Senator Cecil Staton, the Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, held a very informative hearing this afternoon on the state of stem cell research. It was a prelude to our meeting this Thursday afternoon when we will formally take up Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act.

We heard today from Dr. Rob Matheny, a medical doctor and heart surgeon associated with St. Joseph’s Hospital. Dr. Matheny has helped pioneer technology that heals damaged heart tissue through the use of the body’s own stem cells. He gave an absolutely fascinating presentation.

Dr. Matheny shared with us promising research suggesting that “adult stem cells” have greater “plasticity” than originally believed and can be coaxed into becoming virtually every type of tissue. He also discussed the difficulties encountered in embryonic stem cell research, specifically issues involving the rejection of donated embryonic cells and the danger of cancerous mutation. Dr. Matheny told the committee that in recent years that “there’s been a real move away from embryonic stem cells,” and for good reason. All of the medical advances involving stem cells have been made with nonembryonic cells.

Dr. Matheny’s presentation differed considerably from the lecture given earlier this month by Dr. Steve Stice, a noted animal husbandry expert affiliated with the University of Georgia’s animal and dairy science department. Stice, who has cloned both cows and pigs while at the University, is now involved in human embryonic stem cell research. In responding to questions from committee members, Stice seemed unaware of recent medical developments involving human stem cells, perhaps because human medicine is outside his immediate area of expertise.

In any event, I am looking forward to presenting Senate Bill 148 on Thursday afternoon. I do not believe that science and ethics are incompatible. I am convinced that Georgia can lead the way in both.

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