EUROPE/ITALY - Stem cells: Day of Reflection for Bishops at Regina Apostolorum Pontifical College in di Rome

Friday, 10 September 2004

Rome (Fides Service) - Yesterday Bishops in Rome were invited to a day of reflection organised by the Bio-Ethics Faculty of the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical College, on the subject “Stem Cells: a new source of therapy?”, in collaboration with the institute for priestly formation Sacerdos of the same College. The subject was view from various aspects: scientific, philosophical, ethical, social and juridical.
Father Gonzalo Miranda, L.C., Dean of the Faculty gave the opening address and posed various ethical questions, stressing the need to recognise the equal dignity of every human person. The basic question is whether it is right to use and kill human embryos to obtain stem cells useful for treating other persons.
One of the speakers Salvatore Mancuso, Director of the Department mother and child health protection at the Sacred Heart Catholic University in Rome, said we are faced with a new scenario for medicine referring to the opportunities and prospects of “cell therapy units”. These groups undertake research on adult stem cells. Good results and promising results have been obtained with transplant in uterus and regenerating therapy.
It emerged from the meeting that research on adult stem cells should go ahead not only for ethnical reasons but because they are more promising and represent the basis for developing, through the study of their behaviour, more therapies. They have produced more results in less time and help to maintain and regenerate tissue. (AP) (10/9/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:27; Parole:292)


Share: