Washington, D.C. (05 October 2010) – While the head of the Christian Medical Association (CMA) is touting new induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research as “terrific news” and an ethical alternative to human embryonic stem cell research, American Life League president Judie Brown reminded pro-lifers that Derrick J. Rossi’s celebrated research used aborted fetal and embryonic stem cells.
“There is nothing ‘terrific’ about this,” said Brown, a three-term member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, the group that advises the pope on questions pertaining to the sanctity of life. “We who work to defend the preborn are obliged to condemn this research because it involves the same intrinsic evil as embryonic stem cell research – namely, experimenting with and profiteering from the body parts of murdered human beings.”
CMA CEO Dr. David Stevens told EWTN News today that the latest iPS cell technique was morally acceptable. What news reports have failed to mention is that Rossi and his team used the MRC-5 and Detroit 551 aborted fetal cell lines, as well as the H1 and H9 human embryonic stem cell lines.
American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- EWTN News: New stem cell technique shows ethical alternative to human embryonic cells, CMA head says (05 October 2010) http://www.ewtnnews.com/new.php?id=1844
- LifeSiteNews: Bioethics Expert Advises Caution for Pro-life Endorsement of iPS Stem Cell Breakthrough (09 March 2009) http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09031101.html
- Children of God for Life: Why Are We Celebrating Reprogamming of Adult Stem Cells? http://www.cogforlife.org/reprogramandethics.htm
- Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute: “What Can Embryonic Stem Cells Provide that Reprogrammed Adult Cells Cannot? A Need for Embryos: A Means for Reproductive Cloning”
http://www.soundchoice.org/Images/March_2009_hESC_and_iPSC__U_S__Vaccine_compliance_Crisis.pdf
# # #
