Setting the Record Straight: Stem Cell Research - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 08-15-2004, 01:29 AM

Kerry's Claim: "Three years ago, the President enacted a far-reaching ban on stem cell research, shutting down some of the most promising work to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, AIDS and so many other life-threatening diseases." (Sen. John Kerry, Democratic Response To The President's Weekly Radio Address, 8/7/04)

The Truth: Kerry's misleading claim is designed to obscure the truth from the public. President Bush did not ban stem cell research, but is actually the first president to fund stem cell research. Federal funding of stem cell research prior to the President's decision was $0. The President's 2003 budget included $24.8 million for human embryonic stem cell research, an increase of 132 percent from 2002 and $190 million in funding for adult stem cells. There is no ban on private research of stem cells at all.

The President balanced this decision with the position that we should not cross a fundamental moral line by using federal funds to encourage or support the destruction of a human embryo. This principle receives broad support internationally, with many European countries--including France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Ireland--banning altogether the destruction of human embryos to create stem cell lines.

Charles Krauthammer said of Kerry's claim, "Look, I personally support expansion of some of the federal funding of stem cell research. But you're absolutely right, the ban that they speak about is simply a lie. It is legal in the country of course; it always has been. Private universities are working hard on it. Secondly, there was a ban on the federal funding right through the Clinton years. They never spent a penny on stem cells. The person who lifted the ban was President Bush when he made his speech in August of 2001. So, the federal, right now the federal government is spending $25 million on stem cell research. So, to talk about a ban I think is simply to mislead Americans deliberately." (Fox News' "Fox News Live," 8/9/04)

kvmj · 08-15-2004, 09:03 AM

At the time Bush made his announcement about stem cell research, there were 70 some lines being studied. He decided that no new lines could be added. Of the original lines, only 20 some are viable.

Stem cell research shows great potential for many diseases including Parkinson's and cancer.

His objections are religious in nature and not based on scientific fact.

JillPole · 08-15-2004, 10:26 AM

The reason only 20 are available (if that, even now), is due to political pressure from the right-wing conservatives. They decided to drag abortion rights into this, saying the majority of stem cells would come from aborted fetuses.

Result? Bush ran scared, backed off, bowed down to any type of scientific idea that would DARE bring up Roe v. Wade, never mind that these are NOT stem cells from aborted fetuses!!!

I'm sorry... I just want to puke. My stepfather just received a new liver today because a 23 yr. old male died. I have been posting to keep myself from crying my eyes out. Not just for my stepfather to pull through, but for the family of the person who died. One of my brothers is 23.

It is a tough position to be put in... to think that someone you love is alive because someone died. It is killing me right now.

But that is NOT what stem cell research is about!!!

If the posts look like articles from another source, then STOP! Ask yourselves where the article is from and who originally wrote it. If you question something, go beyond BBS and dig for more info. Make up your own minds!!!

Jolie Rouge · 08-17-2004, 04:47 PM

Bush, Kerry Spar on Stem Cell Research Ban

Presidential candidate John Kerry used the third anniversary of President George W. Bush's ban of new stem cell research to denounce the ban and pledge that he would rescind it, if elected. Opponents of such research say it destroys human life, while its supporters say it holds out hope for treating many presently incurable conditions. How do you think this is likely to affect voters in November?

On the campaign trail, Senator Kerry pledged that "we're going to create a new anniversary, one that will be a cause for celebration. We're going to lift the ban on stem cell research."

Attacking President Bush's policy on stem cell research, Senator Kerry said that, "Here in America, we don't sacrifice science for ideology."

If elected, the junior Senator from Massachusetts pledged that, "We're going to listen to our scientists and stand up for science. We're going to say 'yes' to knowledge, 'yes' to discovery, and 'yes' to a new era of hope for all Americans."

Three years ago, on August 9th, 2001, President Bush used his first prime-time nationwide television address to announced his decision to ban the use of federal funds in most embryonic stem cell research. Exempted from the ban were those few cell lines which already existed at that time.

At that time, President Bush told his viewing audience that embryonic stem cell research carried the prospect of both "great promise and great peril."

Stem cells are among the earliest, least differentiated cells found in embryos, and from which the wide range of cell types making up fully-formed human beings are derived. Advocates of such research point to the possibility of future cures for cancer and degenerative diseases, or even the ageing process itself. Opponents assert that such stem cells constitute human life, and that much research involving them is morally impermissible.

How do you think this is likely to affect voters in November?

Jolie Rouge · 08-17-2004, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JillPole

If the posts look like articles from another source, then STOP! Ask yourselves where the article is from and who originally wrote it. If you question something, go beyond BBS and dig for more info. Make up your own minds!!!

ITA

Anyone care to discuss why all this debate only concerns embryonic stem cell research ??

Stem cells can also be "harvested" from the cord blood after child birth, no ethical or moral crisis involved ...

kvmj · 08-17-2004, 07:17 PM

Embryonic stem cells are the most malleable. I can't think of a better word.

Do question in vitro fertilization where excess embryos are routinely discarded.

I agree with Kerry.

You cannot mix science and religion.

Jolie Rouge · 09-13-2004, 01:41 AM

One of the flogged-to-death Democratic campaign horses is stem cell research--a topic that, according to the latest Zogby poll, could endear swing voters enough to support Kerry's cause. If Kerry were to announce a major initiative in stem cell research to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and spinal injuries, states an article in American Demographics, he would gain 11% of Bush voters. Another 9% of Bush voters would switch to a third party, not vote, or be undecided.

Bob Beckel, former political strategist for the Dems, calls stem cell research the "'sleeper issue' of this campaign." Correspondingly, Kerry doesn't miss an opportunity to bring it up. MSN's Slate magazine reported that stem cells "were mentioned 20 times at the Democratic National Convention, more than unemployment and abortion combined."

"Three years ago, the President enacted a far-reaching ban on stem cell research," said Kerry in a radio address on August 7, promising twice that, if elected U.S. President, he'd "lift the ban."

Problem is, there is no such ban.

All George W. Bush did was restrict federal funding to research on embryos created before August 2001; but he didn't ban stem-cell research itself. In fact, Bush is the first president ever to give federal funds to embryonic stem cell research. Plus, the private sector, state and local governments are still free to pursue this potentially ground-breaking science as they wish.

Another half-truth the Democrats fervently promote is that stem cell research is a sure-fire way to help cure Alzheimer's Disease. So far, that hasn't been scientifically proven. A June article in the Washington Post stated that, "of all the diseases that may someday be cured by embryonic stem cell treatments, Alzheimer's is among the least likely to benefit." Even though scientists agree that stem cell research will be somewhat beneficial to understanding Alzheimer's better, a "cure" is by no means waiting on the sidelines.

But the "big A" is another catchword that could draw voters on Kerry's side. A poll by "Results for America", a group that endorses stem cell research, showed that only 17% of Americans have--or come in contact with through family, friends, etc.--the diseases that are most susceptible to stem cell therapy. With Alzheimer's in the mix, that number shoots up to 28%. And 72% of voters say they would support stem cell research if experts thought it would cure Alzheimer's.

"People need a fairy tale," Ronald McKay, a stem cell researcher at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told the Washington Post. "Maybe that's unfair, but they need a story line that's relatively simple to understand." And for all those people, John Kerry makes it easy to believe.

Gilding the lily on stem cell research isn't the only example of Democratic dirty tricks. For example. one of the battlegrounds between the GOP and Democrats is offbeat candidate Ralph Nader, the man that only a small, but potentially pivotal, block of voters take seriously. While Republicans busily gathered signatures for Nader to get on the ballots, hoping to take away votes from Kerry, the left allegedly kept busy, too.

According to the website www.votenader.org, the law firm Smith, Diamond, and Olney that works for the Democrats "threatened circulators of Nader petitions [in Oregon] saying they were investigating 'whether fraudulent signature-gathering techniques were used... saying their involvement 'may result in a conviction of a felony with a fine of up to $100,000 or prison for up to five years.'"

The pro-Nader team also complained that Democrats were sabotaging one of his recent nominating conventions, "swelling the number of attendees and then refusing to sign ballot petitions." Since the doors were closed by the government after over 1,000 attendees had been let in, the "intruders" prevented others from entering and Nader wound up with less than the 1,000 signatures he needed.

So much for moral superiority.

The bottom line, as we see it: there is a reason that there are only two major political parties... both know the game inside out, and will do whatever it takes to gain control, and keep it. Politics is not a game for the weak of heart.

Jolie Rouge · 10-04-2004, 04:20 PM

Embryonic Stem Cell Misinformation

John Kerry has made a repeated effort to mislead the press and the public on the reality of the new federal funding for stem cell research that the President announced in August 2001. Both Kerry and Edwards have repeatedly referred to the President's policy as a "ban" on stem cell research.

Numerous media outlets have adopted their language, referring to the President's new funding as a ban, or saying that the President took steps to limit federal funding without mentioning that the President announced the first ever federal funding of stem cell research. These characterizations are inaccurate or incomplete, and misinform the public on the reality of the policy.

The Facts Are:

** President Bush delivered the first funding ever for embryonic stem cell research. Prior to the President's announcement of new funding, federal funding of embryonic stem cell research was $0.

** The President's announcement did not ban, limit or restrict stem cell research.

** It is inaccurate to say the President "limited federal funding" of stem cell research, as such funding did not exist to limit. This language misleads voters to believe that the President put restrictions on existing federal funding.

** The President did announce the first ever federal funding of stem cell research with ethical requirements on which stem cell lines are funded.
The new federal funding that the President announced did not include funds to research stem cell lines from embryos that had not already been destroyed.

John Kerry's Effort To Mislead On Stem Cell Research:

Kerry: "Three Years Ago, The President Enacted A Far-Reaching Ban On Stem Cell Research." KERRY: "Three years ago, the President enacted a far-reaching ban on stem cell research, shutting down some of the most promising work to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, AIDS and so many other life-threatening diseases." (Sen. John Kerry, Democratic Response To The President's Weekly Radio Address, 8/7/04)

Jolie Rouge · 10-04-2004, 04:22 PM

THEN AND NOW >>>

2001 Coverage Of Stem Cell Decision:

The Boston Globe: Bush Administration Announced “First Federal Grants For Embryonic Stem Cell Research.” “The Bush administration announced yesterday that the first federal grants for embryonic stem cell research could be issued next January, breathing life into a sluggish but highly promising field of medicine now dominated by a few private companies.” (Raja Mishra And Anthony Shadid, “Stem Cell Grants Could Begin In Jan.,” The Boston Globe, 8/11/01)

USA Today: President Bush Announced “He Will Allow Federal Funding” For Research On Embryonic Stem Cells. “President Bush announced Thursday that he will allow federal funding for a limited amount of research on embryonic stem cells, in a compromise decision he said does not cross ‘a fundamental moral line.’” (Mimi Hall, “Bush OKs Limited Stem-Cell Funding,” USA Today, 8/10/01)

Los Angeles Times: President Bush Announces He Will “Allow The Federal Government To Fund Medical Research That Uses Stem Cells.” “President Bush, seeking a compromise in the most politically charged issue of his administration, announced Thursday that he would allow the federal government to fund medical research that uses stem cells taken from a limited number of human embryos.” (Aaron Zitner and Edwin Chen, “Bush OKs Limited Stem Cell Funding,” Los Angeles Times, 8/10/01)

The Associated Press: “President Bush Announced Thursday That He Will Allow Federal Funding” For Research On Stem Cells. “‘Stem cell research is something I deeply believe in for myself and the millions of other people who could benefit,’ Moore said before President Bush announced Thursday that he will allow federal funding for limited medical research on stem cells extracted from human embryos.” (Anthony Breznican, “Support Of Outspoken Celebrities Makes Stem Cell Research Hollywood's Latest Social Cause,” The Associated Press, 8/10/01)

2004 Inaccurate Stem Cell Media Reports:

ABC: "It Was Exactly Three Years Ago Today That President Bush Restricted Research Using Embryonic Cells." VARGAS: "Turning to the campaign trail today. Many believe such research could hold a cure for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It was exactly three years ago today that President Bush restricted research using embryonic cells. The Democrats are hitting him hard on that all this week. Here's ABC's John Cochran." (ABC's "World News Tonight," 8/9/04)

NBC: "Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Which The President Opposes." BROKAW: "The White House says there was no discussion of their disagreement over embryonic stem cell research, which the President opposes and Mrs. Reagan very publicly supports. The White House says Mrs. Reagan did express her full support of the President's campaign for reelection as President." (NBC's "Nightly News," 8/12/04)

The Associated Press: "What The President Has Done Is Limit The Research." “With polls showing overwhelming support for stem cell research, Kerry has promised to give scientists more freedom. He has used the word ban to describe Bush's actions when what the president has done is limit the research.” (Ron Fournier, “First Lady Bashes Kerry Stem Cell Stance,” The Associated Press, 8/9/04)

The Washington Post: "President Bush's Decision To Limit Federal Embryonic Stem Cell Research." "Seizing an issue with overwhelming bipartisan support, the Kerry campaign is marking the third anniversary of President Bush's decision to limit federal embryonic stem cell research with a series of high-profile events this week that call into question the administration's commitment to science and breakthrough medicine." (Ceci Connolly, "Kerry Takes On Issue Of Embryo Research," The Washington Post, 8/8/04)

The New York Times: Laura Bush Defends "The Limits Her Husband Had Imposed On Embryonic Stem Cell Research." "Venturing forcefully into one of the more contentious issues of the campaign, Laura Bush on Monday defended the limits her husband had imposed on embryonic stem cell research and criticized those who suggested that the research could lead quickly to cures for Alzheimer's and other diseases. …Mrs. Bush spoke on the third anniversary of President Bush's decision to limit federal financing for embryonic stem cell research to the 78 stem cell lines in existence at the time and as the issue moved to the forefront of the campaign." (Randy Kennedy, "First Lady Defends Limits On Stem Cell Research," The New York Times, 8/10/04)

Los Angeles Times: "President Bush's Ban On Embryonic Stem Cell Research." "Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry vowed Saturday that he would lift President Bush's ban on embryonic stem cell research, declaring that 'here in America, we don't sacrifice science for ideology.'" (Lisa Getter, "Kerry Decries Stem Cell Limits, Promises Funding," Los Angeles Times, 8/8/04)

USA Today: Ron Reagan Will "Make The Case For Embryonic Stem-Cell Research That President Bush Has Limited." "He was the most unlikely speaker of the night at the Democratic National Convention: Ron Reagan. The son of the president who has become a Republican icon was given a prized prime-time speaking slot to make the case for embryonic stem-cell research that President Bush has limited." (Susan Page, "Reagan: 'Cast A Vote' For Stem-Cell Research," USA Today, 7/28/04)

Boston Globe Editorial: "The Ban On Federal Funding Of Stem Cell Research." "On Monday night, Hillary Clinton received one of her loudest cheers at the Democratic National Convention when she called for an end to the ban on federal funding of stem cell research." ("Ron Reagan's Question," Editorial, The Boston Globe, 7/28/04)

CNN: "And Finally, Today Marks The Three-Year Anniversary Of President Bush's Ban On Some Federally-Funded Stem Cell Research." (Carol Costello, CNN's "American Morning," 8/9/04)

BBC Correspondent Labeled Bush Administration Stem Cell Policy A "Ban On Stem Cell Research." KAY: "I think this is much harder for President Bush. And you've had three dozen Republican congressmen, 48 Nobel laureates in science coming out and saying that the ban on stem cell research has to be overturned as well. Ron Reagan is not by himself. There's a broad body..." (NBC's "The Chris Matthews Show," 7/18/04)

CNN: Bush Administration's Policy Is To "Limit Federal Funding Of Stem Cell Research." WALLACE: "A senior Kerry adviser says Ron Reagan's decision to speak at the Democratic Convention will have, quote, 'big appeal to independents.' Reagan has been an outspoken critic of President Bush on many issues including his decision to limit federal funding of stem cell research." (CNNFN's "Market Call," 7/12/04)

Los Angeles Times: "Limited Federal Support For Stem Cell Research." "The president did not mention another major cause for religious conservatives: limiting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The issue has proven complicated for Republicans in the wake of the death of former President Reagan, who suffered from Alzheimer's, and his son's appearance at the Democratic convention attacking the limited federal support for stem cell research." (Peter Wallsten, "Bush Touches Base With His Core Supporters," Los Angeles Times, 8/4/04)

United Press International: "President Bush's Partial Ban On Embryonic-Stem-Cell Research." "The hot-button political issue of life and its origins came to the fore Monday as the Kerry-Edwards campaign commemorated the 'sad anniversary' of President Bush's partial ban on embryonic-stem-cell research, a decision Democrats charge was inappropriately based on the president's personal moral imperatives." (Marie Horrigan, "GOP: Dems 'Dishonest' On Stem-Cell Issue," United Press International, 8/9/04)

St. Petersburg Times: "President Bush's Ban On Stem Cell Research." "The three Democrats delivered their standard stump speeches about education, the economy and health care. And for the most part, they agreed. They oppose a constitutional ban on gay marriages. They oppose President Bush's ban on stem cell research. They oppose tax breaks for the rich." (Anita Kumar, "Unified Front Belies Rancor," St. Petersburg Times, 8/4/04)

San Antonio Express Editorial: "The Misguided Ban On Federal Funding Of Stem Cell Research." "Reagan's moving appeal to the nation may help put an end to the misguided ban on federal funding of stem cell research, which Reagan correctly said may be 'the greatest medical breakthrough in our or in any lifetime.'" (Editorial, "Regan Makes His Point," San Antonio Express-News, 7/29/04)

The Plain Dealer (Cleveland): "The Bush Ban On Embryonic Stem Cell Research." "Ron Reagan, the outspoken son of the late Republican President Ronald Reagan, made a case for ending the Bush ban on embryonic stem cell research that might cure Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and other illnesses." (Stephen Koff, "For Party Faithful, Visions Of Hope," The [Cleveland] Plain Dealer, 7/28/04)

Orlando Sentinel: "President Bush's Ban On New Embryonic Stem-Cell Research." "He also called for increasing research into cures for debilitating diseases and for overturning President Bush's ban on new embryonic stem-cell research." (Robyn Shelton, "Kerry Vows To Overhaul Health Care," Orlando Sentinel, 7/27/04)

Kansas City Star: "Third Anniversary Of President Bush's Decision To Limit Federal Embryonic Stem Cell Research."[/i] "The Kerry campaign is marking the third anniversary of President Bush's decision to limit federal embryonic stem cell research by questioning the administration's commitment to science." ("Democrats Criticize Stem Cell Restrictions," The Kansas City Star, 8/8/04)

Jolie Rouge · 10-04-2004, 04:30 PM

Kerry Promotes Expanded Stem Cell Research]
By MARY DALRYMPLE

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/sto...41.htm&sc=1131

HAMPTON, N.H. (AP) - Democratic Sen. John Kerry said Monday that President Bush has sacrificed hopes for disease cures offered by stem cell research to ``extreme right-wing ideology.''

The Democratic presidential candidate, with actor and activist Michael J. Fox, promised to fund more embryonic stem cell research with federal money if elected. A new campaign ad says it's time to ``lift the political barriers'' blocking the exploration of stem cell therapies.

``The hard truth is that when it comes to stem cell research, this president is making the wrong choice to sacrifice science for extreme right-wing ideology,'' Kerry said.

Kerry criticized Bush's decision to prohibit federal funding for research on embryonic stem cell lines created after Aug. 9, 2001. Some religious and conservative organizations oppose such research because days-old embryos are destroyed in the process.

Kerry called it ``a far-reaching ban on federal funding for stem cell research, tying the hands of our scientists, driving some of them away from America.''

Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, told voters gathered in a high school gym that Bush had ``so restricted the stem cell lines available to us that it was kind of like he gave us a car and no gas and congratulated himself for giving us the car.''

The Bush-Cheney campaign said the president's decision represents a federal commitment to using the promise of stem cell research in an ethical way.

``John Kerry's attacks on stem cell research are trying to mislead the American people by implying a ban that doesn't exist,'' said spokesman Steve Schmidt.

Bush limited federal funding of embryonic stem cell research to the 78 stem cell lines in existence on Aug. 9, 2001. Only a fraction of those initial 78 stem cell lines - 21 at last count - are yet available to researchers because of problems with the lines' growth or their ownership. In March, a National Institutes of Health count cast doubt on how many ultimately would be usable.

Kerry promises $100 million a year flowing into the research and strict ethical oversight.

The Massachusetts senator gets some of his biggest cheers at campaign rallies when he promises to fund more stem cell research, one aspect of a pledge to increase federal support of science.

Ticking off a list of scientific and environmental issues - water quality, air quality, global warming, high-tech jobs - Kerry said the president repeatedly ignores science and fact in favor of politics.

``This underscores, in my judgment, the perils of having the president who turns his back on science in favor of ideology and as a result abandons millions of Americans' hopes,'' he said.

Kerry also gave an abbreviated version of his typical stump speech to the high school students in an assembly decorated with campaign banners.

Stem cell research got national political attention this summer when President Reagan died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease and his wife and son Ron urged the administration to lift the funding restrictions. Kerry was among 58 senators who asked Bush to relax his policy.

Voters in California will be asked whether they support a proposition to borrow $3 billion and fund human embryonic stem cell research and cloning projects designed solely for therapeutic purposes. Fox has been active in efforts to pass the proposition along with other research initiatives.

Stem cells are master cells that can turn into all the cells, tissues and organs in the human body. Scientists believe they hold promise for treating many diseases.

On the Net:

Kerry campaign: www.johnkerry.com

Bush campaign: www.georgewbush.com

10/04/04 13:00

Jolie Rouge · 10-07-2004, 12:29 PM

Beyond the mirage of cell science
By Gregory M. Lamb

Microscopic embryonic stem cells might hold the answer to afflictions from baldness, wrinkles, and age spots to the most intractable diseases.
Or they might be a medical mirage, a tempting oasis of healing on a horizon that never grows closer.

This fall, as entities ranging from California to the United Nations prepare to make major decisions about the future of stem-cell research, American public opinion has swung strongly in favor of the technology. But just as medical research has created breakthroughs in physical treatments, it has also led doctors - and the public - down blind alleys.

It's not yet clear which path stem-cell research will follow. It is, however, certain that it will spark more political fireworks than any medical technology in at least a quarter century.

"Americans love medical technology," says Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy and management at Harvard University who tracks public attitudes toward medicine. But embryonic stem cells have become linked to the abortion debate - "the single biggest, most contentious issue in American society," he adds. That alone makes the issue unique.

To be sure, those in the field are pretty sure they're onto something exciting. "There's absolutely nothing we've seen so far to suggest that this cannot be done," Dr. Douglas Melton, a leading stem-cell researcher at Harvard University, said at an international conference on stem-cell research in Boston in June.

But others remember a cautionary tale from the mid-1990s: "gene therapy" aimed at replacing, manipulating, or supplementing human genes that were not working with healthy genes.

"When it [gene therapy] was first proposed, it was going to be the way to fix everything," says Josephine Johnston, a bioethicist at the Hastings Center, a nonprofit bioethics research institute in Garrison, N.Y. Advocates announced that treatments based on genetic manipulation would be available no later than the turn of the millennium. But by 2004, not one had reached the market, while many human test subjects had suffered adverse effects. Several died.

For the moment, US public opinion is moving in favor of stem-cell research, especially after pleas from the wife and son of former President Reagan, whose battle with Alzheimer's disease raised the question whether the nascent technology might have provided a cure.

The swing in the polls is a boon for proponents, because major decisions about the technology's future loom. In October, the United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote whether to adopt a ban on all human cloning, backed by the Bush administration. Or it might ban only reproductive cloning and allow so-called therapeutic cloning, which creates stem cells.

On Nov. 2, Californians will vote on a ballot initiative to provide $3 billion in state funds for stem-cell research. Proponents, including billionaire Bill Gates, have contributed more than $10 million to push its passage, suggesting that it will be a boon to the state and lead to breakthroughs that the federal government has refused to underwrite.

Supported by antiabortion advocates, the Bush administration has restricted federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research to a series of stem-cell lines created before Aug. 9, 2001. (Scientists are also studying stem cells from adults and the blood from the umbilical cords of newborns. While showing promise, these may have limited therapeutic abilities.) Fewer than 20 of the original 78 embryonic stem-cell lines have proven useful to scientists, who argue they need access to many, many more to conduct meaningful research.

Opponents of therapeutic cloning, which uses cells from human embryos, say it amounts to murder because the embryos are destroyed in the process.

These embryonic stem cells can grow into all types of cells and tissues found in the body. Scientists say if they learn how to direct their growth, stem cells could be used to combat a host of intractable diseases.

Those who see a bright future for stem cells don't look to gene therapy but to in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a possible model. On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown became the first baby born using the then-controversial technique, in which conception takes place outside the womb. Critics called IVF unnatural, dangerous, and a threat to family life. But in the following quarter century, IVF has become widely used and accepted and now is considered a relatively safe medical procedure.

Ironically, IVF produces excess human embryos that clinics routinely destroy. Yet there has been little public outcry "because that technology is so popular that it would be political suicide to try to close in vitro fertilization clinics," says Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. There may be some 400,000 such embryos in clinics around the world.

The IVF experience suggests that religious and moral opposition to embryonic stem-cell research might fade only after it produces a useful therapy.

However hard it is to gauge the probability of success, many people are already weighing the costs of research against potential benefits. Besides California voters deciding whether to invest in stem cells, venture capitalists are backing a number of biotech firms. The lure of finding a miraculous healing agent makes the investment attractive.

"I can find no example where over the long term we have not moved ahead for research for cures of major diseases," says Dr. Blendon at Harvard. When people are polled about stem cells, he says, if the question mentions that the research might produce cures for well-known diseases, the number of people who say they support it zooms to a strong majority.

The potential for stem cells "is enormous," but there are countless twists and turns left on the path to harnessing them, adds Ann Parson, author of the new book "The Proteus Effect: Stem Cells and Their Promise for Medicine." "The amount of biology that we have to learn to turn that embryonic stem cell into a cell of one's choosing is huge. I personally wonder if it's not going to take one or two life times to see."

"There's a sort of idea in science that if you search long enough and hard enough, you'll find a solution to everything, especially in medicine," bioethicist Johnston says. "But that doesn't always pan out." She sees some parallels between the promise of stem cells and the search for an AIDS vaccine that after two decades remains undiscovered.

Furor over stem cells

• Embryonic stem cells form in the first days after conception and eventually turn into all the cells, tissues, and organs in the human body. Scientists hope to use these in the treatment of a wide range of ailments.

• Adult stem cells - donated by humans - are extracted from bone marrow or umbilical blood and have been used to fight disease for many years.

• By one count, 24 countries have flexible or permissive laws on embryonic stem cells, including China, Russia, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom.

• In November, voters in Switzerland and California will vote on measures to regulate or support such research.

Source: William Hoffman

Sci/Tech > Computers & Technology
from the September 16, 2004 edition
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0916/p13s02-stct.html