Aborted Babies Used for Food Testing and Medical Research

A Pro-Life group in Minnesota is up in arms over a soon to be a new clinical trial. What are they so upset over? Life Site News reports that the Food and Drug Administration approved using tissues from the brains of aborted fetuses. The trial, done by StemCells, Inc. will use these brain tissues to test the efficacy of human neural stem cells for reversing the effects of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This disease is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people 55 or older.

One would expect any Pro-Life group to be opposed to stem cell research of any kind, but there is more to this than just any ordinary research. The type of cell used is HuCNS-SC cells. These cells are described as derived from “fresh human fetal brain tissue.” “Stem Cells Inc. is not using embryonic stem cells. A five-day-old human being at the embryonic stage does not have a brain, but a fetus at 10 or 20 weeks of development with visible fingers, toes and ears has a functioning brain,” said MCCL’s director Scott Fischbach. “Developing human beings in the womb are treated simply as raw material for laboratory experimentation by StemCells Inc. and other companies seeking to monetize aborted unborn children.”

Nothing is new about using tissue from aborted fetuses. The first controversy began in 2000 after 20/20 aired an undercover investigation into the harvesting of fetal tissues. The national Council for State Legislatures states that many states “restrict research on aborted fetuses or embryos, but research is often permitted with the consent of the patient.” Investigate Magazine found that imported fetal tissue from the U.S. are used in other countries in research. Described as “obtained from elective abortions in the United States and was transported here for the experiments.” It is reportedly legal to import these tissues to other countries.

Recent new news is the use of aborted fetal tissues in food research. Yes, you read correctly, food research. ABC reported in January about an Oklahoma bill that would ban “food or any other product intended for human consumption which contains aborted human fetuses in the ingredients or which used aborted human fetuses in the research or development of any of the ingredients.” State Senator Ralph Shorty told KRMG radio this,“There is a potential that there are companies that are using aborted human babies in their research and development of basically enhancing the flavor for Artificial flavors,”
“I don’t know if it is happening in Oklahoma, it may be, it may not be. What I am saying is that if it does happen then we are not going to allow it to manufacture here.” His opposition says that this is a back-door attempt to ban embryonic stem cell research.

PepsiCo was also recently accused of and denied using a company whose flavor products are tested using fetal cells. International Business Times reported that Senomyx produced these flavor chemicals and was exposed by the non-profit group Children of God for Life in 2011 for using human embryonic kidney cells from the line HEK-293 in testing. The cells were supposedly only used in testing and were not present in the final product. Many stakeholders protested the relationship between PepsiCo and Senomyx and asked PepsiCo to “adopt a corporate policy that recognizes human rights and employs ethical standards which do not involve using the remains of aborted human beings in both private and collaborative research and development agreements.” This agreement was ruled against by The Security and Exchange Commission. PepsiCo’s lead attorney, George A. Schieren argued that the shareholder resolution should be disregarded because it “deals with matters related to the company’s ordinary business operations.” “certain tasks are so fundamental to run a company on a day-to-day basis that they could not be subject to stockholder oversight.” Jeff Dahncke, senior director of communications for PepsiCo emailed this to The New American, “to correct the misperceptions and erroneous information” “PepsiCo does not conduct or fund research, including research performed by third parties, which utilizes any human tissue or cell lines derived from embryos or fetuses,” “Any research funded by PepsiCo and conducted by Senomyx for PepsiCo must abide by this responsible research statement,”

The New American founder and director of Children of God for Life, Debi Vinnedge points out Senomyx’s own published research. She shows it does use cells from the HEK-293. She explains that the HEK-293 cells were cultivated from the kidney tissue of the aborted baby and frozen, “From that point, the cell line is made available for sale by several companies, like American Type Cell Culture. The cell line is then shipped to buyers maintaining cold-chain temperature and subsequently either thawed for use or frozen in the buyer’s lab for future use. When it’s thawed, the cells are cultivated to produce more cells.” She said, “morally, it makes no difference whether an abortion was done 30 years ago or today. Time does not diminish the original act of evil, nor does it lessen the culpability of those who knowingly and willingly utilize the remains of aborted children for profit.” The pro-life groups protest the use of cells from aborted fetuses research by StemCells, Inc. or Senomyx. They point out that there is alternatives, such as adult stem cells. Fishbach said, “Unborn babies deserve dignity, not dissection and destruction.”

Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

“Think not forever of yourselves, O Chiefs, nor of your own generation. Think of continuing generations of our families, think of our grandchildren and of those yet unborn, whose faces are coming from beneath the ground.”
Peacemaker, founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, (ca. 1000 AD)


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