Position Paper / European Policy
CF Statement to European
Parliament, Temp Cttee on Human Genetics Comment
on the EP Parliament resolution on “Human Cloning”
Research in stem cells could revolutionise
and improve the way new drugs and tests are developed particularly as regards safety and
efficacy – and will greatly affect all areas of medical treatment for the benefit of
European patients. One of the great potentials in embryonic
stem cells is the possibility to develop cells and tissues, which can be used in organ
transplantation. Today, donated organs are often used but the number of patients in need
of organ transplantation far exceeds
available donated organs. Thus, a succesful
research in and development of stem cell based treatment will benefit millions of
patients. Stem cells stimulated to develop into
specialised cells offer an inexhaustible source of replacement cells and –tissues. Alone or in combination with gene therapy the
potential is to develop improved treatments of hitherto incurable disorders such as:
Parkinson, Alzheimer, diabetes, liver disorders, cancer, osteoporosis, visual impairment
disorders, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis etc. Without research and development this
potential will never be realized.
Early stem cell trials on patients with Parkinson were
performed using cells from pig foetuses, and the so-called Alberta Protocol includes the
administration to diabetic patients of a solution of islet cells derived from pancreas
from corpses. These sources are in no way optimal neither technologically nor ethically. We, as patients, believe that this research should take
place using the best possible cells with the highest possible level of stability and
safety: human embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are at the origin of more than
200 cell types in our fully developed body. They can be divided and multiplied endlessly
in laboratories and they can be modified into any cell type needed by patients. Embryonic
stem cells can be harvested from fertilized eggs unused after in vitro fertilization
(IVF). They can also be In the long view it may be possible to harvest stem cells
from adults. Up to now, however, it has only been possible to make them grow into a small
number of cell types, and it has also been found that cells derived from adult stem cells
are not stable because they spontaneously revert to the original cell type. For that
reason The Royal Academy (UK) is of the opinion that research here and now should be based
on embryonic stem cells in order to avoid that medical progress is delayed unnecessarily. As patients with severe disorders we see the present
regulation of stem cell research as extremely important for the cure of the generation of
the future suffering from our disorders. Therefore, we urge the European politicians
to create the optimal framework for stem cell research both in terms of legislation and
funding oportunities. We call for a common European regulation, on line with the
recommendations described by the English group of experts chaired by Professor Liam
Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, in their report “Stem Cell Research: Medical
Progress with Responsibility”, Department of Health, June 2000, and adopted by the
Britsh Parliament in December 2000.
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