"The American Heart Association's endorsement of using embryonic stem cells is gravely unethical," said Father Joseph Howard, director of the American Bioethics Advisory Commission. "Not only is it unethical, but it is unnecessary."
Father Howard warned reporters and editors to beware of false information circulating in the media that insists stem cells from embryos are needed for research. A June 23 Associated Press article incorrectly claimed that embryonic stem cells "are the only ones that can grow into any tissue in the body."
"It is well known that various adult organs contain stem cells that could be isolated and manipulated into various types of different cells-which should not in principal be unethical," said Father Howard, citing an ethical study of placental stem cells introduced into the bone marrow of patients.
"Every time stem cells are obtained from a human embryo, the inner cell mass is destroyed, along with an innocent human person. There is no ethical way to obtain stem cells from a human embryo and there are no exceptions to this statement," he said.
Father Howard urged the medical community to base ethical analyses of stem cell research on scientific fact. He also urged the media to present accurate information to the general public as the ethical debate over stem cell research moves to the fore.
"It is unfortunate that misinformation from those who support abortion is already so prominent," he said.
