Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Stem Cell Debate

Aired August 10, 2001 - 11:30   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We've been sifting through a number of e-mails that we've been getting from you, all talking about embryonic stem cell research. President Bush, as you know, saying last night that federal money could be used for research, but only stem cell lines that are already in existence.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. So now let's bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, to help us with your questions and your comments. Bill is in Los Angeles this morning and...

KAGAN: A little early there.

HARRIS: And we've also got Dr. Sanjay Gupta here with us. He's back here and behind us in the CNN center of the newsroom. Good to see you guys both with us this morning. Let's get right to it.

KAGAN: Let's do it. Our first e-mail coming from Harry in Collinsville, Illinois. Let's put that one up on the screen. The question: "Did the president approve federal funding for stem cell research because of his convictions or because he read the polls and decided it was politically wise?"

Politics sounds like your area, Bill.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he will never say he read the polls on this, but the fact is his decision was quite consistent with what the polling showed. The polling showed that people support stem cell research on existing embryos that -- quote -- "left over from infertility clinics and would otherwise be discarded." They do not support it on embryos specifically created for research or on cloned embryos, so his decision was right down the line with public opinion.

He did make a distinction, however, that the public has yet to consider. Namely, he said he would allow the research on existing embryos but not on any new ones because, he said, the decision about life and death has already been made up with those embryos. So he made a moral distinction that I think is just beginning to be debated.

HARRIS: All right. We've got a second one here, as I think this is going to go to you too, Bill.

"Whatever Bush decided," this is coming, I should say, from David Benjamin: "Whatever Bush decided last night on the matter of stem cell funding to continue, modify or end the research, one must give credit to the President Bill Clinton for having the foresight into funding this new area of research."

SCHNEIDER: Well, sounds like a Democrat to me.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Safe bet, I think.

SCHNEIDER: That's what essentially put President Bush on the spot. He had to decide whether this research, which began, really, in 1998, would continue. That's where those 60 lines of stem cells originated -- whether he would allow it to continue or whether he would end it.

Bill Clinton, once again into the spotlight here. He president Bush on the spot, occasioning this first prime-time speech to the American people because Bush had to make this decision.

KAGAN: Let's page Dr. Gupta for this one.

HARRIS: OK.

KAGAN: A medical question, this one coming from John Kennedy in Bellflower, California. He writes that he suffers from cerebral palsy and is happy but a bit disappointed that the president didn't go all the way with funding for stem cell research.

His question, for you, Sanjay, is: "Will the research help those with cerebral palsy or a paraplegic? Can stem cells fight diseases like muscular dystrophy or for people who have birth defects or deformities?"

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Great question. The real promise of stem cells is to actually create cell lines that could target a lot of different neurological problems. The ones that have been spoken about most frequently are Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, certainly. But paralysis is also something to think about.

They haven't targeted cerebral palsy, as far as I've found out, as of yet, but diseases like ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, has been looked at to some extent. There's going to be all sorts possibilities. It's going to be a while down the road before we actually see the promise of some of those possibilities. But all sorts of neurological diseases are probably going to be targeted by stem cell research.

KAGAN: In our lifetime, Sanjay?

GUPTA: I think so. What we're hearing from people, such figures as Dr. Varmus of the NIH, we're talking within the next five to 10 years, since some of these promises actually come to some sort of fruition.

Whether or not we'll see things like whole organ transplantations being done through stem cells -- that may be not our generation. But the things that they have been talking about, maybe in our lifetimes.

HARRIS: Yep. It's funny, this research, it kind of takes on like an exponential kind of speed once they get rolling with that.

All right, now let's go to Joe Orlando from Emmitsburg, Maryland. He writes: "Now that we officially, through our president, have recognized the need to protect human life at the blastocyst stage of embryonic development. What is our stand on protecting human life at much more developed stages in abortion? Is there any news on the Vatican reaction to the president's decision?"

That's a good question. Bill, why don't you take that one?

SCHNEIDER: I haven't heard any news this morning from the Vatican.

KAGAN: Actually, we did report. We did report the Vatican and I think they were not pleased.

SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I was going to say I would suspect that they are not pleased by this decision. I know a lot of religious authorities said they would be critical if he allowed any form of research on human embryos. I think their view is that they don't buy the president's distinction that the decision about life and death had already been made about these 60 lines of stem cells, therefore, there was really no moral -- that he had not broken his pledge to allow research on living human embryos.

They don't buy that because they say, look, this allows researchers to profit from human embryo research. It sets a precedent and they believe it is morally unjustified. And in fact, that's why a lot of scientists are willing to accept it, because they say, well, they say it's a starting place. At least he's allowing stem cell research in Congress to move the marker and allow more in future years.

HARRIS: Yes, I can hear some saying that Mr. Bush is parsing on that particular topic. May be rather Clintonesque, too.

SCHNEIDER: Oh, my goodness.

KAGAN: All right, well, before we go calling names, here, let's go to Dr. Gupta. This one from Jennifer Bowers. She writes: "With all this talk of stem cell research, I've heard no mention of the stem cells that can be found in placentas. I know many people save these stem cells in case they can help cure their childrens' future diseases. But can those stem cells not also be used in research? Is there any reason the embryonic research avenue is the only one being pushed?"

Actually, at the end of the speech last night, the president did talk about other stem cells from placentas and adult stem cells. But, Sanjay, what's the difference and why is there such a premium and why is the big push being made for the embryonic stem cells?

GUPTA: Yes, you're exactly right, Daryn. He did bring it up at the end of the speech and talked about some addition funding being targeted towards alternative stem cell sites. The big difference, scientifically -- and a lot of scientists have been talking about this -- is that embryonic stem cells really offer the best, most blank cell, a cell that really can be developed into any sort of cell. That's different than adult stem cells, that's different than umbilical cord cells and placental stem cells. Those are more differentiated or developed, if you will, to a certain extent and may not have the same potential as an embryonic stem cell. And that's part of the reason -- that's been a big part of this debate from early on. But that's part of the reason they are drawing a distinction between the two.

KAGAN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Bill Schneider -- William Schneider, as you were addressed at the bottom of the screen -- good to have both of you with us. Thank you.

HARRIS: Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

Rather intelligent viewers we've got this morning.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Thank you folks for sending in e-mails. Appreciate that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com