hu Mice?
I wonder how many people are aware of the existence of chimeras? A chimera is a combination human/animal. The name comes from Greek mythology. The Greek version was a combination of a lion, a goat, and a serpent. Modern day chimeras combine humans with other species.
For example, the "hu mouse" is a mouse with a human immune system. It's created when human fetal tissue -- spleen, liver, thymus, lymph node -- is transplanted into a mouse. This isn't science fiction, the first hu mice were created in 1988. A company called Stem Cells, Inc., of Palo Alto, CA, has created hundreds of mice with human brain cells.
Where will they draw the line?
Of course, amendment 2 clearly prohibits this kind of experimentation, doesn't it? Well, no it doesn't. The only thing it prohibits is implanting a cloned embryo in a uterus for the purpose of creating a human fetus or a human being. (sec 6(2)). Clearly a hu mouse, or a hu chicken, or a hu chimpanzee is not a human being.
Amendment 2 also requires that stem cell researchers provide an annual report to the Secretary of State on their activities. Of course, the report "shall not contain private or confidential medical, scientific, or other information." (sec 4). Section 6 (10) lists the items that are considered "private or confidential", which is basically everything except the lab's address and phone number.
But, isn't there an "institutional review board" to keep an eye on the researchers? Yes, there is. It would be made up of their fellow experimenters. The amendment ensures that state and local government will have no oversight over the industry.
This is the same industry that gave us Korea's Hwang Woo Suk, who falsified the results of his experiments and California's Advanced Cell Technology, who recently reported that they had developed a means for extracting embryonic stem cells without killing the embryo. The report sent their stock price from less than 50 cents to nearly $2.00 in one day. They later admitted that all the embryos involved had actually died.
No one is opposed to ethical stem cell research. No one is opposed to finding treatments and cures. Everyone should be opposed to any industry having the kind of constitutional protection that amendment 2 will provide to the Stowerses and their friends. There are too many ethical and moral questions that haven't been answered. If amendment 2 becomes part of our state constitution, they never will be.
For example, the "hu mouse" is a mouse with a human immune system. It's created when human fetal tissue -- spleen, liver, thymus, lymph node -- is transplanted into a mouse. This isn't science fiction, the first hu mice were created in 1988. A company called Stem Cells, Inc., of Palo Alto, CA, has created hundreds of mice with human brain cells.
Where will they draw the line?
Of course, amendment 2 clearly prohibits this kind of experimentation, doesn't it? Well, no it doesn't. The only thing it prohibits is implanting a cloned embryo in a uterus for the purpose of creating a human fetus or a human being. (sec 6(2)). Clearly a hu mouse, or a hu chicken, or a hu chimpanzee is not a human being.
Amendment 2 also requires that stem cell researchers provide an annual report to the Secretary of State on their activities. Of course, the report "shall not contain private or confidential medical, scientific, or other information." (sec 4). Section 6 (10) lists the items that are considered "private or confidential", which is basically everything except the lab's address and phone number.
But, isn't there an "institutional review board" to keep an eye on the researchers? Yes, there is. It would be made up of their fellow experimenters. The amendment ensures that state and local government will have no oversight over the industry.
This is the same industry that gave us Korea's Hwang Woo Suk, who falsified the results of his experiments and California's Advanced Cell Technology, who recently reported that they had developed a means for extracting embryonic stem cells without killing the embryo. The report sent their stock price from less than 50 cents to nearly $2.00 in one day. They later admitted that all the embryos involved had actually died.
No one is opposed to ethical stem cell research. No one is opposed to finding treatments and cures. Everyone should be opposed to any industry having the kind of constitutional protection that amendment 2 will provide to the Stowerses and their friends. There are too many ethical and moral questions that haven't been answered. If amendment 2 becomes part of our state constitution, they never will be.
posted by Mike at 1:00 PM
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