An area full of promises in the medical field is that of stem cell research. Recent developments in Korea using embryonic stem cells have given rise to a public ethical debate on the issue. The following article, provided by the Korean Province, highlights both the contribution of the Catholic Church to that conversation and also the somewhat different Buddhist perspective.

Bioethics & Inter-Religious Dialogue

In recent times a debate has been raging in Korean society about the implications of embryonic cloning to produce stem cells. The issue has been brought to the fore due to the research by Hwang Woo Seok, a Seoul National University Professor. In Feb 2004 he produced the world's first cloned human embryo. Following this development the Government drafted a law, which came into effect in Jan 2005, banning reproductive human cloning but allowing embryonic cloning order to generate stem cells for therapeutic purposes.  In May 19 2005 Prof Hwang cloned 11 embryos using donated eggs from which the nucleus was removed and replaced with DNA taken from the adult cells of seriously ill persons.  From these embryos he extracted stem cells that genetically matched the sick people. (The patients were suffering from diabetes, spinal cord injuries and immuno-deficiency). It was a critical step in a process which Professor Hwang claims will lead to a cure for these conditions. Among the general public there is general welcome for the promise of such cures and the Government has officially registered the research of Professor Hwang's team as a state institute.

At the same time a Catholic Research Institute has been at the forefront of research into stem cells taken from adults.  In June 2004 the Korean Government awarded a 10 MillionUS $ research grant to the Institute of Cell & Gene Therapy of the Catholic Medical College (CMC).  It was the first time the Government gave such a grant for stem cell research in Korea. Then on June 9th 2005 the Ministry of Health announced that, in clinical tests on 74 people with severe vascular diseases, CMC had successfully treated 64 of the patients through the use of adult stem cells extracted from the bone marrow of the patients.  It was a significant advance in the use of adult stem cells to treat illnesses.  

While promoting the research of stem cells derived from adults the Catholic Church has vigorously highlighted the ethical issues involved in cloning embryos for therapeutic purposes.  The Korean Catholic Bishops Conference on June 4th 2005 issued a statement rejecting the research of Professor Hwang's team because it presupposes human cloning and the subsequent destruction of the embryo. The bio-ethics committee of the Bishops? Conference is also preparing a constitutional challenge to the new law which permits the cloning of embryos for therapeutic purposes.  In May 2005 at the International Theological Symposium to mark the 150 years of the National Seminary it invited international ethicists to discuss the issue. The participants called for "international and universal standards in bioethics".  On June 14th Professor Hwang met with the Archbishop Nicholas Chong Jin Seok of Seoul to discuss the issue but the meeting did not bring any agreement between the 2 sides.

What complicates the issue is that different religious beliefs have little consensus on cloning and stem cell research.  Buddhism, to which Professor is an adherent, does not view cloning the same way as the Catholic Church.  In an article in the Korea Times (May 24th 2005) entitled 'Stem Cell & Buddhism', Professor Moon Shin Yong of Seoul national University stated that "cloning is a different way of thinking about the recycling of Life and rebirth. It is a Buddhist way of thinking". The same article went on to claim that Buddhism can take account of the pluripotential nature of the cells, their genomic and genetic possibilities and understands this as a kind of reincarnation. In addition more than one commentator noted that it is not surprising that scientists from a Buddhist Korea first cloned embryos rather than scientists from the USA or Europe, both strongly influenced by Christianity. 

As Korea and the world now seek to clarify the implications of this area of research and develop ethical guidelines inter-religious dialogue will be a crucial factor in that process.

(With  permission of Father O'Keeffe, in charge of JPIC communications for the Columban Fathers.)