Tara Parker Pope always has great articles in her Health blog on the New York Times website. One of her more recent ones pertains to the fate of embryos created to help infertile couples who end up not using all of them.
Here is my problem with the naysayers who cry foul because embryos are being used for embryonic stem cell research. While they are embryos, by definition, they are not remotely multi-systemic entities. The embryos in question are, in fact, cell masses of mostly totipotent stem cells (this is also a correction to the comment I made on TPP’s blog where I said they are not embryos when in fact, they are still classified as such). I feel like it is made out by some camps like babies are being slaughtered to save lives. Maybe that’s a little extreme, but you get the picture. Perhaps more realistically, it is not as if 3-4 week old embryos are being killed to harvest stem cells. They look a bit more like this. In fact, at that stage, they would have few stem cells if any at all. Whatever they would have would have limited differentiating potential.
Why should hundreds, if not thousands to tens of thousands, of these cell masses go to waste. Understandably, some should be saved, if a couple wishes to have another child, but it is not as if each couple will need or be able to use all the embryos that are created. Meanwhile, there are several neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, neurological trauma) and cancers, among other disorders, that could benefit directly from stem cell research and certain stem cell therapies. Those victims are being neglected. I hope this next Presidential administration brings a repeal of the legislation that has been preventing new stem cell lines from being used for research, and allows stem cell research to march forward instead of stagnating.
What’s your take?
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June 12, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Melbo
Thank you for a commonsense approach to such a divisive topic. I actually have surplus embryos and have just donated them to research. I had one IVF cycle and got 12 embryos. Two became my sons and two stopped dividing and did not develop into viable pregnancies. Any remaining embryos which would be donated to another couple and might result in a live birth I would consider my children and my children’s siblings.
The embryo is not yet a person. You are right that the cells are totipitent and that is the best reason I can think of for putting them toward such important research. You are also right that they are not 3-4 week old embryos. My frozen embryos were less than 24 hours old at the time of freezing. They are four cells or less. This is not a person and the way some people stretch the truth to get others to believe that is amazing.
Thanks again. Good post.