DUBLIN - In recent newspaper articles the media are being deliberately misleading on the issue of stem cell research, they are purposely confusing the public on matter, putting them both on the same level, and overlooking the fact that there has not been a single cure from embryonic stem cells. Carolyn Johnston spokes woman of Youth Defence said earlier “ its a disgrace that the expert opinions and evidence of so many top doctors and analysts is being totally ignored, no real distinction is being made between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells, its a deliberate attempt at confusion by Irish media”

According to the professor of bio-technology at DCU, Dr Martin Clynes, destructive embryonic stem cell research is "scientifically unnecessary" as adult cells are far more likely to produce a cure. “There have been significant advances in the field of induced pluripotent adult cells (iPs), and they are probably going to have more therapeutic value because you can take them from the patient you are going to treat so there is less risk of rejection," he said. Professor Clynes comments come after UCC, in late October, became the first Irish third level institution to vote to allow a policy for embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cell research which does not require the destruction of the embryo is carried out in a number of locations around the country.

According to William Reville, professor in the UCC’s Biochemistry Department and “Irish Times“ Science Correspondent, “Even those who do not believe that the early human embryo is a full human being would sacrifice the embryo in the interests of advancing biomedical research only with misgivings.” He was also writing in the context of the recent decision of UCC to allow destructive embryonic research.

Ian Wilmutt, the creator of Dolly the sheep, is so enthused by adult stem cell research he has turned away entirely from working with embryonic stem cells.

Cork meeting on December 9th “crucial” to reversing UCC embryo decision

Youth Defence are working hard with there new and very urgent campaign regarding UCC’s embryo decision. They are holding meeting coming up on the 9th December in Cork, to inform and organise everybody involved.

Soon, you will hopefully see Billboards nationwide with a strong and clear message. And in January they are bring international experts to UCC to speak the undeniable truth; that embryos are human beings, and that embryonic stem cell research does not work. The embryonic stem-cell debate can be complex and confusing, especially for those of us with no scientific background and that’s why the Chairman of Youth Defence, Eoghan de Faoite, has said that its “crucial” that everyone does their very best to attend. He continued “...the public need to hear the message, in the simplest language, that, regardless of age, development, or circumstances, every single human life deserves our respect.”

Dr O Mathuna will be speaking on the night, he spoke at a meeting in Cork last week, and now we have the great opportunity to hear him speak again on the 9th. Dr. O Mathuna lecturers in Health Care Ethics in the School of Nursing at Dublin City University, has written many books, and spoken at conferences world wide. He was also was one of the many medical experts,(which included Dr Seán Ó Domhnaill) who wrote a public letter printed in most national dailies earlier this year opposing the Irish Council for Bioethics (ICB) support for embryo research. That letter stated that “..we are writing to express our strongest possible dissent from the ICB with regard to destructive research on human embryos. This opinion has no sound ethical, medical or scientific basis.”

If we allow this embryo research to go ahead, it will surely open the floodgates of the war on the unborn: as other countries have seen, even allowing 'a little bit' of abortion, or embryonic destruction, will always lead to more and more. That's why we need such a big campaign, one that needs to start now.

Source : Youth Defence


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