LONDON - 19 May 2008 - 375 words
Catholic leaders back adult stem cell research with grant
The presidents of the Catholic Bishops, conferences of England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland yesterday announced the award of a £25,000 grant, funded from a special Day for Life collection, to support adult stem cell research in the UK.
The donation has been made to Novussanguis, an international research consortium on cord blood and adult stem cells for therapeutic aims that was launched in Paris on 14 May, 2008.
"We support scientific research that seeks to cure disease and suffering, said the Cardinals.
"The HFE Bill has focused on embryonic stem cell research. In fact, much greater progress has already been made towards clinical therapies using adult stem cells. Other emerging techniques hold potential for good, without creating and destroying human embryos. We are making this donation as a sign of the Church,s commitment to science and human good.
"We also welcome the positive engagement with scientists and ethicists last Friday, which identified the need for continued dialogue. This meeting re-enforced the fact that there are profound questions both about the scientific efficacy of proposed techniques and their ethical justification.
"In particular, we would ask:
What ethical considerations should limit bio-medical research?
Should the government be taking the dramatic step of legalising
research on cybrid or hybrid embryos just as new techniques are
emerging which would make the use of such hybrids in research
redundant?
To what extent is the UK in danger of neglecting more promising
therapies by focusing too much on embryonic stem cell research?
"Not nearly enough time has been given to discussing these issues and these questions require answers before and not after legislation.
+Sean Cardinal Brady, Archbishop of Armagh,
president of the Bishops, Conference of Ireland
+Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O,Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, president
of the Bishops, Conference of England & Wales
+Keith Patrick Cardinal O,Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and
Edinburgh, president of the Bishops, Conference of Scotland
Novussanguis is an international research
consortium on cord blood and adult stem cells for therapeutic
aims
Professor Colin McGuckin and the research group on cord blood
at Newcastle University and the Fondation Jérôme
Lejeune in Paris created Novussanguis to promote responsible research
on cord blood and adult stem cells. Up to 200 international participants
attended the launch of this consortium on Wednesday 14 May at
the Medical School of University Paris Descartes, in France.
The launch is supported by the French Research Minister, Ms Valérie
Pécresse and placed under the Patronage of Mr Hans-Gert
Pöttering, President of the European Parliament.
Cord blood and adult stem cells are very attractive for research
in cell therapy and regenerative medicine because of their high
differentiation and expansion potential.
Adult stem cells can be harvested from several human tissues such
as brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, liver, cornea, retina,
and pancreas. It is also possible to find stem cells in umbilical
cord blood. With over 130 million births per year worldwide, cord
blood is a particularly important source of readily available
stem cells in terms of access and supply.
Adult stem cells play a key role in research for treatment of
several diseases. Today, over 80 diseases are treatable with cord
blood stem cells, mostly linked to the blood system (e.g. leukaemia)
or the immune system (babies in a bubble,), but also diseases
affecting the bone marrow, nervous system, heart or metabolism
such as juvenile diabetes.
Source: SCMO
© Independent Catholic News 2008
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