In Theory: Scientists may soon be able to engineer organs. What does religion have to say about that?

Scientist have begun to bring together stem cells that reorganize themselves to form ebryo-like structures. It won’t be long before they’ll be able to engineer different kinds of tissues and organs — perhaps even features of mature humans, according to Carol Zimmer of the New York Times.

That means now is the time to start thinking about rules and ethics of these synthetic embryos, or SHEEFs, according to a report by Harvard Medical School researchers.

There are the benefits: A SHEEF made up of a heart connected to a rudimentary brain can teach scientists about how nerves control heartbeats, Zimmer writes.

Join the conversation on Facebook »

But Dr. John D. Aach said before scientists get too far ahead, there should be some established rules. For example, SHEEFs should never be created to feel pain.

Q. How does your faith help you weigh the benefits and ethical gray areas of stem-cell engineering?

My faith teaches me that humans are unique among all other creations in the universe, the only beings created in the image of God. As the Psalmist exclaims, “For You [God] formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:13-14).

Scripture gives credit to God for our conception and development. We are obligated to give thanks and acknowledgment to God for our existence. Scripture teaches that humans have eternal souls that will live in either Heaven or the Lake of Fire after the cessation of the body’s functions. It even teaches us that God had plans for our lives before the creation of the universe: “[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4).

The Book of Genesis teaches that plants and animals beget offspring “after their kind.” That is, like begets like. Dandelions beget dandelions, storks beget storks and humans beget humans. To date, the only way to beget humans has been the way God established from the beginning, when sperm meets egg (whether in the uterus or in a test tube).

I understand that there’s no solid evidence that a human has ever been cloned. I don’t have an issue with the artificial growth of an organ or another body part. But I don’t think that the artificial creation of an entire functioning human body (if it’s ever possible) could create a soul.

At any rate, we must take extreme caution in proceeding with this research. It would be way too easy to rationalize experimentation on a “real” human if experimentation on a “synthetic” human ever becomes possible and acceptable.

Pastor Jon Barta
Burbank

..

“Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.” I think Albert Einstein’s appraisal of what is required of those pursuing the outer limits of human knowledge holds true more than ever. As research takes us to intellectual heights that heretofore have been the realm of science fiction, our existing ethical, regulatory and legal systems are being outdistanced by new discoveries. While researchers are bringing in the SHEEFs, it is essential to develop, fund and enforce ethical codes which can ensure that the essence of the Hippocratic oath, do no harm, is applied to the application of new processes and technologies.

The historical record on ethics in science is mixed. As with all human endeavors the temptation for personal gain has often trumped humane considerations. Oprah Winfrey’s production of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” soon to be broadcast on HBO, will bring to life Rebecca Skloot’s bestseller about the cell line derived from the cancerous tumor of a patient without her knowledge or permission. The story of Lacks, an African-American woman of humble means, is a prime example of how issues of race, class and gender combined to benefit science through the exploitation of Ms. Lacks and her family. Ms. Winfrey’s effort is a good example of how to foster popular education on this complex subject.

I hope that we can cultivate character in our scientists sufficient to the challenge, so that we can come rejoicing in positive scientific achievements for health and life, rather than needing to repel a morally unmoored science organized primarily for financial profit rather than social benefit.

David L. Hostetter, Ph.D.
Vice President, Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills
La Crescenta

..

Humans must use our highly evolved, or (as some would say) divinely created, big brains to determine where the ethical lines should be drawn as stem cell engineering advances. I have faith that science’s endless questioning will focus on this problem and can solve it. Indeed Dr. Aach’s report is part of that process.

He says, “We’re going to have to get a lot of input from a lot of quarters,” which is what science does. Carl Zimmer’s March 21st New York Times reporting on the eLife stem cell article quotes a Harvard historian of science who expresses optimist that experts can draw on regulations already laid down for related areas of research, including cloning, and human and animal tissue studies.

Those of us who lack a science background can contribute our common sense. For instance, another scientist’s explanation of a SHEEF is “a collection of neurons connected to other tissues in a dish.” I believe that consciousness cannot be present in such a structure, and without consciousness there is no experience of pain.

The full definition for which SHEEF is an acronym is “synthetic human entities with embryo-like features.” I believe we need to bear in mind what SHEEFs are and what they are not as we go forward; shorthand such as “synthetic embryos” needs context if we are to have a useful and honest discussion.

Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose

..

This is a terribly heavy subject to answer in brief and without full knowledge, but from my Christian perspective, a few thoughts come to mind that I’ll venture to share.

First, I am not opposed to stem-cell research when the cells are collected from adults or from umbilical cords. There are plenty of those to go around and nobody kills an unborn child to get them.

Secondly, since no conception between a sperm and ovum occurs, it seems to me that what we are talking about are merely soulless parts; alive yes, but only in the sense that cells are functioning as created, yet without a personal resident.

Imagine making fresh human hearts for perfect transplantation rather than our current use of pig valves. I had a Baptist colleague who got those, and afterward he would joke that he was no longer kosher, as he was also Jewish. I’m sure many of his relatives already thought that was the case. But should Christ’s Second Coming be yet another thousand years, we may see the day where stem-cell scientists can manufacture whole human bodies in their laboratories.

The movie “Avatar” comes to mind, where soulless, manufactured forms float quietly awaiting human “possession.” It’s a wild idea, but I don’t know that it’s unethical, biblically speaking. And whether something so advanced, or something so currently rudimentary should be made devoid of pain receptors, I think rather senseless. If it’s just reactive cells, it would be akin to pulling a flower off a plant. If it were a full body, it would need them for self-preservation.

Now, here’s a fly in the ointment, and especially for Easter. Jesus was born of a virgin. This was a miracle, and God can do those. Many deny this truth and posit instead a peculiarity of nature that occurs in some animals called “parthenogenesis.” It’s where an offspring is reproduced aesexually, and no “father” is required. If this could happen in human beings, the child would be fully human, and virgin-born. However, in creatures that have exhibited such cases, the offspring is always female, as no male chromosome is contributed to the mix. So even if by some fluke Mary was that one case in a bazillion, it would still have been a miracle that she had a son. This is why we mustn’t change verses of Scripture to neutralize the gender of our Savior, and why we have to understand that his birth was divinely wrought for his eventual sacrifice and subsequent resurrection. Easter, then, is the culmination of Christmas.

Now, if researchers go beyond stem-cells and use whole eggs to tinker and toy, then we have a problem, because then we are not talking just about malleable cells, but parthenogenic material, and therefore human being. Think on this while you watch your children collect Easter eggs this coming Sunday.

Rev. Bryan A. Griem
Tujunga