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Bioethic information and analysis newsletter

Following Letter

N°59 - November 2004

The Church on research on the embryo : idealism or realism ? ¹

The ideas and the facts...
At the time of the new French law on bioethics, passed last August, which allows by waiver for a period limited to five years, research on the embryo and embryonic stem cells Michel Kubler, in "La Croix" newspaper for 5th October 2004, opposes the pragmatism of research scientists to the Idealism of the Church.
Concerning research on the embryo, the catholic doctrine recalls that « the moral evaluation of abortions is also to be applied to the recent forms of intervention on human embryos which, although in the pursuit of legitimate aims, inevitably involve murder » (Evangelium Vitae, No. 63).
But Michel Kubler reminds us that the facts are there, the research is already being performed This prohibition is today confronted with reality, with the pragmatism of new moral standards which promotes parental projects, and with the difficulty of considering the embryo as a human being.
Moralists must face reality, "look at the suffering of men and women for whom, thanks to science, life can take on a new meaning".

The realism of Christian morals
Under "Letters to the Editor", Father Brice de Malherbe replies : No, the position of the Church is not an idealist position. Idealist means a "position which carries such an ideal that it becomes unrealistic" or "a philosophical position tending to reduce existence to one single way of thinking."
Whereas, in fact, the doctrine of the Church starts with the living reality of the embryo, « a new human being developing for itself » from the moment of fertilisation, « which can never become human unless it is already so », asserting that the murder of an embryo is the murder of a human being in the initial phase of its existence (Congregation for the doctrine of faith, Declaration on intended abortions, Nos. 12-13). The Church recognises the biological facts, the presence of a human life, whatever the intentions of society for that life. This is therefore a realistic position.
Opposite this realistic position, surely it is the utilitarian position which reflects extreme idealism by attributing a variable geometry status to those same embryos according to an ideal parental project ?
The Church recognises the difficulty in concluding the debate on qualification of the embryo as a human being, but declares that « the simple likelihood that it is a person should be sufficient to justify the strictest ban on any intervention resulting in destruction of the human embryo » (Evangelium Vitae, No. 60). Even if any theoretical doubt might be possible, pragmatically the only morally reasonable attitude is to respect the embryo as a person.

1 - Idealism or pragmatism, Michel Kubler, La Croix, 5th October 2004 and response by Father Brice de Malherbe , La Croix, 20th October2004.

America and the protection of the embryo

Questions concerning life had a considerable impact on the recent US electoral campaign; during the second television debate between George Bush and John Kerry, the questions of abortion and stem cells were at the heart of discussions, subjects on which American opinion is strongly divided, definitely one of the major challenges of the campaign.
The position defended by George Bush contributed greatly towards his re-election, just as they worry certain of his adversaries.

Limited funding for research on embryonic stem cells
George Bush has always opposed the use of embryonic stem cells. In August 2001, he authorised public funding of research on embryonic stem cells, limiting it to the 64 lineages of cells already developed in laboratories world-wide.
G. Bush justified this decision by stating for the existing lineages that « the decision of life or death has already been taken and that this enables exploration of the potential of research on stem cells without crossing any fundamental line of morals ». He stated that under no circumstances would his authorisation be extended to new embryos, stipulating that he would oppose by all possible means, including his veto, any law which might grant federal funding to new work.

Prohibition of human cloning
The Chamber of Representatives, the majority of which are Republican, in July 2001, passed the Human Cloning Prohibition Act, prohibiting all forms of human cloning for reproductive or therapeutic purposes.

Prohibition of late abortions
In October 2003, George Bush signed the law prohibiting late abortions or abortions by partial birth performed during the second term of pregnancy and beyond, qualifying such abortions by dilation and extraction as « barbaric practices ». This federal law is the first to impose limits on voluntary abortions, legalised by decision of the Supreme Court, « Roe versus Wade », in 1973.

Legal personality of the foetus
The law on unborn victims (Unborn Victims of Violence Act, Public Law No. 108-212 of 1st April 2004) states that if an offence is committed against a pregnant woman, the perpetrator will be charged with a double offence or homicide, against the woman and her foetus ; this defines the unborn child as « a member of the Homo Sapiens species, at whatever state of development, carried in the uterus ».

Family planning : frozen budgets
The 34 million dollar aid provided by the United States was frozen in 2002, the Bush administration wanting to ensure that the United Nations Funds for Population (FNUAP) were not being used in a campaign for abortions and compulsory sterilisation, particularly in China. On 22nd January 2001, George Bush announced the re-establishment of directives prohibiting any financial support for family planning programmes world-wide, which promote abortions as a means of birth control.

Family Planning concerns
« Le Monde » recalls the three main worries of Family Planning. First the appointment of new judges to the Supreme Court; George Bush has made no secret of his opposition to abortions; the ratio of forces could be reversed and a Republican majority could overthrow the « Roe versus Wade » decree, which authorised abortions in the United States. The second worry concerns the prohibition introduced by the Food and Drug Administration of selling the morning after pill without a prescription. The third worry concerns sexual guidance for adolescents, for which the Bush Administration has promoted educational programmes involving "mere abstinence".

1st Jérôme Lejeune International Symposium, 8th and 9th November : Cure

200 research scientists from all over the world to attend the Jérôme Lejeune International Symposium on genetic intelligence diseases (trisomy 21, X fragile, Williams Beuren, rare syndromes etc.) were able to confront their views for 2 days. 30 speakers from among the world's greatest specialists provided the results on the contribution of fundamental genetic research, experimental and clinical research to the search for treatment of these diseases. One of the features of the congress was that it enabled meetings and exchanges between scientists working on fundamental genetics and those in contact with patients. The symposium was presided by Pr Stylianos Antonarakis, Director of the medical genetics division at the University of Geneva, co-ordinator of the consortium for sequencing of chromosome 21 and vice-presided by Pr Rethoré, medical director at the Jérôme Lejeune Institute, member of the Academy of Medicine, and Pr Vekemans, Head of the cytogenetic department at Hôpital Necker.

Knowledge of trisomy 21
Today, although we know the pathologies associated with trisomy 21 (cardiopathies, premature ageing), we do not understand the mechanisms involved. This is why the Jérôme Lejeune Institute has launched a large scale epidemiological study in order to look for any correlation between the genetic characteristics of patients and the way in which the disease manifests itself in some of them. Called Intrepid, this protocol should include up to 800 patients.

A therapeutic approach
Another research route concerns the cystathionine beta-syntase enzyme, which is produced to excess in trisomy 21 patients, responsible for part of the physical characteristics of the disease and most probably also involved in the mental deficiency. A research programme has been launched on the enzyme. Nicknamed CibleS 21, it is aimed at identifying a molecule capable of inhibiting CBS.

Other research paths
Pr Antonarakis explains that in trisomy 21, «only 5 % of the chromosome's sequence has an important function. Now we must identify the function, then find the sequences in triplicate which are associated with the disease, and finally propose a therapy». Chromosome 21 carries more than 300 genes and one can hope, if not to be able one day to totally de-activate it, at least to modulate the action of certain of its genes. One therapeutic approach path would therefore be to control the over-expression of these genes by using inhibitors.
Other research scientists like Pr. Michel Vekemans, are working on the non disjunction of chromosomes, the prime cause of trisomy 21.

Healing : a doctor's vocation
The Jérôme Lejeune International Scientific Prize of 30.000 Euros was presented to Pr Stylianos Antonarakis by Jean-François Mattei, ex-Minister of Health. It rewards the exceptional contribution by Pr Antonarakis to progress in the discovery of new routes to understanding and treatment of genetic intelligence diseases. The jury presided over by Professor Michel Vekemans involved 10 scientists and one representative of the Fondation Jérôme Lejeune donors.

In his speech, Jean-François Mattei said "I wish to express my admiration and my gratitude to a master to whom I owe so much ... I am honoured to have been a student under Jérôme Lejeune" ... "Jérôme Lejeune was a visionary. (...) With the advent and the generalisation of pre-natal diagnostics, he understood that the race was on" between research to cure trisomic patients and their destruction. J.-F Mattei recalled that "the vocation of every doctor is to heal."