Liberal 3

Unlike an organ or bone marrow transplant, replacing the dead cells with other adult cells is futile because they do not network. But fetal nerve cells do.

“In some of the many Parkinson’s patients who had a transplant in the past few- years showed great -improvement. They slowly regained some of the mobility thought to permanently- lost. Doctors believe in these successes, the cells sprout branches and join healthy tissue.

“The improvement appears to result when a fetal cell secretes chemicals like dopamine, which cannot be made by the inflicted brain, to help repair and replace damaged cells. This may also help Huntington’s- Chorea, a genetic disease causes muscle control loss and death. Huntington sufferers also lose brain cells producing GABA, a vital chemical thought to aid in transmission between neurons. Apes receiving fetal cell transplants showed fewer- symptoms, maybe the new cells make GABA.

“Healing in the womb. Fetal tissue is also promising as a treatment for fetuses, especially for blood disorders. In adults, the progenitor cells are constantly made by the bone marrow, treatment often risky bone marrow transplant.

“But in fetuses four months or less, these cells are in the liver, so a fetus with sickle cell anemia, could be treated with a transplant of a snippet of fetal liver-eliminating the need for bone marrow transplant after birth. Researches in France have treated four fetuses with tissue transplants; in the U.S. a fetus with the rare Hurler’s syndrome had the operation. The child was born healthy and so far shows no symptoms.

“For all the promise of fetal tissue implants, scientists are aware of all the ethical problems arising from widespread use of this procedure. A main criticism is that some people will have babies just for research- a currently illegal practice. The best answer may lie in understanding why fetal tissue is special. If its healing properties could be isolated and duplicated in a lab it would eliminate the moral and shortage problems in the long run.” (U.S. News & World Report, 8/8/94, A tissue of promises, by Traci Watson, p.50)

Many liberals would “agree that it is a woman’s right to murder her unborn kids.” (Rev. J. Farwell) And are requesting millions of dollars in research for it? Yet, have limited proof it can do anything. Some people would have babies to sell for this research or have unprotected sex knowing if they get pregnant they can sell their babies for research. “What about the pain the fetus is subjected to? She has a needle inserted into the back of her head and her brain matter sucked into a tube. This is done with only the mom getting anesthesia.” (Dr. Jim Dobson) Should an unborn baby be subjected to such inhumane torture, especially without anesthesia if we are unsure whether or not she can feel pain?