Ron Reagan, Jr., son of the former president, is scheduled to speak at the

Democratic National Convention this summer concerning stem cell research,

something he believes could lead to the cure of diseases like Alzheimer's,

which afflicted his father.

Thanks in part to the Reagan family, the issue of stem cell research has

found its way back into the limelight. It was front page news in 2001 when

President Bush severely limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research,

citing ethical issues.

Proponents of stem cell research believe it holds great promise. Opponents

believe it threatens the sanctity of human life.

I'm certainly no expert on the issue, but I have researched enough

to form an opinion. I thought it was worth sharing.

Let me begin with some explanation. A stem cell is a cell in the body that

has the potential to develop into different types of cells. Our bodies contain

stem cells from the very beginning. When we are the tiniest of embryos, immediately

after conception, our stem cells began dividing and developing into different

types of cells. A stem cell may develop into a brain cell, a blood cell,

or any other of the 210 different cell types in the body. You might think

of stem cells as the building blocks for our bodies.

Even as adults we continue to have stem cells that our bodies use to repair

and maintain themselves. For example, as adults our stem cells are constantly

replenishing our skin (because we lose thousands of skin cells daily that

need replaced), stem cells replenish the linings of our stomachs, and they

replenish our blood cells.

Medical researchers are attracted to stem cells because of their versatility.

If we could figure out how to coax stem cells into becoming the kinds of

cells we need to battle certain diseases, they hold great promise. For example,

if we can make a stem cell become a heart cell, we can use that new heart

cell to cure heart disease. If we can make a stem cell become a spine cell,

we could cure someone like Christopher Reeves of his spinal injury. If we

could make a stem cell become a certain brain cell we could repair the diseased

part of the brain of someone with Parkinson's, like Michael J. Fox,

or we could repair the brain of someone with Alzheimer's, like Ronald

Reagan. The possibilities are endless.

Please realize all this is speculative. Scientists hope stem cells could

be manipulated to do such things. But, obviously, it's a fantastic possibility

to consider.

The moral dilemma comes in, however, when we understand how stem cells are

harvested. How do you get a stem cell out of a person so that you can use

it to heal another person?

You'll remember that stem cells are found in both human embryos and

adults.

Scientists can harvest embryonic stem cells from babies who have been aborted,

from unused embryos that were created through in vitro fertilization but

were never implanted into a mother, or from a cloning technique scientists

are experimenting with.

In each of these cases an embryo is created, then destroyed. If you believe,

like I do, that human life begins at conception, embryonic stem cell research

is morally unacceptable, regardless what such research promises. The ends,

though they're certainly admirable ends, do not justify the means. Sacrificing

one human life to benefit another human life is ethically unjustifiable.

However even if you do not believe, like I do, that human life begins at

conception, please keep reading. There is another, equally viable, option.

Stem cells can also be harvested from adults. Scientists can obtain stem

cells from such places as bone marrow, placenta, or blood taken from an umbilical

cord, all without damaging the life of that adult. And, a growing body of

research indicates adult stem cells are just as versatile, and hold just

as much promise, as stem cells harvested while destroying embryos.

New Scientist magazine published an article reporting that University of

Minnesota researchers have discovered that stem cells taken from the bone

marrow of adults can do everything embryonic stem cells can do. They can

be turned into muscle, bone, liver, or brain cells, any of the 210 types

of tissue in the body.

It's also important to note that adult stem cells have been used for

several years. For example, leukemia patients often obtain adult stem cells

through bone marrow transplants. Other cancer patients sometimes receive

their own "cleansed" stem cells after chemotherapy. Adult stem

cells have a proven record.

In contrast, any benefit from embryonic stem cells is still speculative;

no benefit has ever been proven. Dr. Ben Mitchell from The Council for Biotechnical

Policy of the Wilberforce Forum concludes, "There is now no possible

justification for destroying human embryos for their cells."

So where does all this leave us? Stem cell research is an exciting development

in science and medicine. It has the potential to help a lot of hurting people.

And, stem cells can be harvested from adults without destroying human embryos.

Why, then, even debate the issue? Why not simply harvest stem cells from

adults? Why destroy human embryos, especially when there is another, equally

viable, option?

I believe stem cell research is an exciting, potentially world-changing

endeavor. I'm all for it. I do oppose, however, embryonic stem cell

research. All human beings, no matter how small or how young, deserve the

chance to live.

So let's not destroy embryos. But let's do encourage researching

the possibilities of adult stem cells, through which no embryo is harmed,

and through which hurting people might be helped.