Irish-born stem cell scientist may bring his work home from Harvard

AN IRISH-born Harvard University academic is returning to this country next week to investigate the possibility of setting up his own laboratory to carry out controversial research into embryonic stem cell applications.

Dr Stephen Sullivan yesterday said he will meet with scientists, IVF specialists, government advisors, lawyers and politicians about continuing his study in Ireland.

His research involves cell left over from the IVF process. He said those cells will never become a foetus let alone a baby or a human being.

“I take my work very seriously,” said Cork-born Dr Sullivan, a former UCC student who is a Harvard stem cell research fellow along with being a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.

“Ireland stands at a crossroads where it can harness the intellect and ability of the Irish people to help the sick in a way we’ve never before imagined,” he said.

“Clinicians and scientists have been given this new amazing tool to study disease in the test tube.

“Many diseases, such as Parkinsons, diabetes or MS, take many years to diagnose, by which time the disease is already very hard if not impossible to treat. By using excess cells from IVF clinics that no longer have the capacity to become human beings, we will be able to study these terrible diseases ... in a way never before available to us.”

Dr Sullivan is the editor of the book Human Embryonic Stem Cells: The Practical Handbook, which has contributions from over 50 top scientists worldwide. He claimed Ireland was swimming in a sea of misinformation about this type of research.

“One of the reasons I am returning now is to talk to people in a rational way, communicate my research and try and engage people on this topic.

“I feel I am like a person in Dublin during the 50s or 60s advocating we build a subway for further generations to improve the quality of life.

“Here though, of course, the potential is there for improving the lives of people with many terrible diseases, is at stake. In Spain, Portugal and our other neighbours, the public are well informed and realise the therapeutic potential of this work.”