Life is sacred for Joni

Stem Cell research battle in the forefront with death of Superman actor Christopher Reeve
by Doris Fleck

Joni Eareckson Tada would love to walk again, but not at all costs. A diving accident in 1967 left the devout Christian artist and author a quadriplegic at the age of 17.

Promising new techniques in biotechnology could release her and others from decades of imprisonment in a wheelchair. But these medical advances are mired in controversy.

When Christopher Reeve broke his neck after a serious fall off his thoroughbred in 1995, he became confined to a wheelchair and dependent on a ventilator to breathe. The actor who starred in the Superman movies, became an ardent advocate of human embryonic stem cell research before his death on October 10, 2004.

Reeve was convinced embryonic stem cells would be able to repair injured spinal cord cells and allow people paralyzed from this injury to be able to walk.

Tada has strongly opposed his view and that of other renowned advocates and scientists on both ethical and biological grounds.

In order for scientists to study the benefits of human embryonic stem cells on different diseases, the embryo must be destroyed to harvest the cells.

In a recent article in Christianity Today, Tada said, "The Christopher Reeve Research Foundation aggressively promotes research using stem cells derived from human embryos that are clones or frozen discards from fertility clinics. But I’ve interacted with thousands of disabled individuals who strongly believe that life is sacred even in this brave new world of biotech research."

As a guest on Larry King Live in August 2004, Tada proclaimed, "It’s abhorrent to take human life. I’m a person with a disability. I am exposed and vulnerable as a quadriplegic and I believe that people like me, the elderly, the frail, the unborn, our lives are in jeopardy in a society which begins to dismantle the safeguards around human life."

Tada went on to explain that despite the hype surrounding embryonic stem cells, research has proven using adult stem cells is more effective and does not harm the donor.

Dr. David Prentice, a professor of Life Sciences at Indiana State University writes, "Stem cells offer the possibility of treating numerous degenerative diseases that affect millions of people… These include heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions."

In Human Dignity in the Biotech Century, a new release edited by Charles Colson and Nigel M. de S. Cameron, Dr. Prentice explains that if stem cells are given the right signals they could potentially form any specialized cell.

"Thus, a stem cell could be directed to become an insulin-secreting cell to treat diabetes, a dopaminergic neuron to treat Parkinson’s or a cardiac muscle cell to treat heart disease. The implications for treating degenerative diseases are enormous," Dr. Prentice declared.

While embryonic stem cells are taken from embryos within the first few days of life, adult stem cells can be found in virtually all tissues of the body from birth onward, including the umbilical cord blood and placenta.

Though many scientists believe embryonic stem cells have advantages over adult stem cells, their research has been plagued with problems. One of the supposed advantages of embryonic cells is their unlimited growth. Unfortunately when transplanted into experimental animals, these cells continue to grow rapidly, often forming tumors.

"A recent attempt to treat diabetes in mice using embryonic stem cells showed that the cells did not form insulin-secreting cells, but did form tumors," wrote Dr. Prentice. He stated that although experiments aimed at treating Parkinson’s disease in animals showed some slight benefit, 20-per-cent of the animals were killed by brain tumors formed by the embryonic cells.

If used in humans, embryonic stem cells would cause the tissue to reject the cells thus fostering a lifelong dependency on anti-rejection drugs.

"In contrast," he continued, "it may be surprising to know that there have been hundreds of quiet advances in adult stem cell research while the loud praise heaped on embryonic stem cells lack scientific credibility."

Dr. Prentice continued, "In many cases, the patient’s own stem cells can be used. The obvious advantage of such treatments is that there is no threat of immune rejection. Adult stem cells also show no evidence of tumor formation and appear to have a unique ability to "home in" on damaged tissue to stimulate repair. Thus adult stem cells have all of the advantages needed for regenerative medicine without the clinical negatives associated with embryonic stem cells and without the necessity for destruction of human life."

Tada cites a study where 26 rapidly deteriorating multiple sclerosis patients were treated with cells from each patient’s own bone marrow. Of the 26, six improved and 20 stabilized. She also related a case in Los Angeles where a neurosurgeon harvested stem cells from the brain of a Parkinson’s patient. After culturing the cells he injected the ones back that had formed dopamine-secreting neurons. One year later the patient’s symptoms were down by 83-per-cent.

"It’s a phenomenal success story," Tada declared, "but few in the news media picked up on this breakthrough."

Although many scientists seem determined to dismiss this evidence and focus solely on embryonic stem cells, Tada is adamant that any potential cure does not outweigh moral issues, negative effects on society and whether it is an affront to God.