News Release March 5, 2000

LEADING EXPERTS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, THEOLOGY AND MEDICAL ETHICS DEBATE AND DISCUSS SCIENCE'S QUEST FOR IMMORTALITY

Philadelphia, PA - Over the course of the 20th century, scientific advances dramatically extended the average human life, almost doubling the life expectancy of people around the globe. As science continues to make rapid advances - through genetics and other research - in slowing aging and further increasing life expectancy, a group of the nation's foremost experts in biotechnology, theology and medical ethics debated the ramifications of this work at an historic and unique Symposium that began here today. The Symposium, Extended Life, Eternal Life, www.extended-eternallife.org was co-hosted by the John Templeton Foundation and the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Held at the University of Pennsylvania, it was sponsored by Advanced Cell Technology, Worcester, MA; Geron Corporation, Menlo Park, CA; and the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences.

Controversial entrepreneur Michael D. West, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. was among the cutting edge biotechnologists at the Symposium whose research focuses on understanding the aging process and developing biotechnologies to defeat it. West and his colleagues joined leaders in religion, theology and medical ethics in debating and discussing the advances in life-extending biotechnology, the possibilities for slowing or stopping the human aging process and the social, cultural and ethical considerations that come into play in extending human life.

Other leading scientists at the conference included: Mark E. Westhusin, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology at Texas A & M University; Leonard Hayflick, Ph.D., a well known cell biologist; Robert P. Lanza, M.D., Senior Director of Tissue Engineering and Transplant Medicine at Advanced Cell Technology; and Robert Arking, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences at Wayne State University.

Theologians and religious scholars at the Symposium discussed how the rapidly approaching medical "revolution" can be understood, interpreted and addressed, against a backdrop of many rich traditions of social, ethical and theological thinking on the ultimate meanings of life. Among the notable scholars were: Neil Gillman, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Jewish Philosophy at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Elaine H. Pagels, Ph.D., Professor of Religion at Princeton University; Eleonore P. Stump, Ph.D., Lilly Fellow at the National Humanities Center; and Ted Peters, Ph.D., Professor, Systematic Theology, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union.


Extended Life, Eternal Life was billed as the first step in a crucial interdisciplinary conversation on the ultimate significance of life in the face of radical and rapidly emerging scientific possibilities for radically extending human life. Through the discussions, Symposium participants began to map out strategies to shape future efforts to inform and improve worldwide discourse about the scientific and spiritual dimensions of these emerging issues.

On Sunday evening, the Symposium organizers held a public debate, Scientific, Ethical and Theological Perspectives: Should biomedicine seek to treat dying as a disease - and try to cure it? Arthur L. Caplan, Director of the Center for Bioethics and Trustee Professor of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Health System moderated the debate. The panel included leading experts: Lee M. Silver, Ph.D., Professor of molecular biology and Professor of public affairs at Princeton University; Leon R. Kass, M.D., Ph. D., Addie Clark Harding Professor, Committee on Social Thought at the College of the University of Chicago; Ronald Cole-Turner, M.Div., Ph.D., H. Parker Sharp Professor of Theology and Ethics at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary; and Daniel Callahan, Director of the Hastings Center in Garrison, New York. The Philadelphia Center for Religion and Science cosponsored the debate.

Discussion questions included:

  • Why does the process of aging exist? Can it be "turned off?"
  • Can death from aging be cured as if it were a disease? Should death be conquered? What will be the social consequences of radically extended life? How should this be considered in regard to the religious concepts of "salvation" and of "eternal life?" How can science and religion/theology interact on such questions?
  • What are the cultural and ethical frameworks appropriate to considering such "ultimate" notions as the biotechnological "conquest of death?"
  • Will people born at this century's end have the chance to live for two or more centuries? Will progress toward biotechnological "immortalization" be a significant step toward realizing humanity's quest for eternal life?
  • Considered in a religious context, should the progressive retreat of death be interpreted to represent a "blessing" through the working out of a Divine purpose through the beneficent agency of human creativity? Is the retreat of death in the face of the advance of biotechnology serving God, is it a tragic arrogance of "playing God?" or are there more subtle issues that matter in between? If life expands, how does the human spirit need to expand and do concepts of God need to expand?
  • How can goodness and beauty be served best when radical new powers are developed through the advance of science against the ancient enemy of death? Should we fear and resist the shadow of death?


The debate was also broadcast live on the Internet on the Extended Life, Eternal Life website, www.extended-eternallife.org.

Another highlight of the Symposium was Monday's Roundtable Discussion: Where should the biotechnological advances in extending human life take us over the next year, decade and millennium? Dr. Caplan moderated the discussion. Participants included: Rev. Calvin O. Butts, III, D. Min., Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City; Rabbi Gerald I. Wolpe, Ph.D., Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania Health System; Audrey R. Chapman, Ph.D., M. Div, American Association for the Advancement of Science; and William B. Hurlbut, M.D., Stanford University.

In other sessions during the two-day Symposium, participants tackled such questions as:

  • What are the key aspects of the scientific understanding of aging and death? What are the possible ways of changing the process of aging?

  • What are the key theological and religious traditions and perspectives that can inform and illuminate debates on the meaning and significance of aging and death, as well as address biotechnological efforts to extend life - or even biologically immortalize humans?

  • Where is biotechnology taking us on various timescales - ten years, 1,000 years, 10,000 years, 1,000,000 years - in trying to "remedy" aging and "conquer" death?

Established in 1994, the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Health System (www.bioethics.net) has a mission to advance scholarly and public understanding of ethical, legal, social and public issues in health care. The Center also conducts a wide range of courses, educational conferences and seminars for health care professionals and researchers in the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Ongoing scholarly research is a mainstay of the Center's activities. Center faculty conduct research aimed at improving the practice and delivery of medical care. Current research focuses on key issues such as genetic testing and engineering, informed consent, human research and experimentation, decision-making authority and capacity, resource allocation, and transplantation. The faculty's work has been published in such prestigious journals as the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Journal of the American Medical Association, Annals of Internal Medicine, Hastings Center Report, and Lancet.

The John Templeton Foundation (www.templeton.org) was established by Sir John Templeton in 1987. Sir John is universally regarded as a pioneer in the development of high-yield globally diversified mutual funds, and now at 87, continues vigorously as a full-time philanthropist. The Foundation supports over a hundred programs worldwide, which serve three chief purposes. The first to stimulate serious, rigorous, progress-generating links between the sciences and all religions. The second to promote appreciation for character-building as integral to a free democratic society, and third to encourage appreciation for the benefits of freedom and free, fair and open competition.

CONTACT:

Pamela Thompson
610/941-2828
Mariama Diao
Lisa Lederer
202/371-1999