Ashley regarded the senator seated to his immediate right, who shook his head, covered his microphone with his palm, and leaned toward the chairman. “Ashley,” he whispered. “I hope you are going to be expeditious about his. I’ve got to be out of here by ten-thirty.”
“Have no fear,” Ashley whispered back. “I’m going for the jugular here.”
Ashley took a drink from the glass of water in front of him and peered down at Daniel. “Our first witness is the brilliant Dr. Daniel Lowell, who, as I’ve already mentioned, is the discoverer of HTSR. Dr. Lowell has impressive credentials, including M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from some of our country’s most august institutions. Somehow he even found time to do a residency in internal medicine. He has received countless awards for his work and has held prestigious positions at Merck pharmaceuticals and Harvard University. Welcome, Dr. Lowell.”
“Thank you, Senator,” Daniel said. He moved forward in his chair. “I appreciate your kind remarks about my curriculum vitae, but, if I may, I’d like to take immediate issue with a particular point in your opening statement.”
“By all means,” Ashley responded.
“HTSR and therapeutic cloning do not, I repeat, do not involve the dismemberment of embryos.” Daniel spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. “The therapeutic cells are taken before any embryo has started to form. They are taken from a structure called a blastocyst.”
“Do you deny these blastocysts are incipient human life?”
“They are human life, but when disaggregated, their cells are similar to the cells you lose from your gums when you brush your teeth vigorously.”
“I don’t think I brush that vigorously,” Ashley said with a short laugh. A few spectators joined in.
“We all shed live epithelial cells.”
“Perhaps so, but these epithelial cells are not going to form embryos like a blastocyst.”
“They could,” Daniel said. “That is the point. If the epithelial cells are fused with an egg cell whose nucleus has been extracted, and then the combination is activated, they could form an embryo.”
“Which is what is done in cloning.”
“Precisely,” Daniel said. “Blastocysts have a potential to form a viable embryo, but only if implanted in a uterus. In therapeutic cloning, they are never allowed to form embryos.”
“I think we’re getting bogged down in semantics here,” Ashley said impatiently.
“It is semantics,” Daniel agreed. “But it is important semantics. People have to understand that embryos are not involved in therapeutic cloning or HTSR.”
“Your opinion regarding my opening statement has been duly recorded,” Ashley said. “I’d like to move on to the procedure itself. Would you describe it for us here at the hearing and for the official transcript?”
“I’d be happy to,” Daniel said. “Homologous Transgenic Segmental Recombination is the name we have given to a procedure that involves replacing the portion of an individual’s DNA responsible for a particular illness with homologous disease-free DNA. This is done in the nucleus of one of the patient’s cells, which is then used for therapeutic cloning.”
“Hold it right there,” Ashley interrupted. “I’m already confused, as I’m sure most of the audience is. Let me see if I have this straight. You’re talking about taking a cell from a sick person and changing its DNA before doing the therapeutic cloning.”
“That’s correct,” Daniel said. “Replacing the small portion of the cell’s genetic material that’s responsible for the individual’s illness.”
“And the therapeutic cloning is then done to make a bunch of these cells to cure the patient.”
“Correct again! The cells are encouraged with various growth hormones to become the type of cells the patient needs. And thanks to HTSR, these cells will not have the genetic predisposition to reform the illness being treated. When these cells are put into the patient, not only will the patient be cured, he or she will not have the genetic tendency to come down with the same illness.”
“Perhaps we could talk about a particular disease,” Ashley suggested. “It might make it easier for us nonscientists to understand. I gather from some of the articles you’ve published that Parkinson’s disease is one of the illnesses you believe will be amenable to this treatment.”
“That’s correct,” Daniel said. “As well as many other maladies, from Alzheimer’s and diabetes to certain forms of arthritis. It’s an impressive list of illnesses, many of which have not been amenable to treatment, much less a cure.”
“Let’s concentrate on Parkinson’s for a moment,” Ashley said. “Why do you think HSTR will work with this ailment?”
“Because with Parkinson’s, we are lucky enough to have a mouse model for testing,” Daniel said. “These mice have Parkinson’s disease, meaning their brains are missing nerve cells that produce a compound called dopamine that functions as a neurotransmitter, and their illness is a mirror image of the human form. We have taken these animals, carried out HTSR, and have cured them permanently.”
“That’s impressive,” Ashley commented.
“It’s even more impressive when you see it happen in front of your very eyes.”
“The cells are injected.”
“Yes.”
“And there are no problems with that?”
“No, not at all,” Daniel said. “There’s already been considerable experience using this technique on humans for other therapies. The injection must be done carefully, under controlled conditions, but there’s generally no problem whatsoever. In our experience, the mice have had no ill effects.”
“Are the mice cured soon after the injection?”
“In our experience, the Parkinson’s symptoms begin to subside immediately,” Daniel said. “And it continues rapidly. With the mice we’ve treated, it’s been truly remarkable. Within a week, the treated mice cannot be distinguished from the well controls.”
“I suppose you are eager to try this on humans,” Ashley suggested.
“Extremely so,” Daniel admitted with a series of nods for emphasis. “After we complete our animal studies, which are moving ahead rapidly, we’re hoping for a fast track with the FDA to begin human trials in a controlled setting.”
Ashley saw Daniel glance at his companion and even grip her hand for a moment. Ashley smiled inwardly, sensing Daniel was thinking the hearing was going well. It was time to rectify that misconception. “Tell me, Doctor Lowell,” Ashley began. “Have you ever heard the saying: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t?”
“Of course.”
“Well, I think HTSR is a prime example. Putting aside for a moment the semantic argument about whether or not embryos are being dismembered, HTSR has another major ethical problem.”
Ashley paused for effect. The audience was completely still.
“Doctor,” Ashley said patronizingly. “Have you ever read that classic novel by Mary Shelley called Frankenstein?”
“HTSR has nothing to do with the Frankenstein myth,” Daniel said indignantly, implying he knew full well where Ashley was headed. “To imply as much is an irresponsible attempt to take advantage of public fears and misconceptions.”
“I beg to disagree,” Ashley said. “In fact, I think Mary Shelley must have had an inkling that HTSR was coming down the pike, and that’s why she wrote her novel.”
The spectators again laughed. It was apparent they were hanging on to every word and enjoying themselves.