Riverside, Calif., November, 2001 -- A symposium discussing the hotly-debated scientific and ethical questions arising from stem cell research was presented at La Sierra University on November 28 by a Christian ethicist and a physician on the front lines of stem cell research.

The presenters were Mark F. Carr, who holds a BA in Theology, and PhD in Religion and Bioethics, who teaches on the Faculty of Religion at Loma Linda University and resides as co-director for the Loma Linda University Center for Christian Bioethics; and Kenneth I. Weinberg, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California.

Weinberg's speech entitled, "Implications of Stem Cell Plasticity," focused on the scientific aspects of stem cell research. His research interests focus on immune deficiencies, gene therapy, marrow transplants etc., more recently he's added the development of muscle cells from stem cells to his research list.

Many potential uses of ES cells (embryonic stem cells),exist; ES cells as experimental tools; therapeutic cloning, which takes a person’s genetic makeup to produce new tissue such as skin, bone marrow or even body parts; and lastly, the most controversial – reproductive cloning, which incorporates a person’s genetic matter to form another being. Reproductive cloning has been taking place for thousands of years in plant propagation, but only recently in animals.

The cloning of Dolly, the infamous Scottish sheep and first mammal to be cloned (from the skin cells of another sheep), sparked a number of issues in the future of cloning worldwide.

According to Weinberg, there are many kinds of stem cell politics. These are communicated and debated in the scientific disciplines and in the media, even the entertainment media. Though it's science fiction, the movie Blade Runner demonstrates issues of reproductive cloning. Weinberg said of the movie, "… the chord it strikes in my heart is all my fears about cloning."

In the United States, restrictions on both therapeutic and reproductive cloning exist as ethical questions are batted back and forth between Capitol Hill and scientists. Currently the United States scientific and medical communities are prevented by the Welden Bill from performing reproductive or even therapeutic cloning.

According to Carr, there are several key ethical issues in cloning: the moral status of creating by cloning method, creating a human entity to destroy it (if in research), and whether therapeutic cloning will facilitate the way to reproductive cloning.

Principles in bioethics are not usually "absolute," hence there are many open-ended questions and even more possible answers. Even seemingly small issues such as the cells’ origin has countless angles. Is cloned tissue from skin really more acceptable since it won't become a baby, as cells used in reproductive cloning do?

Other issues Carr mentioned, such as, what to do with the frozen embryos? And should they be frozen in the first place? When is it okay to "terminate" the embryos? At what point do embryonic cells become a baby? Is it at the point when the sperm enters the egg or not until the embryo is formed? Or is it the point of "ensoulment," when Christians believe a fetus or baby receives its soul from God.

And the ultimate in cloning: should childless couples who can't have children by other methods be allowed to use reproductive cloning because of their basic human right to reproduce?

These and other issues are keeping the Weldon Bill a hotly debated item on Capitol Hill and in scientific circles. What answers will there be to the open-ended questions on stem cell research?

The symposium, attended by hundreds of students, University administrators, and guests, was sponsored by La Sierra University departments of chemistry, biochemistry, biology, history, politics and society, the office of the president, and the College of Arts and Sciences.

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by Kandi White