[Pflienews] PharmFacts E-News Update: 'Pluripotent' is not usual 'Adult Stem Cell' research; PP Brag Book for 2007 killing; more...

[PFLI PharmAid Center]

*PharmFacts E-News Update -- 13 Apr 2009 AD

*
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_138ips_notadultstemcell.html
  *'Pluripotent' Stem Cell (iPS) Research is Not the Usual 'Adult' Stem 
Cell Research*


Dianne N. Irving, M.A., Ph.D.
Copyright April 8, 2009
Reproduced with Permission

An "exciting" new method of producing human "stem cells" to cure 
Parkinson's and many other debilitating diseases was recently announced 
as "breaking news" on U-tube (Dr. Oz to Oprah and Michael J Fox: "The 
stem cell debate is dead" <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDFJOzu9SyM>. 
The video proceeded to be passed around the world at the speed of light. 
The new research explained by Dr. Oz to Oprah in this video is referred 
to as "induced pluripotent stem cell" research (iPS research). As Dr. Oz 
noted, an /adult /human cell (e.g., a patient's own skin cell) can be 
transformed or induced from a very differentiated state back to a 
relatively less differentiated state to form an "/embryo-like/" human 
cell that is "pluripotent" (capable of forming most of the cells, 
tissues and organs of an adult human being). These new iPS human cells 
could then possibly be urged to develop forward to produce more mature 
differentiated human cells for therapeutic purposes. But three things 
are important to distinguish before iPS research is so enthusiastically 
embraced as an "ethical alternative to human embryonic stem cell research".

First, iPS research is /not equivalent to "adult stem cell research"/. 
The starting material (a human adult or mature body cell) may be the 
same, but what happens after that is very different. In the typical 
adult human stem cell research that has been reported for many years 
now, and which truly is an ethical alternative to human embryonic stem 
cell research, the adult human cell is /not transformed /or /induced 
back /to a pluripotent human "embryo-like" stem cell. Rather, these 
adult human stem cells are already found naturally in the human body and 
are simply urged to develop to a more mature state. No problem.

In iPS research, however, the highly differentiated DNA in the adult 
human cell that is used as the starting material is transformed or 
induced (by various means) back to the state of differentiation of the 
DNA as found in human embryonic pluripotent "stem cells". These 
"embryo-like" human pluripotent "stem cells" are then urged to become 
more mature in order to develop human cells for therapies.

Second, there are many scientific and ethical problems with iPS research 
that must be resolved before such research can be considered as "an 
ethical alternative to human embryonic stem cell research". Perhaps Dr. 
Oz's use of the term "embryo-like" might provide a clue. Are these iPS 
cells just "embryo-/like/", or are they - at least sometimes - really 
single- or multiple-cell early human "embryos", or even human totipotent 
cells that have the natural /capacity /to revert back to new whole human 
embryos? That is, are all of these cells truly just pluripotent, or are 
some of them totipotent (and thus early human embryos, or /capable /of 
reverting to new whole human embryos)?

The issue here involves requiring an honest debate, for a change, using 
scientifically accurate terms and the provision of all relevant details 
of the research - especially by the professionals involved. Otherwise 
any serious ethical analysis is impossible. In fact, perhaps any serious 
scientific analysis is impossible as well. For many years now the 
debates on human embryonic stem cell research have been falsely framed 
by proponents of such research by insisting that these human "stem 
cells" are all pluripotent (only capable of producing some of the cells, 
tissues and organs of an adult human being); that is, they claim, that 
these "stem cells" could not form new whole human embryos. But this is 
absurd "science", and the rest of the world knows it. (See list of 
references from Irving, "Framing the Debates on Human Cloning and Human 
Embryonic Stem Cells: 'Pluripotent' vs. 'Totipotent'" 
<http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_100debatecloning1.html>. This 
article contains over 30+ pages of references documenting that these 
"stem cells" are often totipotent, not pluripotent -- taken from 
textbooks, journals, university websites, scientific/medical 
professional societies, university research centers, the U.S. government 
(including NIH!), state, national and international commissions, law 
schools and journals, IVF center websites, IVF textbooks, on-line 
encyclopedias, on-line magazines, bioethics centers, technology 
websites, and various books).

In the earliest developing human embryo, there is a range of both 
totipotent and pluripotent cells - beginning with all totipotent cells 
and including pluripotent cells more and more as the new human organism 
develops and grows bigger. By the time that the new human being reaches 
the blastocyst stage (5-7 days), the inner cell mass of the human 
blastocyst still contains a mixture of totipotent and pluripotent cells. 
It is more often these human embryonic cells from the inner cell mass of 
the human embryo that are touted as "pluripotent stem cells". But not 
all of them are pluripotent. Many of them are still totipotent - and the 
proof of the pudding is in naturally occurring human monozygotic 
twinning /in vivo/. About 2/3rds of such human twins are reproduced at 
the blastocyst stage. Twinning couldn't even happen if there were no 
totipotent cells in the human embryo's inner cell mass!

The point is that, as with the usual human embryonic "stem cells", at 
least some of these iPS cells that are produced are most probably also 
totipotent - and thus are /capable /of reverting to new whole human 
embryos by means of the natural biological process of "regulation" (as 
happens even in natural monozygotic human twinning). Not only that, it 
is also possible that human embryonic /germ line cells /could be 
reproduced in the process of transforming/inducing. These human 
embryonic germ line cells are slightly more mature than those in the 
inner cell mass of the human embryo, but have been detected as early 
as 2  weeks post the human embryo's biological beginning and these 
human embryonic germ line cells are also totipotent - and thus could 
also revert back to new whole human embryos. Any human embryos that are 
reproduced directly or indirectly in the process of doing iPS research 
would be destroyed.

Third, there are quite a number of other ethical concerns involving iPS 
research - most of which proponents also prefer to dodge. Given the 
obvious concerns about new whole living human embryos being directly or 
indirectly produced in the process, what about any ethical problems with 
the /sources /of many of the /materials /used during iPS research? Are 
any living human embryos or fetuses killed and destroyed in order to 
make these "materials"? For example, usually such human "materials" are 
involved in the various kinds of culture media used, in the DNA chips, 
and in the assays and other tests performed to insure that these cells 
are "pluripotent". Even proponents of this research admit this. 
Interestingly, however, there are no tests or assays to determine if any 
of these cells are totipotent! Sure would be helpful. Human embryonic 
and fetal "materials" are also used as "feeder cells", and as sources of 
genes used to infect and transform the adult cells. Patients also need 
to be concerned about any serious immune rejection reactions caused by 
the DNA in these iPS cells being mutated or changed (even a little bit), 
or by any number of other chemicals and other products used during the 
transformation process - even if the patient's own cells were used as 
the starting materials. (For an example of a far more detailed analysis 
of some iPS research protocols, see Irving, 
href="http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_127concerns.html">"Ethical 
and Scientific Concerns About Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Research -- 
Yamanaka and Thomson" (June 1, 2008)).

It is long past time to get straight, complete and accurate answers out 
of proponents of iPS and other human embryonic stem cell, human cloning, 
and human genetic engineering research. Society's trust in their 
professional scientific credibility depends on it. But all we get is 
"fuzzy accolades", "hype", deconstructed "science", snickers, cheap 
shots, and demeaning innuendos -- or silence. It's as simple as this. 
Everyone deeply and sincerely hopes that some research somewhere will 
find these desperately needed cures. But such success must not come at 
the expense of the willful killing and destruction of whole living 
innocent human beings. This is no "ethical alternative to human 
embryonic stem cell research". Haven't we been there before?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*/_PP 2007 BRAG BOOK: ABORTIFACIENT DEATHS=1,423,650; 
SURGICAL=305,310..._/* 
<http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA_2007-2008_Annual_Report.pdf>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/sebelius-not-telling-the-truth-about-tiller-in-answers-to-senate-committee/>
Sebelius Not Telling the Truth About Tiller in Answers to Senate 
Committee 
<http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/sebelius-not-telling-the-truth-about-tiller-in-answers-to-senate-committee/> 

Records available online debunk her story about dinner with Tiller in 
2007 and prove Tiller gave her more money that she admits.

WASHINGTON, April 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- The U.S. Senate Finance 
Committee has published written answers submitted by Kansas Gov. 
Kathleen Sebelius 
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102547988494&s=16890&e=001rRKs8x3OOyPTLoXq7Q6siRfFKGjwykD2qsDDJswKGN7_48V8G-TpzTPVB6jxLcWxUbl95nE0ZMDh7sR97YL5FgW_Tt1rUXE4SVek1IAiPCe8MYJAOwYpmxjmdhI1dS2Odo_2g1JZ1EqPaFydWDaArr0hOrOWT8Qr> 
in response to questions submitted to her during her examination for 
confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Official public records prove that her response to a question from Sen. 
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) about her relationship with late-term abortionist George 
R. Tiller is filled with falsehoods, again raising ethical questions 
about Sebelius' fitness to serve.

In response to Sen. Kyle, Sebelius stated that she received $12,450 from 
Tiller during her campaign for Insurance Commissioner.

However, contribution and expenditure reports on file with the Kansas 
Governmental Ethics Commission show the figure to be closer to $38,450 - 
a discrepancy of $26,000. Records also show that some of that money was 
used for her 2002 campaign for governor. Detailed information on 
Sebelius' campaign finance ties to Tiller has been meticulously compiled 
by a political researcher and is available on his blog at 
www.kansasmeadowlark.com 
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102547988494&s=16890&e=001rRKs8x3OOyPP46-uW_1IL6TSSr7dSSIyYYXKhIUEL4-zCsP6VXxaAWUCN1VQD7oM6f7Bg9J9x8qwmQTlv3iX9uvsi8QqMBTE9HBy_wf1RhM6oLSE_MN-1T08DowMWaBs>. 
.....article continues at link above.... 
<http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/sebelius-not-telling-the-truth-about-tiller-in-answers-to-senate-committee/>

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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