iPS Cell Research & Challenges It Faces
iPS Cells & The Catholic Church
Professor Shinya Yamanaka became one of the most famous persons in Japan overnight on October 8 when he was named the winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His discovery of what he calls induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, will contribute to finding treatments for intractable illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Research on human cells such as iPS cells has been condemned especially in the Catholic community for ethical reasons. For example, Pope Benedict XVI once denounced the embryotic stem (ES) cell research, saying it is an issue that concerns “the very concept of human dignity.” The Vatican is opposed to such research because ES cells are derived from fertilized eggs. The Catholics take the position that human beings are created at the moment of fertilization. A group of American bishops has called destruction of fertilized eggs “gravely immoral.”
On the other hand, iPS cells have not drawn any sharp criticisms because they are generated from a patient’s own somatic cells, such as skin cells. Cardinal Sgreccia, who once served as president of the Pontifical Academy for Life that promotes the Catholic Church’s life ethics, has hailed the discovery of iPS cells, saying the “historical finding” will lead to treatments for many diseases without killing.
To be sure, a host of problems have to be resolved before iPS cells can be put to practical applications. However, there is no denying Yamanaka’s finding has contributed a great deal toward removing the moral dilemma between science and religion.
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