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CNN Live At Daybreak
Debate Over Stem Cell Research Rages On
Aired July 11, 2001 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Scientists in Norfolk, Virginia have jumped right into the right-to-life debate by creating the first human embryos specifically to be used for scientific experiments. The argument is that fresh embryos offer the best source for microscopic stem cells, cells so premature they have the ability to become any type of cell in the human body.
CNN medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joins us with more on this story to kind of flesh it out.
So, Doctor, the point is that these stem cells can actually replace diseased cells and restore health to the body -- at least that's the hope of researchers, right?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
This is a really exciting area of research. The stem cell advocates have jumped behind this thing: Listen, this could potentially repair heart disease, cure diabetes, even Alzheimer's, maybe even spinal cord injury down the line.
Nothing has been cured yet.
LIN: But the research...
GUPTA: But the potential -- right.
LIN: The research is perhaps necessary -- at least according to these doctors.
(CROSSTALK)
LIN: What is the difference, though, between, you know, growing your own embryos vs. harvesting discarded embryos, which are usually discarded after, say, fertilization procedures -- embryos which aren't used?
GUPTA: Right.
It's a great point of argument here. The advocates of doing it with this technique -- actually creating the embryos for the explicit intent of research -- so the embryos are from younger women. The eggs are from younger women, perhaps more robust, perhaps more likely to produce many cell lines that can be used for all sorts of different avenues of research.
The opponents say: not necessary. You know, we don't actually need to use fresh embryos. We can use the thousands of embryos that are sitting around in storage and freezers today.
LIN: But I thought that research had advanced to the point where scientists have found other sources for these stem cells -- not human embryos, but stem cells from spinal fluid, other organs, even animals. What happens with that?
GUPTA: Right.
Well, an embryonic stem cell, Carol, is sort of the most basic cell. It can differentiate into a lot of different lines and thus have the most potential to be used in all sorts of different avenues of research, be it neurological, be it heart disease, be it spinal cord regeneration -- all sorts of different lines.
As a cell ages, as it becomes more differentiated, its capabilities reduce, so it can't be used in as many different areas of research. So even if you take umbilical blood, for example, it's more differentiated than an embryonic stem cell. Certainly an adult organ would be even more differentiated.
LIN: So there's no other evidence to indicate that any other stem cell would be comparable to the quality of a human embryo stem cell.
GUPTA: That's what the -- that's what they are saying, is that this is the most undifferentiated cell and has the most potential to treat some of these research projects.
LIN: Well, the Bush administration is considering the ending of public funding for any sort of stem cell research. What sort of impact would that have on research today?
GUPTA: Well -- and, yes, in '95, I guess, they ended public funding for this sort of research in the past.
But I think the researchers would argue that it would be difficult to actually go ahead and raise all the private funds. While it wouldn't be impossible, a lot of these researchers would be spending their time instead of doing the research, trying to raise money, which can be very difficult in such contentious sort of areas of research.
LIN: So, in your opinion, is there any other alternative on the horizon that's even being considered that might allow government and right-to-life activists and researchers come to some sort of moral, ethical and political compromise?
GUPTA: Well, we certainly have been down this road so many times, from as far back as abortion, to recently in '95 when they talked about stem cell research.
There are some people who believe that the actual implantation of the embryo into a uterus constitutes human life. And if the whole thing is conducted in the petri dish outside ever seeing a woman's uterus, it's not human life. But, you know, even those arguments are somewhat contentious. So it's a very emotionally and politically charged argument, as well as a scientifically charged one.
LIN: And not the last we're going to hear of it.
GUPTA: Yes.
LIN: Thanks so much, Dr. Gupta .
GUPTA: Thank you.
LIN: Good to see you.
GUPTA: Good to see you.
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