Politics
Friday November 22, 2002
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
FOUNDING STEM CELL RESEARCHER ADMITS EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS WILL NOT BE USED FOR THERAPIES
Astonishing Admission Indicates Foolishness of Previous Hype
WASHINGTON, November 22, 2002 (LifeSiteNews.com) - All the public promises and Congressional testimony vowing amazing cures to come from the use of embryonic stem cells have proven hollow with an astounding admission by one of the world's foremost embryonic stem cell scientists. John Gearhart, who gained international recognition in 1998 when he successfully extracted human pluripotent stem cells from aborted fetal tissue, said at a recent conference: "I am not sure these cells are going to be used in therapies."
Gearhart, director of research for Johns Hopkins University's Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, insisted however that embryonic stem cell research should still be allowed in order to learn how to work with adult stem cells from the patient's own body. Speaking November 14 at the "Human Embryonic Stem Cells: Differentiation and Transplantation" conference convened by the National Human Genome Research Institute, Gearhart said, "I am not sure these (embryonic stem) cells are going to be used in therapies, but we are going to use the information we get out of this research to get the patient's own cells and work with them to get them to do what we want. This is really where I see the future now."
Dr. John Shea, Medical consultant to Campaign Life Coalition Canada told LifeSite that the statement by Gearhart is likely "a covert admission that the promises made of the wonders to come from embryonic stem cells were false and foolish." Dr. Shea explained: "they are probably beginning to face the fact that they will not be able to overcome the rejection problem with embryonic stem cells and that the cloning method they proposed to avoid rejection has been discounted since the vast abnormalities exhibited with cloning." Gearhart's next attempt to justify the controversial embryonic research is to piggy-back on the real promise of ethical adult stem cell research, says Dr. Shea. "The game is up, and I think they are preparing the public to soften the blow to their ego," concluded Dr. Shea.
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Legislators Seek Abortion-on-Demand for Every State in Mexico
- Video Catches Planned Parenthood Covering Up Statutory Rape
- Kenyan Cardinal Blasts Government Attempt to Legalise Abortion
- Franciscan University Board Member Backs Obama, School Distances Itself
- Democratic Platform Promises, Republican Platform Rejects More Abortion Overseas
- San Francisco Catholic Charities Ends Relationship with the US' "Gayest Adoption Agency"
- US Government Cuts Off Supplies to Marie Stopes International
- Pope Commends Knights of Columbus for their Pro-Life Work
- The 16th International Week of Prayer and Fasting
- Billy Graham to Turn 90: Public Invited to Send Personal Stories, Birthday Wishes
- Catholic Magazine Calls For Defeat And Removal Of Prime Minister Harper
Most Read this Week
- Extreme Pro-Abortion Feminist Heather Mallick Scheduled to Speak at Catholic St. Mary's University
- Sarah Palin Speaks on Abortion, Contraception, Homosexuality
- Martin Sheen Stars in Ad Opposing Assisted Suicide in Washington State
- Abortion Patient of George Tiller Feared for Life: 'They're Liable to Kill Me'
- Bella Star Eduardo Saves Five Unborn Babies' Lives
- CBC Apologises for "Porn Star" Attack on Palin
- Prime Minister Harper: Not Now, Not Ever Will Conservative Government Protect Unborn Children
- Russia: 64% of Pregnancies End in Abortion
- Bishop Soto Crashes National Homosexual Ministries Conference with the Truth: Homosexuality "is Sinful"
- Catholic Magazine Calls For Defeat And Removal Of Prime Minister Harper
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.