Fetal Stem Cell Research
18 July 2006Congress is set to pass, and President Bush is threatening to veto, H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which “…sanctions federal funding of research involving embryonic stem cells “harvested” from embryos stored in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics.” Well meaning individuals on both sides of the aisle are denouncing the president for “ignoring science” and demonstrating how much control the “right wing” of the party has. But rarely are issues clear cut and this is no exception.
Much like the debate over funding of AIDS research during the Reagan era, fetal stem cell research has degenerated into an almost purely political issue. AIDS research ended up taking far more federal dollars that any other disease even though a number of other diseases, including heart disease, took far more lives each year that did AIDS. The debate and the funding were never driven by science. They were driven by politics and the same is now true for fetal stem cell research.
There are legitimate debates to be engaged in regarding the moral and ethical considerations of fetal stem cell research. Unfortunately, these debates are bypassed in favor of demagoguery and disinformation. So let me take this opportunity to point out some of the misconceptions, disinformation and myths surrounding this issue.
Myth #1
Without government funding there will be no fetal stem cell research.
This little myth is happily propagated by those who would use such research as a political tool, The reality is that fetal stem cell research is going on today without government funding. And government restrictions on fetal stem cell research only apply to government funded research, not private research. Indeed, where the promise of a return is greatest, there you will find the bulk of private investment.
So where do we find most private investment in stem cell research? Here’s a hint, it isn’t fetal stem cell research. Rather, it is in adult stem cell research. For those who believe in capitalism, this is as it should be. When fetal stem cell research genuinely shows promise, private investments will pour in like rain.
Myth #2
Fetal stem cell research promises fantastic cures for everything from Alzheimer’s to spinal cord injuries.
Fetal stem cell research may or may not ultimately produce cure or therapies for these and other diseases. The promises made, however, have little scientific support. There is no evidence that spinal cord injuries like Christopher Reeve’s could be cured through this research. Again, it is possible but not likely. Adult stem cell research, on the other hand, is already producing usable therapies by the dozens.
For example, in Portugal adult nasal stem cells have been used to successfully treat spinal cord injuries. “Six out of seven patients regained certain muscle functions and feeling after treatment.”
In another example “islet cells from the pancreases of deceased human donors” was used to treat diabetes in 250 patients. In over 80% of those patients insulin treatments were no longer needed for at least a year.
Parkinson’s Disease has been successfully treated using “brain injections of a natural body chemical known as glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).” 61% of those treated experienced improvement in their ability to deal with daily tasks more than a year later.
Adult stem cell research isn’t just promising, it is delivering results. Fetal stem cell research, on the other hand, still makes great promises with no results after years of private research. Indeed, private money is shrinking for fetal stem cell research precisely because it is not producing results.
As I said before, there are debates to have about the moral and ethical implications of fetal stem cell research. But the debate today should be about what is the best use of federal dollars, dollars that come out of your pocket and mine. Based on the facts I can’t see how spending my tax dollars on fetal stem cell research is a good investment.
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October 6th, 2006 at 9:31 am
[...] Broadening stem cell research will certainly be doable and it will be equally ineffective. Billions of our tax dollars will go into the black hole that is fetal stem cell research. I’ve written before about the pipe dream this research is, as evidenced by the lack of private money flowing into it. [...]