Catholic Church Collaborates With Neostem to Promote ASCR

ChelseaMay 25, 2010Adult Stem Cell ResearchLeave a Comment

The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture will team up with NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company with operations in the US and China, to create awareness about the promise of adult stem cells to treat disease:

“Considering the potential implication of scientific investigation, medical applicability and the cultural impact of research on adult stem cells, we view the collaboration with NeoStem as a critical effort,” said Reverend Tomasz Trafny, of the Pontifical Council for Culture. “Through educational initiatives with NeoStem and sponsorship of scientific research programs involving cutting edge adult stem cell science which does not hurt human life, we come one step closer to a breakthrough that can relieve needless human suffering. We are particularly excited about NeoStem’s VSEL™ technology and believe that mutual collaboration between NeoStem and the Pontifical Council for Culture could lead to significant financial commitment to support VSEL™ technology research.”

Said Dr. Robin L. Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem:

“For over 40 years, physicians have been using adult stem cells to treat various blood cancers, but only recently has the promise of using adult stem cells to treat a significant number of other diseases begun to be realized. There are tremendous clinical and economic advantages to autologous stem cell transplantation (receiving your own stem cells) as there are no issues with immune rejection. Engraftment with your own stem cells is faster, safer and much less costly than receiving someone else’s stem cells (allogeneic)…Providing critical support to drive research and therapy efforts, this commitment is a milestone for the field of regenerative medicine,””

Read more and note that not one human being has benefited from any kind of embryonic stem cell treatment, ever (and any limited success in animal studies is tainted by the cells’ propensity to become cancerous or form deadly tumors and cysts).

These new partners will work on a variety of activities including a 3 day International Conference on adult stem cell research at the Vatican. Please, tell me again how the Catholic Church is anti stem cell research, is stuck in the middle ages and hates science. What the Church hates is creating, using and destroying human life in the name of science. The advancement of that kind of research is not progress, but a threat for man and for the world (Spe Salvi, 22).

Is Artificial Life in Our Future? Is it Ethical?

ChelseaMay 24, 2010Science, Scientists1 Comment

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute have developed the first living cell to be controlled entirely by synthetic DNA:

The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. They sequenced its genetic code and then used “synthesis machines” to chemically construct a copy.

Dr. Venter told BBC News: “We’ve now been able to take our synthetic chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell – a different organism.

“As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and converts into the species specified in that genetic code.”

The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.

“This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell,” said Dr. Venter.

This is not 100% “artificial” life nor is it really a new life form. But these scientists may be on their way to developing just that in the future – or at least trying to.

What would be the purpose of developing synthetic organisms? As far as Dr. Venter is concerned

“We decided that [by] writing new biological software and creating new species, we could create new species to do what we want them to do, not what they evolved to do”

Venter is one of the founders of Synthetic Genomics (SGI) which is dedicated to “creating genomic-driven commercial solutions to revolutionize many industries.” Their main focus right now is on energy, reversing environmental damage by “capturing” carbon dioxide (though, some groups are concerned that synthetic bacteria could actually be hazardous to the environment) and developing useful fuels. But Dr. Venter and his colleagues are also interested in developing synthetically derived vaccines to prevent human disease.

In an interview with Associated Press Television News Monsignor Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s top bioethics official, weighed in thus:

“It’s a great scientific discovery. Now we have to understand how it will be implemented in the future…

“If we ascertain that it is for the good of all, of the environment and man in it, we’ll keep the same judgment,” he said. “If, on the other hand, the use of this discovery should turn against the dignity of and respect for human life, then our judgment would change.”

Something tells me our Pope, who has been very outspoken on bioethical issues during his pontificate, will make sure Vatican bioethicists keep a close eye on the progression of this technology and render judgments accordingly. As new science develops, especially in the area of life sciences, it is important to consider, not just how safe and effective it might be, but the moral and ethical implications of every advancement as well (preferably before they become common practice). All good science must, as the Catechism suggests, be at the service of the human person, of his inalienable rights, of his true and integral good, in conformity with the plan and the will of God (2294).

I’m not quite sure what to make of this, myself. It does seem a little creepy. Synthetic DNA. Artificial life. What do you think? Is this perfectly fine (I mean, I suppose we’re not talking about using this technology to create or manipulate human life…yet) or does this take scientific experimentation a bit too far? Warned Bishop Domenico Mogavero, a member of the Italian bishops’ conference:

“Pretending to be God and parroting his power of creation is an enormous risk that can plunge men into a barbarity…(Scientists) should never forget that there is only one creator: God…In the wrong hands, today’s development can lead tomorrow to a devastating leap in the dark”

Indeed. As we’re seeing with IVF, ESCR and, now, cloning, the power of creation in the hands of scientists can have some pretty devastating consequences for the future of humanity.

Related:
Mad Scientists!

Veni, Sancte Spiritus!

ChelseaMay 23, 2010Prayer, video2 Comments

I love this:

The disciples spoke in the language of every nation. At Pentecost God chose this means to indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit: whoever had received the Spirit spoke in every kind fo tongue. We must realize, dear brothers, that this is the same Holy Spirit by whom love is poured out in our hearts. It was love that was to bring the Church of God together all over the world. And as individual men who received the Holy Spirit in those days could speak in all kinds of tongues, so today the Church, united by the Holy Spirit, speaks in the language of every people,

Therefore if somebody should say to one of us, “You have received the Holy Spirit, why do you not speak in tongues?” his reply should be, “I do indeed speak in the tongues of all men, because I belong to the body of Christ, that is the Church, and she speaks all languages. What else did the presence of the Holy Spirit indicate at Pentecost, except that God’s Church was to speak in the language of every people?” –An excerpt from an exposition of Ecclesiastes by St. Gregory of Agrigentum (from yesterdays Office of Readings)

Stealth Legislation to Federally Fund Human Cloning

ChelseaMay 21, 2010CloningLeave a Comment

(h/t to Wesley Smith for the title of this post – I couldn’t think of a better description)

Though President Obama has overturned the Bush stem cell policy and the NIH has made 13 more stem cell lines available for federal funding, there remains in place legislative restrictions on using appropriated funds for the creation of human embryos for research or for research in which human embryos are destroyed. This is the Dicky Amendment, which has been included in spending bills in every fiscal year since 1996:

SEC. 509. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for–

(1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or
(2) research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.208(a)(2) and Section 498(b) of the Public Health Service Act [1](42 U.S.C. 289g(b)) (Title 42, Section 289g(b), United States Code).
(b) For purposes of this section, the term “human embryo or embryos” includes any organism, not protected as a human subject under 45 CFR 46 (the Human Subject Protection regulations) . . . that is derived by fertilization, parthenogenesis, cloning, or any other means from one or more human gametes (sperm or egg) or human diploid cells (cells that have two sets of chromosomes, such as somatic cells).

Congress yet again passed the amendment last March, but it may only be a matter of time before we see Congress voting to approve the use of federal funds for cloning research, currently restricted by Dickey.

While all the focus has been on health care reform this year an equally, if not more, dangerous bill was quietly introduced and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R.4808, or the Stem Cell Research Advancement Act of 2009, introduced by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Mike Castle (R-Del.), among other things, claims to ban the federal Government from funding human cloning, however it also redefines cloning, effectively allowing the government to fund the creation and use of cloned human embryos for scientific research:

‘SEC. 498F. PROHIBITION AGAINST FUNDING FOR HUMAN CLONING.

‘(a) Prohibition- The Secretary shall not use any funds for the conduct or support of human cloning.

‘(b) Guidelines- The Secretary shall update the guidelines maintained under section 498E for consistency with subsection (a).

‘(c) Definitions- In this section, the term ‘human cloning’ means the implantation of the product of transferring the nuclear material of a human somatic cell into an egg cell from which the nuclear material has been removed or rendered inert into a uterus or the functional equivalent of a uterus.’.

This is junk science. Cloning is the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer itself, not the implantation of the product of SCNT (a human embryo). Some still like to differentiate between two different “types” of cloning: therapeutic cloning (for ESC research) and reproductive cloning (to implant and give birth to a clone – like Dolly the sheep). But here’s the thing: ALL cloning is reproductive. Once an embryo has been created through SCNT a new, living organism comes into being. After this the act of cloning is complete, there is just a question of what to do with the cloned embryo – use it for scientific research or allow it to further develop by implanting it into a woman’s uterus. (Yes, it gets old explaining all of this over and over…and over again. But it’s vitally important as this debate becomes increasingly unscientific.)

Call me skeptical, but I don’t see how this bill doesn’t pass Congress – unless they decide that it’s too controversial of a topic to vote on in an election year. But, then, this Congress hasn’t seemed too worried about passing controversial legislation this year. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still try to fight it if it should come to a vote, of course – especially since:

a.) we now have a President in the White House who would actually sign it into law if it passed
b.) we know that scientists right here in the U.S. have successfully cloned human embryos (along with human-rabbit/mouse/bovine embryos) – we’re not talking hypotheticals anymore!!

Sick: Remote Control Abortions

ChelseaMay 19, 2010Abortion, videoLeave a Comment

Wow. Leave it to Planned Parenthood to find a way to make killing unborn children an even more dehumanizing procedure:

If you have trouble viewing the video, The Des Moines Register has a written explanation of how the process works:

Patients are given printed information about the abortion pills, and they watch an eight-minute video about the process. The video talks about the effects of the drug, and possible side effects. The video says most women experience cramping and bleeding, similar to what they would experience during a heavy period.

The video says patients should feel normal within a day after taking the second medication at home. If not, they are instructed to call Planned Parenthood’s 24-hour phone line to report complications.

Patients return to the clinic about two weeks later. They are checked to be sure they ended their pregnancies, which the video says happens for 98 percent of women who take the medications.

The video shows a re-enactment of a follow-up visit.

“Well, you’re no longer pregnant,” an actor in a white coat tells a woman portraying a patient.

“That’s great,” the woman says. “I really would like a baby sometime. But right now, we just can’t afford it. I’m really glad we had this choice.”

After watching the video, each patient is asked whether she wants to obtain the abortion drugs via the electronic conferencing system. If she says yes, she is seated in front of a computer monitor with a camera, which allows her to visit with a doctor. Such meetings usually last several minutes, Ross said.

The doctor goes over the woman’s medical history, talks about how the drugs work, then asks whether the patient has any questions. When the doctor is satisfied, he or she enters a computer command that signals a drawer to open in front of the patient. The drawer contains two pill bottles. The patient is instructed to open one of them, remove the Mifeprex pill, then take it while the doctor watches.

The patient then is instructed to go home, where she will open the second bottle and withdraw four pills of misoprostol. She is to put the pills between her cheek and gum, where they will dissolve.

The reason for this new approach to killing unborn children?

Small Planned Parenthood clinics around Iowa are using a remote-control pill-dispensing system to make abortions available in areas where few doctors offer them…

Ross (a Planned Parenthood physician who uses the system) said he and other abortion rights supporters hoped more physicians would offer the abortion medications once federal regulators approved them in 2000. But few physicians want to wade into the controversial practice, Ross said, which is why Planned Parenthood is using the videoconferencing system to expand the reach of its Des Moines doctors.

In other words, they’re trying to make up for the shortage of people willing to kill unborn children for a living (a welcome “problem” as far as I’m concerned).

Operation Rescue has filed a complaint, contending that this approach violate state law requiring all abortions to be committed by a licensed physician, but Ross claims this fulfills his legal obligation to oversee the abortion process. Jill Stanek reports that the IA Board of Medicine has opened an investigation against PP to determine whether there really is any violation. Perhaps while they’re investigating that, the IA Board of Medicine can also enlighten us as to how an abortion procedure can be considered “medical.” Last I checked, medicine involves treating disease and other conditions harmful to the human body. Pregnancy is certainly neither one of these.

Keep an eye out, this practice could be coming to your home State, too as it has reportedly been drawing interest from abortion providers throughout the country.

TOB Tuesday: Human Beings as Objects of Use Pt. III

ChelseaMay 18, 2010Sex, Sexuality, Theology of the Body, TOB Tuesday2 Comments

Wow, I totally missed this one! In two previous TOB Tuesday posts last year (!!) I pointed out a 3 part series of columns by Dale O’Leary at Catholic Exchange answering the challenge posed to traditional sexual morality by the “Sexual Revolutionaries” of the last thirty years. After coming across these posts in a recent archive search I noticed that I never mentioned the third part, which was written last July and is just as wonderful and informative as the first two. I don’t know how I missed that! So now (better late than never) here are all three parts of O’Leary’s series on sexual licentiousness and the truth of the human person. Very well worth your time:

In part one she reviewed the examination of the fundamentally anti-person Sexual Revolution made by John Paul II in his book Love and Responsibility, a precursor to his Theology of the Body. This revolution’s utilitarian view of marriage and sexual relations has dehumanized the male/female relationship, causing men and women to see and treat each other as objects of their own selfish, sexual gratification.

In part two she examines the structure of a utilitarian relationship, its inevitable damage and the reaction of those who feel used.

Now, finally, in the third installment O’Leary looks at the flawed logic of the sexual revolution, its unintended consequences and the reaction it engendered.

The Sexual Revolutionaries initially argued that the restrictions of sexual freedom might have been understandable in a time when pregnancy outside marriage had devastating economic consequences and sexually transmitted diseases were rampant and incurable, but modern technology solved this problem. The pill, penicillin, and the new tolerance for out-of -wedlock birth, they argued, made the old prohibitions unnecessary.

This optimism has proven ill-founded, even with advances in contraceptives “unwanted” pregnancies have increased, the devastating effects of fatherlessness are undeniable, and abortion has not become “rare.” Pathogens have taken advantage of the pathways provided by promiscuity. Sexually transmitted diseases unknown only decades ago are now epidemic; some are incurable, some fatal.

Read the rest

Pro-Life Quote of the Day

ChelseaMay 18, 2010Pro LifeLeave a Comment

Got this from a friend of mine on Twitter (are you following me, yet??):

The womb is like the altar, it’s the place where God continually comes into the world and does what only God can do, create.
– Peter Kreeft

Miss MI Wins Miss USA With Question About Birth Control

ChelseaMay 17, 2010Contraception2 Comments

Only because Miss Missouri is a girl I used to babysit ages ago (she made it to the top 10!) did I actually watch most of the Miss USA pageant on NBC last night. In case you missed it, the winner of Miss USA, Michigan’s Rima Fakih’s, final question was about the birth control pill (see video):

Q: This month the oral birth control pill marked its 50th anniversary. As a woman do you believe health insurance should cover birth control pills like every other drug?

Fakih: Absolutely…I believe that birth control is just like every other medication even though it’s a controlled substance and it’s provided for free by your OBGYN or any close-by family clinic. It should be something that women should be allowed to get through their insurance because it’s costly.

Just.Brilliant. So, birth control is free and costly at the same time? And when did it become a controlled substance? If this is their idea of a winning answer, I don’t know who has less sense, Ms. Fakih or the judges…

Again, for further commentary see my latest posts on contraception here and here.

Godfather Wisdom

ChelseaMay 17, 2010Men, Pro LifeLeave a Comment

“[A] man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” — Don Vito Corleone

—————-
Note: a real man also does not kill other people out of revenge or to get what he wants, so take this good advice, but be sure to ignore all that other stuff about making people offers they can’t refuse 😉

Life Without Limbs Still Worth Living for Wounded Soldier

ChelseaMay 15, 2010video3 Comments

Your weekend inspiration. Brendan Marrocco lost all four limbs after hitting a road side bomb on Easter Sunday 2009 while serving in Iraq:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

God bless our troops! Pray for our wounded warriors and help support them if you can!! h/t Weasel Zipper – via Creative Minority Report

(Ironically, this is also from CBS News – so, I guess they’re not totally worthless…)

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