Thursday, August 25, 2005
Profit Motive for Embryonic Stem Cells
From American Thinker
I've been trying to understand why, despite the overwhelming evidence that adult stem cells are a better practical and ethical solution, ESCR is receiving such heavy support from the media, researchers and politicians. I've considered the affinity to the pro-abortion movement, and the foot-in-the-door to cloning, but this article points to an addition motivation:
Yet another reason has emerged why there is incessant pressure for embryonic stem cell research, despite mounting evidence of its inferiority to adult stem cell research, in testimony before a Senate Committee on July 14, 2004. After discussing the cases of the two paralyzed young women who were now walking after adult stem cell treatment in Portugal, Dr.Jean Peduzzi-Nelson pointed out that an embryonic stem cell product could become patentable and potentially yield enormous profits. But an adult stem cell therapy, in which the patient’s own cells were used, could not produce a patentable procedure or product according to current laws.
Funding for stem cell research is a zero-sum game. What ever goes to ESCR is taken away from adult stem cell research. That the promise of vastly more effective adult stem cell research is being elbowed aside by ESCR so some company can make a profit in the distant future seems criminal to me. And our tax dollars are contributing to this. Let's stop funding this boondoggle and put the money to work on cures that will be available sooner.
I've been trying to understand why, despite the overwhelming evidence that adult stem cells are a better practical and ethical solution, ESCR is receiving such heavy support from the media, researchers and politicians. I've considered the affinity to the pro-abortion movement, and the foot-in-the-door to cloning, but this article points to an addition motivation:
Yet another reason has emerged why there is incessant pressure for embryonic stem cell research, despite mounting evidence of its inferiority to adult stem cell research, in testimony before a Senate Committee on July 14, 2004. After discussing the cases of the two paralyzed young women who were now walking after adult stem cell treatment in Portugal, Dr.Jean Peduzzi-Nelson pointed out that an embryonic stem cell product could become patentable and potentially yield enormous profits. But an adult stem cell therapy, in which the patient’s own cells were used, could not produce a patentable procedure or product according to current laws.
Funding for stem cell research is a zero-sum game. What ever goes to ESCR is taken away from adult stem cell research. That the promise of vastly more effective adult stem cell research is being elbowed aside by ESCR so some company can make a profit in the distant future seems criminal to me. And our tax dollars are contributing to this. Let's stop funding this boondoggle and put the money to work on cures that will be available sooner.
papijoe 6:44 AM
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