The Vatican, specifically the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture (PCC), has made an unusual partnership with a small U.S. biotech company called NeoStem Inc. This alliance was made to promote using adult stem cells for treating diseases rather than using embryotic stem cells. Although the partnership had been originally formed in May 2010, the $1 million initiative was declared on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 along with details of the conference that was to be held that week in Rome.
Stem cells are cells in the body that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew (undergo numerous cell divisions) to create more stem cells. These cells, found in embryos, umbilical cords and bone marrow, can thus become any type of cell and can be used to regenerate organs, blood, skin or internal tissue.
The controversy surrounding stem cell research involves the extraction of stem cells from the embryos because as a result, the embryo is destroyed. However, the extraction of adult stem cells does not have the same destructive effects. Therefore their use is not controversial as they derive from tissue samples rather than destroyed embryos. So far, they have been used to successfully treat patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood diseases and are being studied in people who suffer from multiple sclerosis, heart attacks and diabetes.
So why haven’t adult stem cells been the primary source for stem cell research instead of embryonic stem cells? While embryonic stem cells can generate all cell types in the body, adult stem cells can only produce a limited number of cell types or “lineages”. Furthermore, only some adult stem cells can transform from one lineage to another and for many there is no evidence that such a transformation is possible. Consequently, the use of adult stem cells for specific therapies or treatments requires a stem cell source of the specific lineage needed and harvesting and/or culturing them up to the numbers required is a challenge. Additionally, under defined conditions, embryonic stem cells are capable of dividing themselves indefinitely while adult stem cells cannot. Thus, embryonic stem cells are more useful and can be employed more effectively for both research and regenerative medicine than adult stem cells. For example, embryonic stem cells are being studied to someday be used to grow replacement tissue for diseases like Parkinson’s or diabetes, but that is a future prospect.
The Vatican’s doctrine dictates that life begins at conception and so is against embryonic stem cell research because it involves the destruction of embryos. Therefore it is not surprising that it is in support of adult stem cell research as it does not violate their belief system. However, it is surprising that the church is so actively supporting and mixing with science given their history of conflict and differences.
Vatican officials acknowledged the unusual nature of the partnership between the Roman Catholic Church and a publicly-traded, for-profit biotech company. But in a New York Daily News article, the Rev. Tomasz Trafny, head of the science department in the Vatican’s culture office said NeoStem’s research and mission “corresponded with the Vatican’s concerns to both promote research exclusively on adult stem cells, and broaden understanding about its uses to the wider public.”
Along with the Vatican, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy G. Thompson is involved and urged President Obama on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 to establish a commission that will fund the research for adult stem cells. “The commission would involve private sector business leaders who would evaluate federal efforts surrounding regenerative medicine,” Thompson said in a Washington Post article. “The group would make recommendations to Obama’s administration regarding the coordination of regenerative research, uniting them with private enterprises.”
NeoStem CEO Dr. Robin Smith also believes Obama’s involvement would be beneficial. “I think it is very important to get Congress and different political leaders like President Obama to understand adult stem cells, [so that] we can unite to get a more impactful outcome, decreasing needless human suffering by getting these therapies into clinics,” he said in the same Washington Post article.
Even Pope Benedict XVI spoke out Saturday, November 12, 2011 in favor of adult stem cell research and called for “any ensuing treatments to benefit all who need the care regardless of their financial means.” According to the AFP article, he also added that, “no ethical problems arise when stem cells are taken from the tissues of an adult organism, from the blood of the umbilical cord at the moment of birth, or from fetuses who have died of natural causes.”
The ultimate reason for the Vatican’s involvement with such scientific research is to help progress medicine in order to help people, but this alliance also helps to deter popular attention away from embryotic stem cell research and the destruction of embryos. So far, this mission is indeed working as information of adult stem cells is being publicized, where before, not many people knew about their existence. With increased publicity and funding, this research can progress and may overtake the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine. Sources even now are estimating that the global stem cell product market will reach $88 billion by 2014.
I feel that this endeavor is a great idea. Although adult stem cells may not be as potent as embryonic stem cells, they are still very useful and can help cure people. So, why not use them? I also find such an alliance between the Church and Science refreshing, especially when significant progress is being made in medicine to help treat diseases and save people’s lives.
Paola Crespo can be reached at pollycrespo@hotmail.com