Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with important news you need to hear.
You may recall that I have often spoken out against research that destroys human embryos in order to harvest their stem cells. Several years ago, in fact, I was part of a coalition against an initiative on our state ballot to channel $6 billion into building the California Institute on Regenerative Medicine. It was all for embryonic stem cell research. There was a lot of hype in the media back then — advertisements by Michael J. Fox and Nancy Reagan, all touting the miraculous promise of cures from stem cells using human embryos. It was a very big deal back then but, isn’t it interesting how you haven’t heard much in the news as of late? Well, that’s because despite spending billions in public and private investments, embryonic stem cell research remains dead in the water.
At present, in the entire world, there are only three small human safety trials using embryonic stem cells. One of the trials is for a degenerative eye condition and is being conducted. There was another experiment to treat acute spinal cord injuries that made international headlines, but it was canceled after only a year and the company abandoned embryonic stem cell research after that. In fact, so has the California Institute on Regenerative Medicine — years after Californians approved that $6 billion measure, the Institute has closed down its entire research efforts using human embryos.
Meanwhile, (get this) research using adult stem cells in human trials — now numbering in the thousands — have shown very promising results for diseases and disabilities ranging from spinal cord injury, to multiple sclerosis, to heart disease. There is even more good news to report on the ethical stem cell front than the adult successes I just mentioned. Embryonic-like stem cells can now be obtained in unlimited supply — and without destroying a single embryo.
Here's the story: When Dr. Shinya Yamanaka visited an embryonic stem cell researcher and he looked at embryos under a microscope that were due to be destroyed, he thought of his daughters. That insight of his changed science history. Here's why: Dr. Yamanaka was on the cutting edge of helping to develop stem cells from adult tissues that could act like ones from human embryos — he called them “induced pluripotent stem cells” and they have the capability to change and morph into all different kinds of tissues. Plus, because the stem cells come from the patient, there wasn’t any worry about tissue rejection when they are implanted in the patient’s body. This was huge!
And now there is no need now for human embryos to be destroyed in order to harvest their stem cells. Because Dr. Yamanaka succeeded in developing these induced pluripotent stem cells this Japanese scientist has won the highest of accolades for his work: the Nobel Prize.
Even strong proponents of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research are applauding. One bio-ethicist said that, “Dr. Yamanaka deserves not only a Nobel Prize for Medicine, but a Nobel Prize for Ethics." So, bravo, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka! You have landed a knockout blow to research that exploits human life to gain cures. I thought this was an important story to share today, given that we just held Celebration of Life Sunday, because life, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is precious. And hey, real quickly, visit my radio page today at joniandfriends.org and ask for that booklet I just wrote called, “When is it Right to Die?” It’s a resource for anyone who holds precious the sanctity of life.
© Joni and Friends, 2013
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