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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1582 ..

The first potential applications of human embryonic stem cell technology may be in the area of drug discovery. The ability to grow pure populations of specific cell types offers a proving ground for chemical compounds that may have medical importance. Treating specific cell types with chemicals and measuring their response offers a short-cut to sort out chemicals that can be used to treat the diseases that involve those specific cell types. Ramped up stem cell technology would permit the rapid screening of hundreds of thousands of chemicals that must now be tested through much more time-consuming processes.

The study of human development also benefits from embryonic stem cell research. The information continues:

The earliest stages of human development have been difficult or impossible to study. Human embryonic stem cells will offer insights into developmental events that cannot be studied directly in humans in utero or fully understood through the use of animal models. Understanding the events that occur at the first stages of development has potential clinical significance for preventing or treating birth defects, infertility and pregnancy loss. A thorough knowledge of normal development could ultimately allow the prevention or treatment of abnormal human development. For instance, screening drugs by testing them on cultured human embryonic stem cells could help reduce the risk of drug-related birth defects.

I have heard the argument that some support embryonic stem cell research and others prefer adult stem cell research. Another question asked was: why not derive stem cells from adults? The information is:

There are several approaches now in human clinical trials that utilize mature stem cells (such as blood-forming cells, neuron-forming cells and cartilage-forming cells). However, because adult cells are already specialized, their potential to regenerate damaged tissue is very limited: skin cells will only become skin and cartilage cells will only become cartilage. Adults do not have stem cells in many vital organs, so when those tissues are damaged, scar tissue develops. Only embryonic stem cells, which have the capacity to become any kind of human tissue, have the potential to repair vital organs.

Adult stem cells are difficult to grow in the lab and their potential to reproduce diminishes with age. A further question is: what are the benefits of studying embryonic stem cells? The information is:

Pluripotent stem cells represent hope for millions of Americans. They have the potential to treat or cure a myriad of diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries and burns.

I mentioned in the speech I gave two years ago—that speech was a little emotional for me; it is probably one of the few in this place—that it is easy for others who have not suffered to stand by and make a moral judgment, stand by and watch people who have suffered paralysis, quadriplegia and severe spinal cord injuries and lost quality of life and many years from their lives and say, “I can see that you are suffering and I understand that you are going through a hard time, but, I am sorry, I have a moral dilemma here.” I respect the difference of opinion. At the end of the day, however, without science, without research, we would not be where we are today. Unless we are prepared to allow

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