Boloney. If the private sector wants to do stem cell research, they can...just not with federal monies. If it's so promising, why aren't they doing it? A cure for any disease is worth untold gazillions.
Or, is this like the fetal tissue research claims from 10 years ago...THAT went no where fast with no breakthroughs.
Two possibilities.
(1) Human fetal stem cells don't look like they have much promise in actually curing disease.
(2) There could be a backlash against companies that perform this research by both stock holders and potential customers. Remember RU-486? None of the existing pharmaceutical companies wanted to touch it even with a robotic arm. They were afraid of boycotts being organized against their other products. Recently vaccine companies have had similar problems. Apparently some vaccines like the Rubella vaccine are manufacutred from viruses isolated from aborted fetuses. Other vaccines for viruses are made from viruses cultured in cell lines from aborted fetuses. Acambis changed its plans for using such a cell line for manufacturing new batches of smallpox vaccine for the US government after receiving complaints.
>If it's so promising, why aren't they doing it? A cure for >any disease is worth untold gazillions.
When I've brought this up to liberals, I typically get the "pharmecutical companies don't want to find a cure, they make money on medications!!"