FRANK J. MORALES, JR.,
M.D., C.N.S.
H&WF MEDICAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Dr. Frank Morales is a highly
skilled medical doctor and an expert in alternative medical
therapies. With credentials to numerous to mention herein,
(but available upon request), Dr. Morales is affiliated with
the American Medical Association (AMA), Obstetric and
Gynecology Jr. Fellow (ACOG), American College of
Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), Mexican Association for
Diagnosis and Treatments of Auto Immune Diseases,
International Oxidative Medical Association (IOMA) (Past
President (Present Secretary of the Board) (Faculty Member),
American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A 4 M), College of
Biological Medical Research of Mexico (Board Member),
International College of Advancement Longevity Medicine (ICAM)
(Charter Member), Investigaciones Inmunologicas Mexicanas
S.A. de C.V. Medical Director (IIM), Foundation For Light
Therapy (FFLT) (Medical Director), Mexoc Medical Board of
Hyperbaric Medicine Specialist (Acting VP), American
Naturopathy Medical Association (ANMA) (Associate
Professor), Academy of Bio-Energetic and Integrative
Medicine (ABEIM)) (Board Member) (Associate Professor),
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Hyperbaric
Medicine Associates of Mexico (MHM) (Board Member)
(Associate Professor), American College of Nutrition (CAN),
International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine (ICHM),
International Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology (IBCMT),
International Society for Stem Cell Research, International
Society for Cellular Therapy, International College of
Integrative Medicine (ICIM) Cancer Control Society (CCS) Dr.
Morales is internationally recognized as a leading physician
in Alternative Therapies and is a featured speaker at both
domestic and international seminars.
SCIENCE VS POLITICS – STEM CELL RESEARCH
With
all the political posturing and media hype, it is hard to
see what really is going on. Is stem cell research truly the
panacea that Christopher Reeve would have had us believe?
Or, is it theoretically exciting, however, like the fusion
reactor, more of a pipe dream than presently truly feasible?
Stem
cell expert Ann Kiessling, PhD, an associate professor at
Harvard Medical School and author of
Human Embryonic Stem Cells: An Introduction to the Science
and Therapeutic Potential
(Jones and Bartlett) states that one of the criticisms
routinely leveled at embryonic stem cells is that they have
yet to demonstrate any real practical application. But how
could they, she asks, when scientists still haven't been
given the resources to do the basic research to understand
and use them safely?
Stem
Cells: A Primer
Before
getting to the controversy, let's take a closer look at stem
cells -- the basic building blocks of the human body. A stem
cell is the undeveloped beginning stage tissue that "turns
into" many different specialized cells. All cells in plants
and animals are created from stem cells. A line of stem
cells is like a block of iron -- it can be made into ocean
liners or hatpins, and everything in between. What makes
them so special is their unique ability to generate new
cells and evolve into living tissue.
Because
stem cells can produce healthy new cells to replace damaged
and diseased ones, they have the potential to treat a wide
range of serious medical problems, including cancer, spinal
cord injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease. Of
course, it's not so easy to do. Any tissue to be created
must have genetic compatibility in order to function in a
person's body -- this is an issue with organ transplants.
The more primitive the stem cell, the more broadly
compatible it is, but the more difficult it is to produce
the finished target tissue. The more advanced the stem cell
line, the more difficult to achieve genetic compatibility
but the easier the cultivation of the finished tissue.
There
are two basic types of stem cells...
Adult stem cells. Adult stem cells do not refer to their source as
being from "adults" -- rather, it's the level of cell
development. These are found in fetuses, umbilical cord
blood, children and adults. Adult stem cells have been used
for more than 30 years in bone marrow transplants to save
the lives of people with leukemia and other types of blood
cancer. However, adult stem cells have limitations. They
don't keep dividing, are not very potent and lack the
versatility to develop into all different types of cells,
explains Dr. Kiessling.
Embryonic stem cells.
In
contrast, versatile embryonic stem cells are at such an
early stage of development that they have the ability to
"differentiate" -- that is, transform themselves to become
any tissue in the human body. These are the cells with the
greatest potential for healing, notes Dr. Kiessling.
Scientists first succeeded in isolating and growing stem
cells from human embryos in the 1990s. Embryos are clusters
of cells (not yet fetuses), which are generated in fertility
clinics. Roughly 400,000 frozen embryos are in storage in
the US today, most of them destined to be discarded if
scientists are not allowed to use them for stem cell
research. Embryos are routinely generated in fertility
clinics in far greater numbers than will ever be
transplanted in women -- hundreds of thousands go unused and
unclaimed and will eventually be discarded instead of being
used for stem cell research.
How Stem
Cells Work
If you
cut your finger, it will heal because the skin is naturally
rich in stem cells, explains Dr. Kiessling. Scientists also
believe, though it is not yet proven, that there are
corresponding stem cells for the nervous system and gut --
but many vital tissues and organs in the body have no
associated stem cells. For example, if your heart is cut, it
cannot heal itself because the heart does not contain stem
cells. Likewise, if your brain is damaged, there are no stem
cells around to step up to the plate and assume the role of
the damaged brain cells. The goal of researchers is to
harness the healing power of undifferentiated embryonic stem
cells and direct the growth of healthy new heart, brain or
other types of cells to replace the damaged or defective
ones.
Limits on
Research in the US
Adult
stem cells have been saving the lives of cancer patients for
more than 30 years via bone marrow transplants. Embryonic
stem cells, which show greater versatility and promise, have
been around only since the 1990s, and there has been a
successful effort to withhold substantial government funding
for research. Even so, breakthroughs have been made
(although usually not in this country).
Although stem cells have great potential for curing
devastating diseases, there are concerns about using human
embryos for research. Opponents argue that taking stem cells
from an embryo is immoral because it results in the embryo's
destruction. In response, the federal government has placed
tight restrictions on funding. In August 2001, President
George W. Bush banned federal funding of all new embryonic
stem cell colonies -- known as "stem cell lines" --
permitting government-sponsored research only on those lines
already in existence.
With
limited availability of existing stem cell lines, the amount
of research that can be done in this area is limited.
Financial and political considerations have placed serious
constraints on scientists' ability to move forward.
According to Dr. Kiessling, practically speaking there are
only half a dozen existing human stem cell lines that
scientists can work with, and there are limits on what can
be done with them. For example, some existing cell lines are
likely to become a particular type of tissue (such as a
heart or liver).
New
Breakthroughs Abroad
As a
result of the discouraging climate for research in the US,
some of the biggest stem cell advances are taking place
elsewhere, including a major breakthrough in South Korea
last spring. There, stem cell researchers used a technique
called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) -- or
therapeutic cloning -- to create new stem cell lines. SCNT
involves inserting the nucleus of a cell (such as a skin
cell) into an egg, prior to fertilization, that has had its
nucleus removed. The result is a cloned embryo with nearly
all the same genes as the original skin cell donor. An
embryonic stem cell line can be created from this embryo to
produce compatible cells for the donor/patient.
Although this process has tremendous therapeutic potential,
it is roughly the same process that resulted in the famous
cloned sheep Dolly, and sends shivers down the spines of
those who fear that stem cell research will be abused
through human cloning. Dr. Kiessling says that this issue
can be put to rest by supporting therapeutic cloning and
making human reproductive cloning illegal.
Like
medical marijuana, embryonic stem cell research is an arena
in which politics is at war with science. However, because
the research shows such promise in curing so many terrible
diseases, some surprising advocates are lining up on the
pro-science side. Most prominent among these is the very
conservative Nancy Reagan, who sees embryonic stem cell
research as a possible answer to the ravages of Alzheimer's
disease. Recently she's been joined in her lobbying efforts
by Arizona Republican Senator John McCain (who originally
opposed federal funding for research in human embryos, but
changed his mind) and Pennsylvania Republican Senator Arlen
Specter (who is battling Hodgkin's disease). Celebrities on
the barricades have included Michael J. Fox (who suffers
from Parkinson's disease) and the late Christopher Reeve
(who believed that the cure for spinal cord injuries lay in
stem cell research). Senator Bill Frist reversed his
position this summer and decided to vote for a bill
expanding financial support for stem cell research.
Polls
also show broad public support for embryonic stem cell
research, and not everyone is waiting for universal
consensus. Four states -- California, Connecticut, New
Jersey and Illinois -- have donated public money for their
own research initiatives. At some point in the future, the
hope is that stem cells will cure some of the most
devastating diseases of our time. But no one knows for sure.
The benefits are potentially huge. While research results
may not yield the medical "holy grail," there are most
certainly some great discoveries that are not only possible
but also probable. One thing is certain and that is the
discussion will go on for a very long time. At least, now,
the issues are clearer for us.
To
learn more about stem cell research, visit the Web sites of
the National Institutes of Health,
http://stemcells.nih.gov, and the Harvard Stem Cell
Institute,
http://stemcell.harvard.edu.
Abridged: Bottom Line, Daily Health News by Carole Jackson
