Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1574 ..

parliament. Future members will have to ensure that they note reports tabled in the federal parliament. Although the research on embryos that could be licensed goes beyond stem cell research, stem cell research has been the headline grabber on the question of whether and how to allow research on human embryos. There is also the question of testing cosmetics and developing cosmetics, to name but a couple.

I would like to address the arguments of proponents of embryonic stem cell research. It seems clear that there is a lot of potential for outcomes from research and it is certainly very interesting. Potential uses essentially are about rebuilding tissues, nerves, brain, heart, nerve sheaths et cetera for multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, accidental spinal cord damage, heart tissue damage, brain injury and so on. These possibilities exist in all forms of stem cells. Some proponents of research access to embryos have spent a lot of money trying to whip up enthusiasm; however, we have to ask: what is the price of this potential and are there alternate methods available? It is reasonable and appropriate for parliaments to put some limits in place. Alternative sources of stem cells are found in adult tissues and in umbilical cord blood. Of course adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells are different, but they are still stem cells. There is potential in all forms of stem cell, but at this stage, despite promising trials in animals, it is still a potential and still a long way off, as it is for embryonic stem cell research.

The Senate committee report on the federal version of this bill outlines evidence from scientists with a range of views on what is the question of values. Some evidence was given that, because research is at such an early stage, there is much to be learnt about the very basics of how stem cells behave and what can be done with them and that adult stem cell research is informed by research on embryonic stem cells and vice versa. I do not accept that this means that it is absolutely necessary to pursue embryonic stem cell research. As a local scientist pointed out to me today, we put limits on research in a range of areas because we see that the risks are not worth the potential benefits. There is a lot we do not know about our world and there are likely to be alternative pathways. Even if there were not, I believe that we have to forego the option of embryonic stem cells. It is disingenuous to say that stopping research on embryonic sources of stem cells will stop any potential for using stem cells to deal with a range of degenerative conditions or injuries.

I would like to put on record some recent reports of research in this area. The following reports can be found on the website of the American Coalition for Research Ethics, which was founded by a range of scientists. At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre stem cells taken from mouse bone marrow were modified to carry interferon alpha, which can help kill cancer cells. This cured 70 per cent of mice in the study. The stem cells were very specific in their action to the tumour cell.

On 22 March it was reported that, at the University of Florida, adult stem cells derived from rats’ bone marrow had been used in diabetic mice to produce insulin which normalised the mice’s blood sugar levels. Researcher Bryon Petersen, Assistant Professor of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine at the university is quoted in the University News as saying:

This is a preliminary study conducted in animals with diabetes … But I think it’s a very profound study, since it shows that adult stem cell plasticity still exists …

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .