{"id":2173904,"date":"2024-02-12T08:11:03","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T13:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/this-one-abortion-story-changed-medicine-forever-but-pro-lifers-hardly-talk-about-it\/"},"modified":"2024-02-12T08:19:07","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T13:19:07","slug":"this-one-abortion-story-changed-medicine-forever-but-pro-lifers-hardly-talk-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/this-one-abortion-story-changed-medicine-forever-but-pro-lifers-hardly-talk-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"One Abortion Story&#8217;s Profound Impact on Medicine, Yet Pro-Lifers Stay Silent"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthis-one-abortion-story-changed-medicine-forever-but-pro-lifers-hardly-talk-about-it%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2173904&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Neglected Issue of Aborted Fetal Cell\u200b Lines in Biomedical Research<\/h2>\n<p>At the \u2064March For\u2064 Life rallies and events, the pro-life\u2062 community and representatives from various churches gather\u2062 to protest \u200cthe practice and legality of abortion. While the pro-life movement and the Catholic\u200c Church proclaim the dignity of every human life by confronting the practice of abortions, there has been a lack \u2064of similar zeal from those organizations to address the\u200b exploitation and continued and growing use of aborted fetal \u2064cell lines and \u200btissue \u200bin biomedical research.<\/p>\n<p>The scope of this problem has been largely ignored \u200bby \u200dthe pro-life movement and the\u200d Catholic Church, which will \u200cnegatively affect religious consumers and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ten-gop-senators-counter-bidens-1-9-trillion-relief-plan-request-meeting\/\" title=\"Ten GOP Senators Counter Biden\u2019s .9 Trillion Relief Plan, Request Meeting\">health care providers<\/a> and likely end \u2062the Catholic identity of the Catholic hospital \u200bsystem.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Collecting the HEK293 Cell\u200c Line<\/h2>\n<p>Among the 60 million unborn children that\u200b have been aborted, there is one abortion that has changed medicine forever. In \u20641970, Dr. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/national-research-council\/news\/2020\/09\/recognizing-the-scientific-impact-of-dr-frank-grahams-hek-293-cell-line.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Frank Graham<\/a>, a scientist at the University\u200d of Leiden in the Netherlands, successfully cultured a cell line\u2064 that changed the course of medical\u2064 research. The\u2064 cell \u2062line was\u200c manufactured from the kidney cells of a first-trimester electively aborted female \u2062child whose parents were unknown.<\/p>\n<p>It is likely that\u200c informed consent from the \u200bparents \u200dwas never obtained \u2063given the era in which this tissue was harvested.\u200b That cell \u200dline \u200breceived the abbreviated name HEK293, which stands for human embryonic\u200c kidney. The 293\u200d designation refers to\u2062 the number of attempts required to create this immortalized cell line. Unfortunately,\u2063 this sad story does not end in \u2062a lab in \u2062the Netherlands\u2064 in the 1970s.<\/p>\n<p>Fifty years later, the HEK293 cell line \u2064represents the backbone of <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34966729\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">countless therapeutics, diagnostics, and research\u200d reagents<\/a>, which generate billions of dollars for \u200bthe biopharmaceutical industry. Some Catholics and pro-life Christians were largely\u2064 unaware of the true nature\u200d of the HEK293 cell line \u2062until recently when they\u2064 discovered how it was used\u2062 in the development of the \u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/cogforlife.org\/guidance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Covid-19 mRNA\u200b vaccines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Vatican had more than sufficient time to address\u200d this problem but failed \u2064to take an official position on this issue during the 20th century. The Pontifical Academy for Life, which was formed in 1994, was created to study and advise the Magisterium on how modern biotechnology \u200baffects the dignity of human life. \u2064Unfortunately, no official Vatican doctrine was ever issued\u200b during the 20th century on\u200b the use of morally\u2064 illicit cells in medical research \u200band in the manufacturing \u200cof medicines.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Too\u2063 Profitable to Protest<\/h2>\n<p>Consequently, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jp2mri.org\/hek293-cell-essay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">over $100 billion<\/a> is now generated annually from products that \u200cuse\u200d the HEK293 cell lines, which include biologics, gene therapies, and cell \u2062therapies like <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33824268\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FDA-approved \u2062CAR-T therapies<\/a> (which are used to\u2062 treat refractory hematological malignancies). Most of these HEK293-derived medicines are designed\u200d to treat grave conditions. This \u2064global biomanufacturing\u2062 market that requires the need for \u2064the \u2064HEK293 cell line is expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jp2mri.org\/hek293-cell-essay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">double to $200 billion<\/a> in the next five years. By comparison, Planned Parenthood only\u200b generates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/marriage-and-family\/commentary\/new-report-shows-planned-parenthood-raked-15-billion-taxpayer-funds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$1.5 billion annually<\/a> from their provided abortion \u201cservices.\u201d The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/topics\/1764\/global-pharmaceutical-industry\/#topicOverview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">global\u200c biopharmaceutical industry generated<\/a> $1.5 trillion in revenue as \u2064of \u20622022. Thus, approximately 7 percent \u200bof the total global biopharmaceutical market requires the HEK293 cell line.<\/p>\n<p>There is \u200dlittle zeal on the part of the Vatican and the\u200d United States Conference \u200bof \u2063Catholic Bishops to teach faithful Catholics about the church\u2019s position on the issue of morally\u200c illicit cells\u2062 and tissues used \u200cin medical research. Also, we rarely hear the Catholic \u2064Church instruct members of the faith about\u200b their obligation to pursue every legal means to urge the \u2063biopharmaceutical industry or secular medical research foundations to \u200ddevelop ethical alternative medicines.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover,\u200d we \u2062rarely hear the Catholic Church inform members of the faith that\u2064 the <a href=\"https:\/\/rtl.org\/abortion\/escr-supporters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vast majority of secular\u200d medical research organizations<\/a> \u2064openly support the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vatican-walks-back-decree-about-firing-staff-who-refuse-vaccine\/\" title=\"Vatican Walks Back Decree About Firing Staff Who Refuse Vaccine\">aborted fetal cells<\/a> and embryonic stem cells in\u200c medical research. It would be encouraging if the bishops would urge Catholics to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jp2mri.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">support\u2062 ethical medical research<\/a> and urge members \u2062of\u2063 their \u2064faith to contact those <a href=\"https:\/\/rtl.org\/abortion\/escr-supporters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">secular organizations<\/a> to cease medical research that uses morally illicit \u200bcells. You rarely hear self-proclaimed pro-life politicians advocate for public funding\u200d of ethical and alternative biotechnology that does not require the use of aborted fetal cell\u200c lines. Additionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/remember-when-media-freaked-out-over-amy-coney-barrett-and-the-right-wing-supreme-court\/\" title=\"Remember When Media Freaked Out Over Amy Coney Barrett And The Right Wing Supreme Court?\">anti-abortion groups<\/a> rarely devote \u200cany time or resources to educating the pro-life community on this \u2063topic.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The \u2064Catholic \u200dChurch Should\u200c Speak\u200b Up<\/h2>\n<p>It should be of no surprise when <a href=\"https:\/\/news.nd.edu\/news\/notre-dame-to-require-students-to-be-vaccinated-for-covid-19-beginning-with-fall-2021-semester\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Catholic \u2062universities<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pillarcatholic.com\/p\/how-catholic-dioceses-are-handling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dioceses<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cbsaustin.com\/news\/nation-world\/catholic-hospital-system-enforcing-updated-covid-vaccine-requirement-for-workers-providence-health-and-services-pandemic-booster-vaccination\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hospitals<\/a>, and even the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncregister.com\/blog\/parolin-maintains-vaccine-mandates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vatican<\/a> ignored the 2005 Pontifical\u2062 Academy for Life\u200d position and the official doctrine of <em>Dignitas Personae<\/em> and mandated the Covid-19 vaccine despite its association with aborted fetal cells. In fact, if the Vatican had held fast to its 2005 Pontifical Academy for \u2062Life criteria, it is\u2063 highly likely\u2064 that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lifesitenews.com\/opinion\/why-the-catholic-church-must-free-herself-from-secular-authorities-on-public-health-issues\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">governments would not have been as effective<\/a> in forcing vaccine mandates, and Covid-19 vaccine acceptance would have ended much\u2063 earlier.<\/p>\n<p>What this means to pro-life consumers, health care providers, and the Catholic health care system is rather \u2063straightforward. Pro-lifers must reject critical medications or treatments \u2063that may help treat grave health issues since they are morally tainted and objectionable. The only alternative\u2063 is to ignore the problem and accept the drugs or treatments in\u2063 contradiction to\u200d a\u200b person\u2019s religious and\u200d moral beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>These are very serious concerns that need to \u2063be \u200cconfronted, and which need\u200b a long overdue solution. Until the Catholic Church is committed to upholding the Magisterial teaching; \u200cCatholic philanthropists, business leaders, and\u2064 hospital corporations take a more proactive role in ethical medical research; and pro-life \u200corganizations begin educating about and supporting this integral anti-abortion\u200b cause, this problem will continue to grow unchecked for all stakeholders. The pro-life movement should not restrict itself\u2063 solely to ending the act of abortion, but should proactively work to end the exploitation of abortion in \u2062biotechnology.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"> <\/p>\n<h2> Why have the Vatican and the \u200dUnited States\u2063 Conference of Catholic\u2063 Bishops not officially\u200d addressed the use of \u200cmorally illicit cells in medical research?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The issue of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vaccine-inquisitions-as-covid-vaccination-mandates-increase-religious-exemptions-come-under-fire\/\" title=\"Vaccine Inquisitions? As COVID Vaccination Mandates Increase, Religious Exemptions Come Under Fire\">aborted fetal cell lines<\/a> in biomedical research is\u2062 an overlooked and neglected one within the\u200c pro-life\u200c movement and\u200c the Catholic Church. While these organizations actively\u2064 oppose the practice and legality of abortion, they have failed to address the exploitation and use of \u2064aborted fetal tissue in medical research.<\/p>\n<p>One particular cell line, the HEK293, stands out as a significant example.\u200b Cultured by Dr.\u200d Frank Graham in 1970,\u200c using the \u2064kidney cells of\u2064 an electively aborted female fetus, this cell line\u2063 has become a \u2063crucial\u200d component in the development of therapeutics, diagnostics, and research reagents.\u200d It has generated billions of dollars for the biopharmaceutical industry, including the production of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the significance \u2062of the issue, the \u200bVatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have not \u200btaken \u2064an official position on the use \u2063of \u2064morally illicit\u2062 cells. \u200cThe \u200dglobal biopharmaceutical industry, heavily \u2063reliant \u2064on the HEK293 cell line, is projected to double in value to $200 billion\u2064 in the \u2062next five years. The contrast between the profits \u2064generated from these products \u200cand those generated\u200d by Planned Parenthood&#8217;s\u200c abortion services is striking.<\/p>\n<p>There is a lack of effort from \u200bthe\u2064 Catholic Church to educate \u200bits members \u200don the Church&#8217;s position and their obligation to pursue ethical alternatives in medical research. \u2062Many\u200d secular\u2063 medical research organizations openly support the use\u2062 of aborted fetal cells and embryonic \u2062stem cells, and\u2063 it is crucial for the \u2063Church to urge \u2062Catholics to support ethical research\u200c and contact these organizations to \u2063cease\u200c using morally\u200b illicit cells.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u200bpoliticians who identify \u2064as pro-life rarely\u2062 advocate for\u2062 public funding of ethical biotechnology that does not rely \u2064on aborted fetal cell lines. Anti-abortion groups also\u200d seldom make this issue a priority in their\u2062 educational efforts within the pro-life community.<\/p>\n<p>It is essential for the Catholic Church\u2064 to speak up\u200d and take a clear stand on the use of \u200baborted fetal cell\u2062 lines in biomedical\u2064 research. Catholic universities, dioceses, and hospital systems\u200c should also enforce ethical guidelines that prohibit the use of morally illicit cells. By doing so, \u2064they\u200d can uphold the \u200cvalue and dignity of every human life while \u200cpromoting alternative, ethical medical research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Other religious denominations. The March For Life serves as a platform for the pro-life community to unite and advocate for the protection of unborn lives, highlighting the need for broader support and involvement from all faiths in the fight against abortion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2866,"featured_media":2173905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-rfstudio-3825529.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2173904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-rfstudio-3825529.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2866"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2173904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2173905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2173904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2173904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2173904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}