by Bishop John R. Gaydos, Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri

His name is still unfamiliar to most of us, but the message which he shared instantaneously with all of humanity, courtesy of the World Wide Web, was jarring. Earlier last year Doctor Hwang Woo-Suk of South Korea and two other medical scholars produced a paper elaborating their successful establishment of eleven stem cell lines from human eggs. From my unscientific background, the accounts of the procedure seemed to mirror the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) at the heart of the controversial efforts to amend our Missouri State Constitution. And the fact that Doctor Hwang was credited several years earlier with the first successful cloning of a dog gave credence both to his ability and learning.

Before Christmas the news came out that important parts of his research paper, which had been published in the journal Science, had been fabricated. One of his own collaborators was quoted by Reuters as admitting that nine of the eleven stem cell lines were fabricated and the remaining two lines were also questionable.

The object of this research was to establish a procedure to obtain tailor made stem cells that could be used specifically for an individual to cure just about every possible attack on his/her human organism. As we know from the drama of looking for compatible organ donors, the body has an elaborate rejection system and is only completely compatible with its genetic duplicate. The method into which they are looking, SCNT, is cloning which generates a viable human life, but that embryo has to be killed in order to use its embryonic stem cells which would be perfectly suited to that one individual.

It seems to me that the sensational information contained in Dr. Hwang’s now repudiated study may have prodded the feverish efforts of Missouri Coalition for Life-Saving Cures to launch the initiative petition to amend the Missouri Constitution. Perhaps they feared that Missouri would be left in the wake as this fast-developing panacea began to open up.

The facts still seem even more to support the wisdom of the approach of the opponents of these unethical procedures. Practical applications of readily obtainable adult stem cells are already showing benefits and need to be more widely exploited. The use of adult stem cells is both ethical and productive. Groups like Missouri Coalition for Life-Saving Cures would rather squander valuable economic resources of our tax dollars for SCNT research which is not only unethical but could end up with absolutely no concrete practical applications after decades and decades of dubious research.

One item in this whole controversy that goes unmentioned is just how the thousands and thousands of human eggs necessary for research would be obtained. Even before the news about the falsified research, Dr. Hwang was compelled to apologize to two junior women researchers who had donated eggs to this project. Even though many in the scientific community seem intrigued by the possibility of embryonic stem cell research, it was reported that the international scientific community frowns on donations by researchers because of possible coercion. Should this whole project go forward, one wonders what mechanism would be set up to keep a steady supply of material – something like a local Red Cross blood drive?

This month we are once again going to be recalling the January 22 anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision effectively striking down the laws in our country that protected unborn humans. If you want to assist in the struggle to protect human life, I invite you to keep informed and alert. A valuable source of up to date information can be found at the web site for a group called “Do No Harm: the Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics.” They can be accessed on (www.stemcellresearch.org).

As you read this “Visit” I will be on my annual retreat with the Bishops of our Region. I will be praying for all of you as I continue to rely on the abiding support of your prayer for me.