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Source: Associated Press; March 22,
2003
Florida University Begins Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Jacksonville, FL -- Florida Atlantic University soon will begin
doing research using human embryonic stem cells,a practice strongly
opposed by pro-life advocates because it involves the destruction
of human embryos.
FAU says it is signing a licensing agreement to acquire the cells
from an affiliate of the University of Wisconsin, one of four entities
approved to supply the material to research labs.
"We're a month or two away from really starting our research in
earnest," said Larry Lemanski, a stem-cell scientist and FAU's vice
president for research. "We are going to do this, and we think it
will work."
At the University of Miami, researchers recently began working with
embryonic cells at the Diabetes Research Institute and the Miami
Project to Cure Paralysis.
Embryonic stem cells are derived from killing 5- to 10-day-old embryos
made in fertility labs to implant in prospective mothers. Pro-life
groups equate harvesting embryos with taking a human life and support
the use of adult stem cell research -- which comes from a larger
number of sources and has already proven more effective in clinical
trials.
Lemanski said an FAU biomedical team in the division of research
and graduate studies will attempt to coax embryonic cells to grow
into heart muscle, mainly as a comparison to its ongoing research
to grow tissue from adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are easily
harvested from the patient's own bone marrow and other areas.
Don Kazimir, director of the Respect Life Office for the Catholic
Diocese of Palm Beach, expressed dismay at the research.
"When you do research on an embryo, which is an early human being,
you are
essentially ending a life. That's immoral," Kazimir said. "Why can't
they just keep working on the adult stem cells?"
FAU researchers have been working with adult and animal stem cells
for about two years, and have successfully produced beating heart
tissue from hamster and rat stem cells, Lemanski said.
The new research initially is being funded by the university, but
FAU is in the running for a $6 million grant from Congress and will
apply for federal research grants, he said.
ACTION: Contact Florida Atlantic University
to express your opinion on their research involving the destruction
of human life. You can reach the university at: Board
of Trustees
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991
webmaster@fau.edu
Also, contact Larry Lemanski at lemanski@fau.edu
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