from the audience). The previous majority was overturned. In 2002 the Austrian government almost completely blocked the entire EU research program because it called for financing for embryonic stem cells. Now they are moving in the opposite direction.
The Commission suggested: a) the use of excess embryos from in vitro fertilization procedures; b) “therapeutic cloning”; c) hybrid human and animal embryos.

Legislative uncertainty halts research.

The commission does not only want liberal laws, but also clearer laws: “Current legislative uncertainty has been an obstacle to the development of research” explained Ulrich Koertner (Evangelical Theology, University of Vienna). Although part of the legal uncertainty has been overcome, molecular biologist Erwin Wagner (IMP) two years ago was the first and only scientist to perform experiments with embryonic stem cells in Austria. This was possible under past laws by importing embryonic stem cells from the US because it was not clear if they could be produced in Austria (the minority party voted to ban production and importation).

Now their production could be authorized. Their source would be “excess embryos”, which go not lead to great ethical problems. Reserve embryos not used by medically assisted fertilization programs are frozen for ten years and then destroyed. The explicit liberalization of “therapeutic cloning” is a more delicate issue (the current law is controversial). In this case embryos would be produced for the sole purpose of creating stem cells (and then the embryos would be destroyed). Finally, “hybrid” embryos, which are currently legal only in Great Britain, could become legal (the Commission is only an advisory body). This would constitute a small revolution, which would then give the final call to researchers. Until now, no one has followed Wagner’s example, and not just for legislative reasons, but more because embryonic stem cell research requires training, and lots of funding.

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Though the world’s attention has focused on Iran‘s advancing nuclear program, Iranian scientists have moved to the forefront in embryonic stem cell research, according to a recent joint study by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Controversial in the United States, embryonic stem cell research was embraced in 2002 by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s conservative religious leader. President Obama has recently adopted a similar policy, reversing restrictions that George W. Bush’s administration imposed because of the implications for destroying potential human lives.

Stem cells have been shown to have significant capability to develop into a plethora of different cell types and work as a repair system to replenish cells with specialized functions.

“Islam is very compatible with the modern sciences,” said Hassan Ashktorab of the Howard University Cancer Center. “Policies that may be classified as liberal in the American political system seem to be common sense to Iranian politicians.”

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China will build Asia’s largest stem cell technology laboratory in its push to increase its stake in the competitive sector.
Health Minister Chen Zhu said there was huge potential for China to grow in this new field, it was reported.

Stem cell technology uses master cells in the body to create new cells. Medical researchers hope these new cells can be used to fight diseases and heal injuries.
“The stem cell and regenerative medicine sector is one of China’s new high-tech biological sectors with the strongest development potential,” Chen said during the launch of the project in eastern Jiangsu province on Tuesday, according to Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao.

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Yesterday morning the President of the Pontifical Council for Health, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan confirmed the Church’s position against embryonic stem cell research and for the use of adult stem cells. The cardinal touched upon the topic while responding to a question about the choice of the new American president to use federal funds to finance embryonic stem cell research. Cardinal Barragan, who was presenting the international conference, ‘The Church in the Cure of Sick Children’, which will take place at the Vatican from November 13-15, did not directly argue against President Obama “or give him advice” and only confirmed the Vatican’s position. Embryonic stem cells, said the cardinal, “are not useful and until now they have never cured anything.” The cardinal also underlined the Church’s favorable opinion of adult stem cells taken from the umbilical cord. Obama, like rival John McCain, made embryonic stem cell research a point on his platform approved by U.S. voters.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY TORN BETWEEN SECULARISM AND CLERICALISM

Moral issues are a point of reference for the Partito Democratico (Democratic Party), now at risk due to this ethically sensitive issue. Barack Obama announced his intention to eliminate some of the Bush administration’s decisions, including restrictions on the use of stem cells in federally funded research, and immediately the Vatican protested. Italian democrats mainly ex-populists voiced their initial criticisms after debates that started regarding possible new alliances: “Obama is not our (party) secretary,” observed Margherita Miotto.

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