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Scientists Stress Importance of Research With Human Embryos

Posted on: Thursday, 22 November 2007, 00:00 CST

NEW YORK -- Even though opponents of embryonic stem cell research say a new technique that tricks the basic building blocks of skin into becoming coveted embryonic cells solves a roiling ethical debate, scientists argued Wednesday they still need to conduct experiments with human embryos.

"All lines of research should remain open," said Dr. Ihor Lemischka, director of the Black Family Stem Cell Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan.

"Until we know more, the best way to move this field forward is to have as many irons in the fire as possible and the newly reported data should not be used as an argument to promote or abandon a particular line of research," Lemischka said.

Two scientific papers published this week revealed how only four genes are needed to reprogram skin cells into the blank slates known as embryonic stem cells. The four genes essentially turned back the clock to a "pluripotent" stage, when a cell is capable of morphing into any of the 220 types of cells that make up the human body.

Scientists have long theorized that embryonic stem cells can be used therapeutically to replace diseased or injured tissue.

Mindful that scientists now can wheedle stem cells from skin cells, the Catholic leadership has bestowed its blessings on the science.

"There is no moral problem with reprogramming adult cells," said Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"The resulting tests so far have all the properties of stem cells without the land mines. There is no need to exploit women for their eggs or to create and destroy embryos," Doerflinger said.

He added that the new research seems to exemplify what President George W. Bush meant in an executive order in June, which was "to explore alternative ways to obtain embryo-like stem cells without destroying embryos."

But Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer of Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., a biotechnology company that develops stem cell therapies, said the new research, though brilliant, "is not ready for prime time.

"There are two ways of looking at this," Lanza said yesterday. "One is what it means for the Catholic Church and others opposed to embryonic stem cell research, and the other is what it means for science.

"This is an extremely important scientific breakthrough but there are many hurdles left to overcome."

He described the work conducted by Dr. James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin and Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University as providing "a proof of principle," essentially demonstrating that skin cells can yield embryonic stem cells when appropriately reprogrammed.

Coaxing skin cells to turn back the clock requires numerous steps, Lanza said. In Yamanaka's studies, a cancer-causing gene was used to help insinuate the four transforming genes into the skin's chromosomes. But Yamanaka's mouse studies resulted in 20 percent of the animals developing cancer.

Despite the obstacles, Lemischka said he's still awe-struck by the science. "If somebody told me five years ago that there were only four genes required to turn skin cells into embryonic stem cells I would have said that was crazy.

"This is not as groundbreaking as discovering the double helix," Lemischka added, "because that discovery was the foundation of all modern biology. I would put this in the category of obtaining the complete human genome. It is definitely a paradigm shift."

Source: Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

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