Aborted human fetuses used for experimental organ transplants

Scientists at a biotech company in California, Ganogen Inc., have begun taking organs from aborted babies and transplanting them into lab rats. The goal of this controversial experiment is to grow the organs inside the rats with hopes of future use in patients who need organ transplants.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The research and experimental findings were published in the January 22 edition of the American Journal of Transplantation, according to cnsnews.com.

"Researchers say they have developed a new technique that will get more kidneys to people who need transplants, but the method is sure to be controversial," states a Live Science article. "The research shows that it is feasible to remove a kidney from an aborted human fetus, and implant the organ into a rat, where the kidney can grow to a larger size."

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According to the founder and CEO of the company and medical student at Duke University, Eugene Gu, their long-term goal is to ultimately be able to grow human organs in animals, "to end the human donor shortage."

"This is horrific on so many levels," expresses pro-life activist and former labor and delivery nurse Jill Stanek, describing this new research as unacceptable to cnsnews.com. Stanek goes on to explain it is "abominable" to "take organs from murdered pre-born babies to use in post-born humans."

"The key issues are the existence of the pregnant woman's consent and the total separation of the decision to abort from the decision to let the fetal remains be used in research," Hank Greely, an ethical and legal expert on biomedical science at Stanford Law School told Live Science.

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Although the company has specific requirements, such as the mother having to be already decided on an abortion before being asked to donate the fetus for research, it is unlikely this technique will be successful in society.

"It is easy to see where this is heading, toward the day when human beings will be grown in the lab specifically for organ and tissue harvesting," said Stanek.

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