Six years ago, the prestigious scientific journal “Science” recognized stem cells as one of the greatest scientific achievements. However, recent studies have revealed that scientists may have been overly optimistic.
 |
Stem Cell Research |
Despite massive investments in research and applications, stem cells may prove to be a form of useless material.
According to Dr. Orly Lacham-Kaplan from the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories, it may take at least ten years before we can determine whether stem cells can be safely applied to humans.
Cancer Stem Cells
Stem cells represent a tremendous hope in medicine, as they can transform into any cell in the body. Theoretically, all cells can arise from stem cells: from eggs, new bones, capillaries, and livers, to brain cells.
Unfortunately, more and more research indicates that stem cells themselves may be responsible for various types of cancer—particularly the increasing incidence of brain cancer in children.
Breast tumors can develop and spread to other parts of the body only with the assistance of capillaries and the “scaffolding” produced by stem cells.
Recent findings by scientists at Columbia University reveal that defective spinal cord cells can lead not only to blood cancers but also to stomach cancer.
“We must change our traditional view of the development of all cancers. Instead of just targeting cancer cells, we also need to eliminate stem cells,” said Professor Timothy Wang, head of the research program.
Patients who have undergone bone marrow transplants from donors are acutely aware of the dangers associated with using foreign cells. These cells carry a significant portion of the immune system—factors that, instead of contributing to the recipient’s treatment, attack the host’s cells (known as graft-versus-host disease).
It is also known that recipients of full stem cell transplants often experience dangerous complications such as sexual dysfunction and muscle rigidity. Researchers are still unsure why these phenomena occur, and it seems no one predicted the harmful consequences of using cultured cells in laboratories.
Monogenic Defects in Reproduction
The most challenging issue for researchers today is finding a source of embryonic stem cells. Harvesting them from embryos created through in vitro fertilization has been condemned by bioethicists and banned in many countries.
Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, the same institution that cloned Dolly the sheep, recently announced that they have obtained six human embryos from egg cells using monogenic reproduction techniques.
This phenomenon is commonly observed in nature among certain species, including bees, ants, shrimp, geckos, and even turkeys. However, for mammals, it is a completely unnatural process—egg cells are forced to “fertilize” themselves with the help of electric waves or chemical elements.
Thus, the majority of the scientific community believes that stem cells generated through monogenic reproduction cannot be considered true embryos, as they will not develop into any organism.
The phenomenon of human embryos produced through cloning or monogenic reproduction only lasts for a few days, which may be a warning signal that many researchers have overlooked.
Professor Richard Doerflinger, a representative of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, argued that developmental disorders often arise from genetic defects. These embryos could be entities with severe diseases—subjects that were created unnecessarily.
According to other statistics, on average, one in every four successfully cloned animals suffers from various diseases, including obesity, diabetes, asthma, liver cirrhosis, and heart and kidney defects.
A Lesson in Humility
In 2001, when researchers completed the mapping of the human genome, many futurists claimed that we had uncovered the greatest secret of creation—how our bodies appear and develop. Within a few years, gene therapy was expected to treat numerous ailments; however, most trials have failed.
“The reality increasingly demonstrates that human body development is influenced by many factors beyond genetics, which science still does not understand,” asserted Dr. Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, authors of the book “The Collapse of Chaos.”
In the case of stem cells, nature once again teaches scientists a lesson in humility—who thought they had found a way to outsmart creation.
Van Hanh
