Christen Brownlee’s article on embryonic stem cell research as conducted at USC is troubling for two reasons. First, it describes in positive terms a practice that is viewed by many people in the USC community – including myself – as the unjustifiable destruction of human life. Secondly, and perhaps worse from an academic point of view, the article reflects an insufficient acknowledgment or sensitivity toward the controversial nature of this research. By the way, I should note that stem cell work has failed to show any of the results obtained through adult stem cell research, which does not involve creation and destruction of new life.

 Respect for the ethical dimensions of research – and for differing views – has always been a USC trademark. Where was it this time? And why hire a non-USC journalist to extol a practice considered reprehensible by many Trojans?

 Michael S. Carter ’99, Ph.D. ’06
DAYTON, OHIO

My wife and I are the proud parents of two members of the Trojan Family – a senior and a freshman. I work as a professor of chemistry at a university in the Philadelphia area, where I have been on the faculty for 25 years, and my wife has taught in a preschool for 15 of those years. Prior to that, she taught fourth and fifth grades in a middle school.

As parents of three children, and teachers of many, we are both familiar with young people across a wide range of ages. Some of these will be our future scientists. It is with them in mind that I am writing to you.

“The Science of Hope” raises many questions, so I will try to limit this to a few of them. Here is the first one. How many successful treatments to date have been developed using embryonic stem cells? Your article mentions possible therapies for Parkinson’s disease, cancer, diseases of the blood and immune system, macular degeneration, and tendon injuries. In view of the considerable amount of research funding and talent that has already been expended on embryonic stem cell research, it seems fair to ask what successful therapies have been developed? 

A second question: Why is the material related to the alternative method of developing embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos placed in parentheses? I can recall that when this development was first announced, it was featured on national news broadcasts and major newspapers. The work on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) has been called “spectacular” by researchers at Harvard University. Some say it is “Nobel-worthy.” Yet in your article, this exciting research is mentioned in parentheses, giving the impression that it is a less significant approach than the harvesting of stem cells from human embryos. Why the relegation of this landmark discovery? [Editor’s Note: The news on the alternative method of creating stem cells was announced just as we went to press.]

Why are none of the perceived problems with using embryonic stem cells mentioned in your article? Objectivity would seem to demand that the following are included: 1. Embryonic stem cells are difficult to differentiate uniformly and homogeneously into a target tissue. 2. They are likely to be immunogenic, and rejected after transplantation. 3. They may be tumorigenic, capable of forming tumors or promoting tumor formation.

 As a report covering the science of stem cell research, “The Science of Hope” does a disservice to its readers by focusing only on the potential, and as yet unrealized, outcomes of research on embryonic stem cells, and neglecting to mention the challenges associated with them.

[However,] these shortcomings are nothing compared to your utter failure to deal with the moral and ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cell research. Have you considered that some USC parents may actually have serious concerns about the morality of destroying human embryos for research? Have you considered that to some of your Trojan Family members, a human embryo is not some static lump of cells, but that it is dynamic? A bioethicist said it this way: “…the early human embryo is never merely biological tissue, like a group of liver cells in a Petri dish; at a minimum, such an embryo, with all its internal structure and directionality, represents the privileged sanctuary of one meant to develop as a human person.”

We scientists are sometimes viewed as being insensitive to societal or moral concerns. We are accused at times of being arrogant. While scientists and non-scientists alike hope that future generations will benefit from the discoveries of science, some of us feel strongly that those discoveries must be guided by concern and respect for the human family in all of its dimensions.

Robert M. Giuliano, Ph.D.
WAYNE, PA

Martin Pera responds:
The letters from Drs. Carter and Giuliano raise some questions about embryonic stem (ES) cell research that certainly merit a considered reply.  Here are my thoughts on the issues they discussed:

Cures from ES cells – It would have been premature, imprudent and dangerous to rush into clinical application of human embryonic stem cells, which were discovered only 10 years ago and have really been subject to extensive investigation only in the past five years or so. Typically, in the drug industry, there is a 10- to 15-year gap between a basic discovery and a clinical trial. That said, several biotechnology firms have in fact applied to the FDA for permission to conduct early stage trials with human ES cell-derived products, and there are now a large number of preclinical proof-of-concept studies of human ES cell-based therapies in animal models of disease.  In other words, we are proceeding towards clinical application of human ES cells at a rapid but appropriately cautious pace.

New discoveries with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells – The entire scientific community has been captivated by these new findings, and we at USC, along with many other laboratories around the world, are actively pursuing studies of this new technology. However, there are still important safety concerns around how the new cell lines are produced, and it will be some time before we are certain that human iPS cell lines, generated under conditions that do not pose a safety risk, are in fact equivalent to human ES cells. Until these issues are clarified, we need to study both iPS cells and ES cells. By the way, it is quite unlikely that iPS cells would ever have even been discovered without the precedent of human ES cell research.

Scientific concerns with embryonic stem cells – The ability to direct ES cell differentiation to produce pure populations of desired cell types is improving all the time, but certainly remains a topic of ongoing research. ES cell-derived tissues are potentially immunogenic, but there are a number of solutions to this problem under investigation. Finally, ES cells can induce tumors, but we do not plan to administer ES cells to patients. Instead, we will administer differentiated cells, and if we are careful to purify these, tumorigenicity is unlikely to be a problem. It is important to note that all of these problems with ES cells will apply equally to the iPS cells recently derived from skin tissue, if indeed iPS cells turn out to be identical to ES cells in all key features.

Stem cell research at USC – Whatever the impression the USC Trojan Family Magazine article may have given, of the eight faculty thus far recruited to the USC center, only two have as their main focus ES cell research.  Others work on designing drugs to modify adult tissue repair, or on stem cells in adult tissues, or on basic mechanisms of stem cell regulation in animal development. We have always taken the view that it is critical to pursue both ES and (adult) tissue stem cell research together. These areas of science are complementary and synergistic.

Status of the human embryo – We recognize and respect the diversity of views concerning the moral status of the human embryo. However, we live in a pluralistic society, and in the state of California, a democratic majority has expressed clearly its support for research based on the use of spare IVF embryos to derive human stem cell lines. In fact, over many years and in many jurisdictions around the world, support for the use of spare embryos in stem cell research has consistently run at around 70 percent approval.

Hopeful Research
The article on Carlos and Michele Pato and their research on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (“Island Explorers,” Winter 2007,   p. 46) is so amazing. Perhaps we’re overzealous and getting our hopes up, but our little girl has schizophrenia. She is 36 years old and has been in countless board-and-care homes.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a cure could be found for this dreadful disease, the one that took our baby, once a vibrant young woman, to, well, a young woman who remembers sometimes “nothing.” We want the cure for all of these people. This article gave us some hope. All any of us can hope for, who endure the sadness of this, is hope.

God bless all of you who are trying desperately to find a cure for this, and all diseases.

Tom ’74 and Glenda Bilich
ALHAMBRA, CA

Tales of Big Daddy
Bill Boyarsky’s article on Jesse Unruh in your Spring 2008 issue (“Big Daddy,” p. 42) reminded me of when Jesse and I were USC journalism students in the late 1940s. I got to know Jesse when he was a copyeditor and I was a copyreader for the Daily Trojan.

During the mid-1950s, I was editor of five community newspapers that covered the greater Wilshire area in Los Angeles. One day, prior to the 1954 state elections, I received an invitation from Jesse to join him for lunch. He asked me if it was possible to get my papers to endorse him for the State Assembly. He had run unsuccessfully twice before and he was making an all-out effort to win this time. I told him my publisher, Jerry Deal, was a dedicated Republican and it was automatic that we endorsed only Republican candidates. I told him I would ask Deal for the endorsement but I didn’t hold out much hope that I could get it.

When I broached the subject to Deal, he asked me why we should endorse Jesse. I replied that Jesse was honest…and he was smart. Deal thought for a moment, then he said: “Go ahead. We need a change in that district. Endorse Unruh.”

I can’t tell you how many phone calls I received from readers who wanted to know why Jesse was the only Democrat we had endorsed in years. He won the election and I like to think I played a small part in launching Jesse on a spectacular political career.

Tony DiMarco ’50
LOS ANGELES, CA

The excellent Bill Boyarsky article about “Big Daddy” Jesse Unruh brought back some fond memories for me. I am not related to Jess; I have an “e” on the end of my name and weigh 140 pounds compared to Jess’s 300 pounds.

When I ran on the USC track team, coach Dean Cromwell said the “e” meant I had money in the bank. Actually, the “e” was a mistake. My father was an orphan in New York City when the orphanage placed him on an “Orphan Train” heading for midwest farms where he was adopted by a Kansas family about 1901. His only possessions were a paper sack of clothes and a name tag that misspelled his name with the “e” on the end.

I first met Jess in 1947 when the USC business office got our records mixed up and called us into the office to get things straightened out. We both were attending USC on the G.I. Bill. Our paths never crossed again on campus.

In 1950, I got married at United University Church on the USC campus, to a wonderful lady who became Virginia Jones Unruhe.  We were expecting our first child in November 1951 when I took Virginia to Centinela Hospital for the delivery. When we checked into the maternity ward, I noticed the nurse giving my wife a funny look. After she went into the delivery room I noticed all the nurses going into the room to check on her. As I paced the floor, I asked why all the nurses were checking on her and then discovered that Jess Unruh had married a lady named Virginia and there were now two Virginia Unruhes in California and his Virginia had given birth several months prior and the nurses wanted to see the woman who could give birth twice within several months. They soon discovered there was a different Virginia Unruh“e.” They got used to us, as Jess and his Virginia had six children at Centinela Hospital and we had five children at the same hospital.

Our paths crossed again in 1956 when I ran for City Council in Culver City and Jess was running for the State Assembly in a nearby district. We both got elected.

In 1962, I was elected to the Culver City Council again and Jess by this time was a “power” in Sacramento. One problem we faced was the loss of jobs in the film industry to other states and countries.  Jess tried to remedy this problem with a bill that would greatly reduce the property taxes of movie studios. This was great for the movie studios but threatened to bankrupt cities like Culver City and Burbank where many films were produced and stored.  Jess got the bill passed and now Governor Pat Brown had to decide if he would sign it or veto it. Governor Pat Brown decided to have a hearing on the bill in his office and wanted both sides to come to Sacramento to state their case.

Culver City decided to have me and another councilman named Margolis represent the city at this hearing.  Before the hearing, we tried to arrange air travel between L.A. and Sacramento, but were told no flights were available for a return that afternoon or evening. Upon arrival in Sacramento, we explained our problem to our assemblyman and asked for his help. He called the airline and asked for an afternoon reservation for Unruhe and Margolis and got an immediate confirmation. This surprised us and later we discovered that a top assistant to Jess Unruh was also named Margolis and I suspect we got an afternoon plane because they thought Jess and his assistant were requesting the flight.

Several days after the hearing, Governor Pat Brown announced he had vetoed the bill.

I later became president of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and often had to travel to Sacramento. By this time Jess was state treasurer and I often stopped by to visit him.

Bob Unruhe ’48
OJAI, CA

Dear Old Dad
The commentary piece by David Baker (“To Be a Trojan,” Spring 2008, p. 48) was an absolutely remarkable contribution. What a tremendous tribute to Coach Carroll, to USC and to fatherhood in general. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve never read anything in the magazine that moved me so deeply. Thanks for including it!

Diane Schrader ’82
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

Open note to David Baker: Welcome to the Trojan Family! Fight on!

Sam Starfas ’63
SANTA BARBARA, CA

Coliseum Caveat
I enjoy each edition of USC Trojan Family Magazine and rely on it to be accurate as well as entertaining. In the article on “USC and the Coliseum” (Spring 2008, p.12), the writer says: “It was agreed the Coliseum would reprise its 1932 role of hosting track, field, and opening and closing events – becoming the only facility in the world to host two Olympiads.” As a member of the Spirit of Troy USC Trojan Marching Band, I’m proud to say I’ve proudly performed on the field at the Coliseum many times. But it is not the only facility to host two Olympiads.

The host of the 1932 Winter Games was Lake Placid, which also hosted the 1980 Winter Games and the rink now named “the 1932 rink” was used for events in both those Winter Games. I do find it fascinating the U.S. has two twice-used Olympic facilities, and both had their first Games in 1932. I’m also proud to say I’ve competed in the 1932 rink for the U.S. Adult National Skating Championships…and, like the Coliseum, there is a feeling of pride and sense of history when in that building.

Thanks for the great articles. Keep up the good work!

Autumn Allison ’78
CLAYTON, CA

Marching to the Oldies
My great uncle gave me a record album of the USC Trojan Marching Band and Glee Club under the direction of William A. Schaefer. I’m trying to figure out how old it is. I have attached some photos of the album. “Conquest” is on the record, but it is not listed on the back cover because there are not words for the song. Have any of you seen this before? Any information on this album would be greatly appreciated. It’s one of my prize possessions of USC memorabilia.

My great uncle started collecting USC memorabilia when he was young. I had many more things like some very old Rose Bowl programs and USC versus UCLA programs that went back in the 1940s. Unfortunately all were destroyed in a house fire but the album was spared because it was in a different location at the time.

Philip Gregory
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA

USC historian Annette Moore responds: It took a little sleuthing, but we’ve finally been able to track down when your record was produced. The original album order form, which is contained in clippings files in the USC University Archives, bears a pencil marking of “Jan 1963,” so we can be safe in assuming that the record came out right around that time. It is quite a special piece!

As an aside, you might be interested to know that the USC Trojan Marching Band’s first recording went on sale after a pep rally in October 1924.

Update: Kenya
I was absolutely blown away with the story on Father Henry Simaro (Spring 2008,  p. 55).  I am dazzled by the ability of Starshine Roshell to take a story about which she knew nothing and in a very short while give the subject such warmth and dignity.  What a talent! Thanks to you and to Starshine many times over.

Barry Baldwin
NEWPORT BEACH, CA

We received the following update on Henry Simaro MA ’91, who runs schools for orphans outside Nairobi, Kenya, from Margie Deppisch of the African Child Fund. She was visiting Simaro during the violence following the presidential election on Dec. 27th:

“Fr. Henry’s villages and schools are in the slums outside Nairobi and were not affected by the violence. It was unsafe for the children to walk to school, so many did not arrive the first day of school in early January. Many children arrived later. More children who needed food, clean water and schooling arrived unannounced, which taxed Fr. Henry’s budget and space. The price of food doubled due to roads being closed and inaccessibility to food sources. I spoke with Fr. Henry this morning [March 6] and he is doing well and the children are thriving.”