Our People

Medical Research: killing human life is not required

Statement on Stem Cell Research

By Most Rev. Julian Porteous
Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney
27/9/2006

This statement concerns the forthcoming conscience vote on amendments to the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 and Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002.

The Catholic Church through its institutions and the many professionals, who are believers, makes a substantial contribution to healthcare and medical research in Australia. I am very aware of the significant work of the Church in these areas; indeed I am grateful for the contribution that many Australians make to the health of the community.

Yet together with other Christians, as well as many other non-religious people, I firmly believe that medical research needs to be conducted within ethical limits, and specifically, that,

In medical research on human subjects, considerations related to the well-being of the human subject should take precedence over the interest of science and society.

World Medical Association, Declaration of Helsinki, 2000.

The human embryo is a human subject. Irrespective of attempts to conceal the humanity of the embryo through the use of misleading language, honest scientists all agree that the human embryo, including an embryo created by cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer) is not ‘just a bunch of cells’ but a complete, though immature, human being.  As human beings, human embryos should be treated with respect for their human dignity and their basic human rights should be observed. Sound research ethics therefore concludes that the creation and/or destruction of human embryos for experimental, commercial or therapeutic uses is gravely unethical.
 
While respecting human life and rights is a duty of every individual—including research scientists—protecting human life and rights is especially a duty of the state and an irreplaceable condition for ensuring the common good of all.  I note with deep regret that federal and state parliaments already endorse the deliberate killing of embryonic human beings for research. Now, however, I am deeply concerned about legislative proposals which would widen the class of ‘scientifically expendable’ humans. 

Current proposals to extend experimentation with and upon early human life, by creating research embryos through IVF, cloning, or the mixing of human and animal material radically undermine respect for human life and dignity. As well as causing personal harm and ultimately death to the human embryos, this research would be deeply corrupting of our medical and research institutions and professionals, and weaken societal attitudes of human equality, integrity and care for the vulnerable.

Thankfully, there are ethical and practical alternatives to human embryo cloning and embryo research.  I understand that there are already over 80 therapies and around 300 clinical trials underway using adult stem cells. (Nature Biotechnology Vol 23 No 7 July 2005.)  The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney has been pleased to offer significant financial support for adult stem research.  A $50,000 grant was made to a research team at Griffith University, Queensland, who have already achieved worldwide recognition for work which shows that adult stem cells from the lining of the human nose are able to give rise to new nerve, glial, liver, heart, kidney and muscle cells. They are currently deriving disease-specific stem cells from patients for the study of neurological diseases. A further research grant of $100,000 was made in 2005 to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne for research into the use of adult stem cells to restore the skin of patients who have sustained severe injuries as a result of fires, bombomb blasts or accidents.

In conclusion, I believe that any expansion of destructive human embryo research, including the creation of embryos solely for research purposes, would be highly unethical, as well as scientifically unnecessary. There are, however, ethical and practical alternatives to human embryo research which deserve support.

Most Rev Julian Porteous, DD VG
Auxiliary Bishop
Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney