Tom Coburn: “I wanted to add one other thing. When the American people think about stem cells and potential treatments, the thing…”

“I wanted to add one other thing. When the American people think about stem cells and potential treatments, the thing that is never talked to them about is the idea of tissue rejection. There isn't going to be an embryonic stem cell that produces a cell that can be used in any human without the use of antirejection drugs. The only way you can get around that is to clone yourself. The only way you can get around it totally, without any rejection whatsoever, is to be a female and clone yourself, because cells have these wonderful little engines in them called mitochondria. They have separate DNA. That DNA of the cloned egg will be accomplished as a part of that. So this idea we think we are going to have this great answer, even once we get to treatments--treatments that use embryonic stem cells rather than altered nuclear transfer, or oocyte-assisted reprogramming--those cells will all have to have accompanying with them, all those treatments, anti-rejection drugs. If you know anybody who has had any type of organ transplant, ask them how it is to take those drugs. The only way you do that is, we come to the next ethical dilemma: Is it OK for you to clone yourself, then destroy that life you have cloned so you can take part of that for you? All those ethical dilemmas are gone in altered nuclear transfer because now you are inserting stem cells from your own body. They are your own cells. There is no rejection.”