One day after the government announced its intention to explore the regulation of stem cell therapy in The Bahamas, a local pastor came out against embryonic stem cell therapy, calling the practice "immoral". But while Pastor Lyall Bethel of Grace Community Church is against embryonic stem cell therapy, he said he does support adult stem cell therapy. "I believe that stem cell therapy, if it's adult stem cell therapy, is an excellent medical innovation that needs to be continued," he told The Nassau Guardian yesterday. "For myself I've had stem cell therapy to help me with back problems, so I believe in it very much." Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the capacity to renew themselves and to differentiate into various cell types, such as blood, muscle and nerve cells.
Embryonic stem cells are derived from donors whether it be an aborted fetus or placentas and cord blood that is found in umbilical cords and other sources. Adult stem cells can be found in most tissue and organ systems, such as bone marrow, the skin and the gut. Some researchers believe that embryonic stem cell therapy has the potential to be even more effective than adult stem cell therapy. "I do not believe in embryonic, that is stem cells from aborted babies," Bethel said. "I believe that it is immoral. I am completely against abortion. And to think that someone is compounding one wrong with further wrong, with harvesting our cells; I would strongly come against it in that regard.
On top of that abortion is illegal in this country." Minister of Health Dr. Perry Gomez has appointed a task force to produce recommendations for the regulation of stem cell therapy, which was banned in The Bahamas by the Christie administration a few years ago. Dr. Duane Sands, who is on the task force, told The Guardian last night that he welcomes comments such as those from Pastor Bethel. However, he noted that the source of embryonic stem cells varies. "The whole purpose of this committee is to engage in a dialogue to flesh out issues in relation to stem cell therapy," he said yesterday.
"Many countries have come up with guidelines directed at stem cell research. So rather than being reactive we believe that it's important to create a working, living document that, is formed out of consideration of all the issues. So we welcome those views because we want to ensure that The Bahamas' position is both scientifically and morally acceptable." The task force will present its recommendations within the next two months. Dr. Gomez also acknowledged the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell therapy.
"To bypass this ethical controversy, alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells have been pursued, but embryonic stem cell research may remain necessary because there are some questions only embryonic stem cells have the potential to answer," he said on Wednesday. The minister added that research on embryonic stem cell therapy is continuing. "While adult stem cell research has been around for more than 40 years and has led to clinical therapies for several diseases, the field of human embryonic stem cell research is still relatively new, and basic discoveries have yet to be directly transitioned into clinical applications," Dr. Gomez said. Nonetheless, Pastor Bethel said adult stem cell therapy is the best way to go. "It yields results. There are phenomenal stories. There is a woman in England who was a quadriplegic, who has had stem cell therapy done and is now able to walk with halting steps," he said. Bethel said during his research he was only able to find success stories regarding adult stem cell therapy.
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