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A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 2, 2000
The Clinton administration took the right step in opening the door to federally funded research on human embryos. Given its potential in fighting paralysis, diabetes and a host of common degenerative diseases, such research is inarguably in the public interest. At the same time, the federal government has a role to play in developing and enforcing ethical guidelines for stem-cell research.
For the first time, under new rules issued by the National Institutes of Health, federal money will be available for scientists to study human embryonic stem cells. In an attempt to blunt criticism from opponents who view the research as experimentation on human life, the NIH will require that the cells be drawn from frozen embryos left over at fertility clinics and already slated for destruction. To circumvent a congressional funding ban, the rules require federal researchers to obtain the cells from middlemen in the private sector rather than extract the cells themselves.
The new guidelines will further the work of scientists trying to stop the human suffering caused by multiple sclerosis, organ failure, brain and spinal cord injury and a range of chronic diseases, from Alzheimer's to Parkinson's. The hope is that the cells can be made into regenerative tissue, or even grown into organs for transplant. Millions of Americans would stand to benefit from such a breakthrough in medical science. Any discussion of the morality of stem research must acknowledge those potential benefits.
Still, while the rules provide a legal foundation for the Clinton administration and for federal researchers, the guidelines still leave intact moral concerns that trouble millions of Americans. Mindful of those legitimate concerns, the NIH has reached out to ethicists, patients groups and others beyond the scientific and legal communities. The protocols are strong enough to provide some reassurance that the research will proceed responsibly. Donors will not be paid and cannot specify where the stem cells go. By requiring frozen embryos, the government will help dissuade donors from creating an embryo market for research. The NIH also has plans to screen applications for research grants, and scientists' work will be subject to peer review.
The government struck a thoughtful balance between the potential ethical concerns and practical benefits of research on unwanted embryos. Close monitoring will be required to guard against any ethical breaches. However, this research on the edges of the medical frontier is being driven by the moral imperative to relieve the widespread pain and heartache caused by diseases that have withstood more conventional medical attacks.