Fetal Tissue

..Research and Medical Care..

What is Fetal Tissue?

Tissue from non-living human fetuses

-fetus8 weeks until birth

Collected from aborted fetuses or still births

-spontaneous or induced abortions

http://waxingpoetically.today.com/files/2008/08/fetus.jpg

Why is Fetal Tissue so important?

Fetal cells have the ability to reproduce and grow rapidly and specialize into any of the body’s tissue types

ex) skin, liver, kidneys, brain Highly adaptable and less likely to be rejected by

transplant recipient Found to have tremendous chemical and

physiologic potential

Research

Fetal tissue obtained through induced abortion is highly suitable for research because it is free of:

-major genetic abnormalities-bacterial infections

Research with animals shows great promise for curing once incurable diseases in the past:

-Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, chorea, strokes, spinal cord injuries, hemophilia, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy

Animal Research

Embryonic wing tissue from a chicken is able to differentiate into a leg when transplanted into the proper limb bud region of the developing chick

Human lymphatic tissue was transplanted into immunodeficient mice. This was carried out by using a bunch of mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The human fetal liver, fetal thymus, and fetal lymph node cells were the donor tissue. After the transplantation, the human fetal tissues established themselves in the SCID mouse and developed to produce a functioning human immune system. The SCID mouse with its human immune system may become a valuable model in studying acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Fetal Tissue in Medical Care

With the immunodeficient disorders, restoration of immune function and long-term patient survival have been achieved.

Fetal thymus transplants have been successfully used in the treatment of DiGeorge syndrome

Fetal liver transplants have been attempted in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and aplastic anemia.

Promising animal data, fetal implants for Parkinson's disease have been performed in the People's Republic of China, Mexico, Sweden, Canada, Great Britain, Cuba.

Fetal Tissue and Abortion

Currently there is much debate on the use of fetal tissue for medical care and research

Fetal tissue and abortion go hand in hand and there is already much controversy about abortion

-once aborted, why let it go to waste?

The decision to donate is completely up to each individual woman

…

Since 1988 there has been a U.S government ban on Federal funding of research involving transplantation to humans of tissue from aborted fetuses

-this ban only prevents Federal funding of research on

transplanting fetal tissue into humans, not other work with the tissue, such as laboratory studies

Trafficking baby parts for profit..

Although Canadian Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies and US Congressional prohibit against marketplace for making money off fetal tissue clear indications prove that such a market place has developed

Brains $999 Limbs (at least two) $150 Eyes $75 Intact Trunk (with or without limbs) $500 Spinal Cords $325

Conclusion..

Women and men worldwide have received transplanted fetal tissue. Research has been conducted all around the world and shows great promise for helping treat and cure many harmful diseases that have killed many in the past. If abortion wasn’t an issue, then a lot more progress would have been made by now and the use of fetal tissue would not be such a big deal.

Bibliography

Benedict, J. (1998, February 18). Christian Medical & Dental Associations [Background on fetal tissue] Dec, 3 2008, http://www.cmda.org/AM/Template.cgm&section=Home&Template

Solomon, N. (n.d). Fetal Tissue Background. In Aids.org. Retrieved Dec 3/2008, from, http://www.aids.org/ath/a-164-03.html

Anderson, F., & Coutts, M. C. (2001, November). Donating Fetal Tissue for Medical Care and Research. in Planned Parenthood Federation of America [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved December 15, 2008, from http://www.ppatp.org/FetalTissue.htm

Ranalli, P. (2001, April). Fetal Tissue Research Raises Disturbing Questions . Retrieved December 10, 2008, from http://www.cogforlife.org/fetalresearch.htm

Fetal Tissue Research. (2001). Press Releases. Retrieved December 15, 2008, from http://www.ascb.org/index.cfm?navid=121&id=1820&tcode=nws3