SINGAPORE (UCAN) -- Singapore's Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) earlier this year released a consultation paper titled Human-animal Combinations for Bio-medical Research.

The paper sought to gather public opinion on biomedical techniques in which human stem cells are incorporated into animals for the purpose of research, or in which the nucleus of an animal egg is replaced with a human cell nucleus for the purpose of deriving stem cells.

In the case of the former, the result is what scientists call "animal chimeras." In the second case, the resultant embryo is called a cytoplasmic hybrid embryo, of which the genetic material is said to be more than 99 percent human.

"Given the difficulties in obtaining human eggs for stem cell research and their limited availability," the paper explained, "scientists have proposed using animal eggs as an alternative means of deriving stem cells. To further stem cell research, scientists are also introducing human stem cells into animals, animal embryos or animal foetuses."

The BAC maintained "these chimeras are useful for ... the study of the developmental potential of human embryonic stem cells or their derivatives."

Singapore's Cabinet established the BAC in 2000 to examine the ethical, legal and social issues arising from biomedical research. According to the committee, it "aims to protect the rights and welfare of individuals, while allowing the biomedical sciences to develop and realise their full potential for the benefit of mankind."

In the consultation paper it released on Jan. 8, the BAC said it was seeking to obtain the views of the public "on whether human-animal combinations should be created and used for research in Singapore, and if so under what kinds of restrictions and regulation." The public was urged to send in their comments by March 10.

Father David Garcia, who holds a licentiate in moral theology, argues that cytoplasmic hybrid embryos are basically human embryos, so attempts to create these go against Church teaching. The use of human embryos in research also is morally wrong, says the Spanish Dominican priest, based in Singapore.

Father Garcia obtained his licentiate from Academia Alfonsiana in Rome, where he studied 1991-1993. He later studied biology at Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas in Manila. He taught fundamental morals, social ethics and bioethics at St. Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Singapore from 2002 to 2007, and also lectured at the Singapore Pastoral Institute.

Father Garcia, 40, is now working on his doctoral thesis in moral theology to be presented at the University of Santo Tomas.

His commentary follows:

The most recent development in the Singapore biomedical scene was the release of the consultation paper Human-animal Combinations for Bio-medical Research. This development is basically an attempt to gain access to eggs to produce human embryos exclusively for research.

There was an attempt to achieve this in November 2007 with the issuing of a consultation paper, also by the BAC, on the ethical, legal and social issues relating to the donation of human eggs for research. It is foreseeable, though that even in this case, there would not be enough human eggs available for research.

On the other hand, animal eggs are much easier to obtain. So scientists are hoping that by activating animal eggs with human genetic material, they can obtain a product as similar as possible to a human embryo, so that they can experiment on cell lines obtained from these embryos.

In the very words of the BAC in the recent paper, scientists are "interested in creating ... a cytoplasmic hybrid, by transferring the nucleus of a human body cell into an animal egg from which the nucleus has been removed."

The paper begins with a difficult premise: "The BAC has taken the view that an embryo and a sentient human do not stand in a relation of moral equivalence. It does recognize that this is not a position that commands universal agreement, but it is not re-evaluating the wider issue of whether human embryonic stem cell research should be done at all."

By now we already know that cytoplasmic hybrid embryos, or cybrids, are embryos fabricated with enucleated animal eggs and the nucleus of a human body cell. These embryos will be terminated when their harvest of embryonic stem cells are removed for the sole purpose of research on the said cells. We also know that Singapore scientists want to make cybrids and that the BAC had sought the opinions of the Singaporean public on this issue.

Certainly, as Catholics, we do not have an official Church document on this particular topic. Pope Benedict XVI himself cautioned that the "Church's Magisterium certainly cannot and ought not address every scientific innovation, but has the task of reaffirming the important values at stake and of suggesting to the faithful and to all people of good will the ethical and moral principles and guidelines for new and important issues" (Speech to the Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith, Jan. 31, 2008).

We know, from earlier Church teachings on bioethical matters, that cloning is immoral (Notes on Cloning, Pontifical Academy for Life, 1997) and that "organs which embody the characteristic uniqueness of the person, which medicine is bound to protect," may not be transplanted (The Charter for Health Care Workers, 1995, No. 88).

Pope John Paul II spoke clearly about experimenting with human embryos: "I condemn, in the most explicit and formal way, experimental manipulations of the human embryo, since the human being, from conception to death, cannot be exploited for any purpose whatsoever" (Address to a Meeting of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Oct. 23, 1982).

Finally, we also know that "genetic enhancement and research on human subjects" are illicit and only direct and safe therapeutic genetic intervention is acceptable (Bishop Elio Sgreccia, vice president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 2006).

So according to Church teaching, it is morally wrong to:

• clone humans
• experiment on human embryos
• change human genetic make-up unless it is a direct form of therapy for the human individual
• transfer human organs or tissues that are linked to the identity of the person to another recipient

Now, a cybrid is basically a kind of human embryo. In a recent controversy between the Catholic Church and pro-cybrid U.K. scientists, the latter accused the Church of misinterpreting the scientific status of human cybrids. Scientist Stephen Minger contended that cybrids are "devoid of an animal genetic identity." According to the scientists, the resulting embryo contains only human genes. Well, if scientists themselves, who want to make cybrids say so, then cybrids are:

• a kind of human cloning, because it clones a human into an animal egg
• a kind of experimentation on an embryo that is genetically human
• a kind of tampering with the genetic make-up of human beings with the sole purpose of research on embryonic stem cells and with no direct therapeutic effect
• a kind of transferring of human material that is intimately linked to the genetic identity of the person into an animal egg

It then follows that the fabrication of human cybrids is incompatible with the teaching of the Church, which stresses that the human person must be respected from conception to natural death.

So are scientists attempting to play God? The BAC argues in its consultation paper: "The 'playing God' argument cuts both ways. If research involving human-animal combinations can save lives, then to stop the research is to 'play God' with respect to those whose lives could be saved."

The "playing God" argument needs to be understood more precisely. There is nothing wrong with using science and technology to have some control over nature and animals. We harness the power of rivers, breed cattle, cultivate deserts, transplant hearts, and attempt to master the global climate. Control over nature however, must not be despotic and capricious. We are not absolute lords of the universe, only "stewards" of God's creation.

Making cybrids is "playing God," because when scientists fabricate, use and dispose of human cybrids, they take a position of dominion, and not one of respect, over human life.

In fact, making cybrids is already wrong because it is one more step down the wrong path that has begun with research on embryonic stem cells.

What is really at stake is the myopic vision or decision of considering the human embryo as "just" a bunch of cells that can be used and disposed of. Unless this fundamental error is challenged, the ethical consequences are going to move from bad to worse.

What is the role of Catholics in the face of their cultures, societies and countries? The Church in the U.K. has issued a letter to be read in all parishes reacting against attempts by U.K. scientists to create cybrids. The Church did not stop scientists from going ahead with their projects, but certainly made a point.

Regarding "animal chimeras," basically the question is: Can we transfer human cells into animals to develop these cells? Again this is a tough question with no official guidelines.

First of all, it would be wrong to use human embryos. If no human embryos are used, we have to assume that no harm is done to the person from whom the cells are obtained, and that the person is giving his/her informed consent. Then, we need to know if the cells are developing into a body part or into a human individual.

The former would be permissible. The second would amount to creating human beings. This is where I would draw the line. In other words as long as you are researching on human body tissues or organs it is fine, but once you start to experiment with human individuals, you have crossed the ethical line.

Illness is certainly an enemy we are called to conquer, as such research hopes to achieve, but it is not an absolute evil. "You have the poor [and sick?] with you always" (Matthew 26:11).

Humans disposing of humans is certainly the worst enemy to conquer. What the Church should announce today is not a sectarian private truth accessible only to believers, but simply that we are all equal in dignity and that even scientific research should halt before the forbidden fruit of using human embryos, cybrids or otherwise.

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