Unregulated stem cell therapy in China

[Guest guest]

 

 

I happened to hear the news piece in NPR's " The World " news program on

the stem cell treatments going on in China. They used the analogy of

" the Wild wild West " , I think quite appropriately. Yes, to utilize

technology to recover health is wonderful and incredible. But there is a

serious problem with the essentially uncontrolled, amoral and dangerous

marketing of aborted fetal cells. Without a paper trail as to the

medical history of the mother, the Chinese may be dangling the " Faustian "

bargain of immediate results in front of candidate patients, followed by

tragic longterm consequences. When the engine of progress proceeds full

speed ahead, fueled by greed and desparation, its path can only lead it

to devastating icebergs, indeed a voyage ala The Titanic. A brave new

world, indeed?

 

Yehuda

 

On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 14:21:09 -0700 < writes:

> http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en & lr= & newwindow=1 & q=cache:

> xlC1fwotiAEJ:www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/11/

> 1155.pdf+%22chinese+medicine%22+%22stem+cell%22+

>

> This is a link to a chinese study using an herbal extract plus stem

>

> cells for liver regeneration. Excellent results. could the future

>

> already be here. Its so hard to keep up. Science fiction.

> prediction.

> news. where does one end and the other begin?

>

>

>

>

> Chinese Herbs

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/29/05 2:35:54 PM, writes:

 

 

>

> I happened to hear the news piece in NPR's " The World " news program on

> the stem cell treatments going on in China.  They used the analogy of

> " the Wild wild West " , I think quite appropriately. 

>

 

We also mush remember that NPR is under the influence of the Center for

Science in the Public Interest, a group that provides Consumer Reports with

their

anti-alternative medicine tint, due to pharma money.

DAVE

 

 

 

David Molony

101 Bridge Street

Catasauqua, PA 18032

Phone (610)264-2755

Fax (610) 264-7292

 

**********Confidentiality Notice    **********

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received this information in error, please notify the sender by return

email and delete the electronic transmission, including all attachments from

your system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I agree. for once I'd like to hear you respond to Yehuda's (and

my) concerns. There is a dark side to every bright hope for the

future.

 

 

On Apr 28, 2005, at 2:45 PM, Yehuda L Frischman wrote:

 

>

>

> I happened to hear the news piece in NPR's " The World " news program on

> the stem cell treatments going on in China. They used the analogy of

> " the Wild wild West " , I think quite appropriately. Yes, to utilize

> technology to recover health is wonderful and incredible. But there is

> a

> serious problem with the essentially uncontrolled, amoral and

> dangerous

> marketing of aborted fetal cells. Without a paper trail as to the

> medical history of the mother, the Chinese may be dangling the

> " Faustian "

> bargain of immediate results in front of candidate patients, followed

> by

> tragic longterm consequences. When the engine of progress proceeds

> full

> speed ahead, fueled by greed and desparation, its path can only lead

> it

> to devastating icebergs, indeed a voyage ala The Titanic. A brave new

> world, indeed?

>

> Yehuda

[Guest guest]

Dave,

" The World " is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and

WGBH Boston. Not NPR.It is partially supported by contributions from

Merck but I wouldn't necessarily hold that against them

 

Warren S

 

In , acuman1@a... wrote:

>

> In a message dated 4/29/05 2:35:54 PM, @j... writes:

>

>

> >

> > I happened to hear the news piece in NPR's " The World " news

program on

> > the „0ý3stem„0ý3 „0ý3cell„0ý3 treatments going on in China.? They used the

analogy of

> > " the Wild wild West " , I think quite appropriately.?

> >

>

> We also mush remember that NPR is under the influence of the Center

for

> Science in the Public Interest, a group that provides Consumer

Reports with their

> anti-alternative medicine tint, due to pharma money.

> DAVE

>

>

>

> David Molony

> 101 Bridge Street

> Catasauqua, PA 18032

> Phone (610)264-2755

> Fax (610) 264-7292

>

> **********Confidentiality Notice  ? **********

> This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other

> writings are confidential and are for the sole use of the intended

> recipient(s) identified above.? This message may contain information

> that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from

disclosure

> under applicable law, including the FTC Safeguard Rule and U.S.-EU

Safe

> Harbor Principles.? If you are the intended recipient, you are

> responsible for establishing appropriate safeguards to maintain

data

> integrity and security.? If the receiver of this information is not

the intended

> recipient, or the employee, or agent responsible for

> delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby

> notified that any use, reading, dissemination, distribution,

copying or

> storage of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have

> received this information in error, please notify the sender by

return

> email and delete the electronic transmission, including all

attachments from

> your system.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Z'ev and Yehuda,

There was an interesting follow up on Friday's " The World " which

covered stem cell research in Israel. The link is here:

 

http://www.theworld.org/latesteditions/04/20050429.shtml

 

Apparently, at least according to Rabbi Weiner, Petri dish embryonic

stem cell research is in accordance with Halacha (Jewish law).It is

an interesting debate. Here's a transcription of the installment.

Warren

 

April 29, 2005

 

Religious views play a large role in Israel's stem cell program.

 

Listen now

 

The World's Aaron Schachter concludes our stem cell series by

examining how the Judaic duty to care for the sick trumps ethical

concerns over the rights of embryos created in the laboratory.

 

When Rabbi Yaakov Weiner looks for guidance on the morality about

embryonic stem cell research, he turns to the same place he usually

goes for answers.

 

Rabbi Yaakov Weiner: ¡°From the Bible, the first book of Genesis.¡±

 

Weiner heads the Jerusalem Center for Research in Medicine and

Halacha, or Jewish law. He points to one relevant biblical passage.

 

Rabbi Yaakov Weiner: ¡°Now, Genesis 9, verse 6, goes like this.¡±

(reads in Hebrew)

 

Most modern Bibles translate this verse as a prohibition against

murder. But Orthodox Jewish tradition interprets it specifically as a

prohibition against abortion. Weiner translates the passage as

follows: If someone spills the blood of a human, when this human is

within another human, he gets capital punishment. So, aborting a

fetus violates Jewish law, or Halacha. But if an embryo is created

outside the womb, that¡¯s another matter.

 

Rabbi Yaakov Weiner: ¡°The embryos, which are in the Petri dish,

according to Halacha, have no halachic status and I can either throw

them away or I can use them for medical research.¡±

 

In fact, Weiner says, using embryonic stem cells for medical research

is not just acceptable, it¡¯s encouraged. A Jewish principle

called " pikuach nefesh " mandates that people do all they can to save

human life, and that includes medical research that could one day

lead to cures for disease. Weiner¡¯s decision, along with similar

findings of other rabbis, and Muslim clerics, paved the way for

Israel¡¯s acceptance of embryonic stem cell research.

 

But it¡¯s not as if there was no debate. Professor Shraga Blazer of

the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa chaired a committee that helped to

create Israel¡¯s regulations. He says the original discussions in the

1990¡¯s were ¡°intense¡± but not vitriolic, as in the United States.

That¡¯s partly because of the religious pronouncement, but also,

Blazer says, because doctors promised to police themselves to avoid

ethical pitfalls.

 

Shraga Blazer: ¡°We explained to politicians that the future

treatment will be consisted on the use of embryonic stem cells. And

the benefit is much, much beyond the fear of the slippery slope.¡±

 

Israeli scientists agreed to impose limits on themselves. They can¡¯t

make embryos solely for stem cell research. They can¡¯t clone embryos

for the purpose of creating a human being. And if they want to do

stem cell research they have to go before a committee to get

permission. Karl Skorecki, a medical researcher at Israeli University

Technion, says scientists are also prohibited from paying women for

their eggs to create stem cells.

 

Karl Skorecki: ¡°People have thought ¡®well, wait a minute, we can

actually create an industry here.¡¯ That is against the law, it¡¯s

against halachic principles, it¡¯s against ethical principals because

it potentially endangers the health of women for purposes that are in

the interest of either research or the economy.¡±

 

Skorecki says the fact that Israel tackled these tricky issues nearly

8 years ago allowed the country to get a jump on the rest of the

world in the field of stem cell research.

 

Karl Skorecki: ¡°If you look at published, peer-reviewed research,

which in my opinion is the gold standard or currency of important

research success, Israeli scientists appear in a much higher

percentage than scientists from almost any other country, if not

every other country.¡±

 

Israeli researchers have pioneered the creation of a stem-cell-based

biological pacemaker that could one day replace electronic

pacemakers. They¡¯ve also led the field in research to regenerate

livers using stem cells. And scientists at Hadassah University

Hospital in Jerusalem have learned how to turn embryonic stem cells

into brain cells.

 

The doctors hope one day those cells could help reverse the effects

of Parkinson¡¯s and Alzheimer¡¯s disease. In addition to government-

funded research at Israeli universities, more than half a dozen

private companies do research of their own, and are also regulated by

Israeli law, and guided by the Bible.

 

 

 

In , " "

<zrosenbe@s...> wrote:

> I agree. for once I'd like to hear you respond to Yehuda's

(and

> my) concerns. There is a dark side to every bright hope for the

> future.

>

>

> On Apr 28, 2005, at 2:45 PM, Yehuda L Frischman wrote:

>

> >

> >

> > I happened to hear the news piece in NPR's " The World " news

program on

> > the „0ý3stem„0ý3 „0ý3cell„0ý3 treatments going on in China. They used the

analogy of

> > " the Wild wild West " , I think quite appropriately. Yes, to

utilize

> > technology to recover health is wonderful and incredible. But

there is

> > a

> > serious problem with the essentially uncontrolled, amoral and

> > dangerous

> > marketing of aborted fetal cells. Without a paper trail as to the

> > medical history of the mother, the Chinese may be dangling the

> > " Faustian "

> > bargain of immediate results in front of candidate patients,

followed

> > by

> > tragic longterm consequences. When the engine of progress

proceeds

> > full

> > speed ahead, fueled by greed and desparation, its path can only

lead

> > it

> > to devastating icebergs, indeed a voyage ala The Titanic. A

brave new

> > world, indeed?

> >

> > Yehuda

[Guest guest]

Warren,

This is a very interesting article. Thanks for passing it on to the

list. I learned a lot from it.

 

 

On Apr 30, 2005, at 3:18 PM, wsheir wrote:

 

> Z'ev and Yehuda,

> There was an interesting follow up on Friday's " The World " which

> covered stem cell research in Israel. The link is here:

[Guest guest]

Warren,

 

Thanks for the article. I know Rabbi Weiner very well. He's the real

deal: Very knowledgeable--A perfect example of how a scholar can

integrate the science of halacha, and the halacha of science, without

politics getting in the way.

 

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 22:18:02 -0000 " wsheir " <wsheir writes:

>

> Z'ev and Yehuda,

> There was an interesting follow up on Friday's " The World " which

> covered stem cell research in Israel. The link is here:

>

> http://www.theworld.org/latesteditions/04/20050429.shtml

>

> Apparently, at least according to Rabbi Weiner, Petri dish embryonic

>

> stem cell research is in accordance with Halacha (Jewish law).It is

> an interesting debate. Here's a transcription of the installment.

> Warren

>

> April 29, 2005

>

> Religious views play a large role in Israel's stem cell program.

>

> Listen now

>

> The World's Aaron Schachter concludes our stem cell series by

> examining how the Judaic duty to care for the sick trumps ethical

> concerns over the rights of embryos created in the laboratory.

>

> When Rabbi Yaakov Weiner looks for guidance on the morality about

> embryonic stem cell research, he turns to the same place he usually

> goes for answers.

>

> Rabbi Yaakov Weiner: ¡°From the Bible, the first book of Genesis.¡±

>

> Weiner heads the Jerusalem Center for Research in Medicine and

> Halacha, or Jewish law. He points to one relevant biblical passage.

>

> Rabbi Yaakov Weiner: ¡°Now, Genesis 9, verse 6, goes like this.¡±

> (reads in Hebrew)

>

> Most modern Bibles translate this verse as a prohibition against

> murder. But Orthodox Jewish tradition interprets it specifically as

> a

> prohibition against abortion. Weiner translates the passage as

> follows: If someone spills the blood of a human, when this human is

> within another human, he gets capital punishment. So, aborting a

> fetus violates Jewish law, or Halacha. But if an embryo is created

> outside the womb, that¡¯s another matter.

>

> Rabbi Yaakov Weiner: ¡°The embryos, which are in the Petri dish,

> according to Halacha, have no halachic status and I can either throw

>

> them away or I can use them for medical research.¡±

>

> In fact, Weiner says, using embryonic stem cells for medical

> research

> is not just acceptable, it¡¯s encouraged. A Jewish principle

> called " pikuach nefesh " mandates that people do all they can to save

>

> human life, and that includes medical research that could one day

> lead to cures for disease. Weiner¡¯s decision, along with similar

> findings of other rabbis, and Muslim clerics, paved the way for

> Israel¡¯s acceptance of embryonic stem cell research.

>

> But it¡¯s not as if there was no debate. Professor Shraga Blazer of

> the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa chaired a committee that helped

> to

> create Israel¡¯s regulations. He says the original discussions in

> the

> 1990¡¯s were ¡°intense¡± but not vitriolic, as in the United States.

>

> That¡¯s partly because of the religious pronouncement, but also,

> Blazer says, because doctors promised to police themselves to avoid

> ethical pitfalls.

>

> Shraga Blazer: ¡°We explained to politicians that the future

> treatment will be consisted on the use of embryonic stem cells. And

> the benefit is much, much beyond the fear of the slippery slope.¡±

>

> Israeli scientists agreed to impose limits on themselves. They

> can¡¯t

> make embryos solely for stem cell research. They can¡¯t clone

> embryos

> for the purpose of creating a human being. And if they want to do

> stem cell research they have to go before a committee to get

> permission. Karl Skorecki, a medical researcher at Israeli

> University

> Technion, says scientists are also prohibited from paying women for

> their eggs to create stem cells.

>

> Karl Skorecki: ¡°People have thought ¡®well, wait a minute, we can

> actually create an industry here.¡¯ That is against the law, it¡¯s

> against halachic principles, it¡¯s against ethical principals

> because

> it potentially endangers the health of women for purposes that are

> in

> the interest of either research or the economy.¡±

>

> Skorecki says the fact that Israel tackled these tricky issues

> nearly

> 8 years ago allowed the country to get a jump on the rest of the

> world in the field of stem cell research.

>

> Karl Skorecki: ¡°If you look at published, peer-reviewed research,

> which in my opinion is the gold standard or currency of important

> research success, Israeli scientists appear in a much higher

> percentage than scientists from almost any other country, if not

> every other country.¡±

>

> Israeli researchers have pioneered the creation of a stem-cell-based

>

> biological pacemaker that could one day replace electronic

> pacemakers. They¡¯ve also led the field in research to regenerate

> livers using stem cells. And scientists at Hadassah University

> Hospital in Jerusalem have learned how to turn embryonic stem cells

> into brain cells.

>

> The doctors hope one day those cells could help reverse the effects

> of Parkinson¡¯s and Alzheimer¡¯s disease. In addition to government-

> funded research at Israeli universities, more than half a dozen

> private companies do research of their own, and are also regulated

> by

> Israeli law, and guided by the Bible.

>

>

>

> In , " "

> <zrosenbe@s...> wrote:

> > I agree. for once I'd like to hear you respond to Yehuda's

> (and

> > my) concerns. There is a dark side to every bright hope for the

> > future.

> >

> >

> > On Apr 28, 2005, at 2:45 PM, Yehuda L Frischman wrote:

> >

> > >

> > >

> > > I happened to hear the news piece in NPR's " The World " news

> program on

> > > the „0ý3stem„0ý3 „0ý3cell„0ý3 treatments going on in China.

> They used the

> analogy of

> > > " the Wild wild West " , I think quite appropriately. Yes, to

> utilize

> > > technology to recover health is wonderful and incredible. But

> there is

> > > a

> > > serious problem with the essentially uncontrolled, amoral and

> > > dangerous

> > > marketing of aborted fetal cells. Without a paper trail as to

> the

> > > medical history of the mother, the Chinese may be dangling the

> > > " Faustian "

> > > bargain of immediate results in front of candidate patients,

> followed

> > > by

> > > tragic longterm consequences. When the engine of progress

> proceeds

> > > full

> > > speed ahead, fueled by greed and desparation, its path can

> only

> lead

> > > it

> > > to devastating icebergs, indeed a voyage ala The Titanic. A

> brave new

> > > world, indeed?

> > >

> > > Yehuda

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

regardless of the sponsors, the rule of them in journalism is just

disclose. but in any event, I doublechecked key facts such as the

confucian position on when life begins with independent sources and it

is verified.

 

On Apr 30, 2005, at 3:02 PM, wsheir wrote:

 

>

> Dave,

> " The World " is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and

> WGBH Boston. Not NPR.It is partially supported by contributions from

> Merck but I wouldn't necessarily hold that against them

>

> Warren S

>

> In , acuman1@a... wrote:

>>

>> In a message dated 4/29/05 2:35:54 PM, @j... writes:

>>

>>

>>>

>>> I happened to hear the news piece in NPR's " The World " news

> program on

>>> the „0ý3stem„0ý3 „0ý3cell„0ý3 treatments going on in China.? They

>>> used the

> analogy of

>>> " the Wild wild West " , I think quite appropriately.?

>>>

>>

>> We also mush remember that NPR is under the influence of the Center

> for

>> Science in the Public Interest, a group that provides Consumer

> Reports with their

>> anti-alternative medicine tint, due to pharma money.

>> DAVE

>>

>>

>>

>> David Molony

>> 101 Bridge Street

>> Catasauqua, PA 18032

>> Phone (610)264-2755

>> Fax (610) 264-7292

>>

>> **********Confidentiality Notice  ? **********

>> This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other

>> writings are confidential and are for the sole use of the intended

>> recipient(s) identified above.? This message may contain information

>> that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from

> disclosure

>> under applicable law, including the FTC Safeguard Rule and U.S.-EU

> Safe

>> Harbor Principles.? If you are the intended recipient, you are

>> responsible for establishing appropriate safeguards to maintain

> data

>> integrity and security.? If the receiver of this information is not

> the intended

>> recipient, or the employee, or agent responsible for

>> delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby

>> notified that any use, reading, dissemination, distribution,

> copying or

>> storage of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have

>> received this information in error, please notify the sender by

> return

>> email and delete the electronic transmission, including all

> attachments from

>> your system.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>