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The Unconscionable Claims of Michael J. Fox
The American Thinker ^ | October 25th, 2006 | Mary L. Davenport, MD

Posted on 10/25/2006 7:05:56 AM PDT by veronica

The popular and appealing actor Michael J. Fox has taken to the airwaves in Senate battleground states Missouri, Maryland, and New Jersey with a highly misleading ad urging defeat of Republican Senatorial candidates opposing the use of taxpayer dollars to fund new embryonic stem cell line research. He states,

“Stem cell research offers hope to millions of Americans with diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s…. But George Bush and Michael Steele would put limits on the most promising stem cell research.”

Mr. Fox and his ads’ sponsors are guilty of conflating embryonic stem cell research, which the GOP candidates and many Americans oppose for destroying a human life in the name of curing other people’s diseases, with stem cell research in general, which includes adult stem cell research and umbilical cord blood stem cell research.

The only limits in question are on federal funding of new embryonic stem cell lines, requiring the sacrifice of new embryos. Private and state-funded research (California voters are spending six billion dollars borrowing money to fund this) is ongoing. The implicit claim that research based on new embryos is “the most promising” is absurd, completely unsupported by the scientific literature, and an insult to voters, based as it is on the assumption that they are incapable of understanding the issue. Too stupid to tell the difference, is the elitist assumption underlying this campaign.

Flim-flam is a charitable description. Why would federally-funded research be more promising than state- and privately-funded research? And on what possible basis can the claim be made that embryonic stem cell research is more promising than adult stem cell research?

The plain fact is that embryonic stem cell research is proving to be a bust. There are currently 72 therapies showing human benefits using adult stem cells and zero using embryonic stem cells. Scientifically-minded readers can review this medical journal article on the status of adult stem cell research. while no such treatments are even remotely in prospect for embryonic stem cell research.

The fact is that adult stem cells have already produced remarkable cures, whereas embryonic stem cells have failed. This should come as no great surprise to anyone with a background in high school biology. When an embryo is created by the union of the sperm and egg, the cells begin to divide, creating embryonic stem cells from which all future tissues and organs are derived. Within days, the embryonic cells differentiate into three cell layers – ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Cells in these layers continue to differentiate into tissues and organs. As the embryo matures into a fetus, child, and adult, some undifferentiated cells of the three types remain in various tissues such as bone marrow, fat, skin and olfactory tissue.

These adult stem cells are multipotent: they have the ability to turn into a variety of types of tissues. Successful stem cell therapies cause the DNA in the adult stem cells to further differentiate into more specific types of cells. There is no point in getting the adult stem cell to turn into a less differentiated type of cell, or using the more primitive embryonic stem cells. This would be going backward, in the opposite direction of providing a clinically useful therapy. Difficulties abound with proposed embryonic stem cell therapies. The growth of the more primitive embryonic stem cells is more difficult to control and leads to tumor formation. Recent research suggests brain tumors may result. Additionally, the use of embryonic tissue foreign to the patient can potentially lead to problems with immune rejection of tissue, a problem not encountered in using a patient’s own adult stem cells.

America is the most formidable medical research center in the world, but it is far from alone in pursuing the potential of adult stem cells. The worldwide effort is impressive and growing. For non-adult stem cell research, a morally unquestionable alternative source exists: stem cells drawn from umbilical cord blood. Already a bank exists in Dubai collecting cord blood stem cells.

In short, the claims made in the Michael J. Fox political ads are false and reprehensible, an insult to the voters of Maryland, Missouri and New Jersey, and to all Americans.

Mary L. Davenport, MD is an obstetrician and gynecologist, and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: escr; michaeljfox; stemcells
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To: rochester_veteran
In the article, it gets even more objectionable:

In this experiment, however, Dr. Goldman and his team overcame the volume problem by tricking the embryonic stem cells into behaving like they were growing in the developing brain. To do this, they harvested glial, or brain-support cells, from the precise brain region of an aborted fetus that would, at 11 to 22 weeks gestation, trigger the development of the dopamine neurons needed

41 posted on 10/25/2006 8:46:37 AM PDT by ghost of nixon
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To: veronica

Once again proving Ann Coulter's claim that Dems put out victims so when we attack the MESSAGE, we're meanies. I'm surpised how much play this is getting, though.


42 posted on 10/25/2006 8:47:24 AM PDT by Hildy
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To: Hildy
I'm surpised how much play this is getting, though.

The Foley thing has run its course.

43 posted on 10/25/2006 9:00:09 AM PDT by veronica (http://www.freerepublic.com/~starcmc/)
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Find later bump


44 posted on 10/25/2006 9:00:46 AM PDT by listenhillary (Islam = Religion of peace. If you say otherwise, we'll kill you!)
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To: Hildy

You have FReepmail.


45 posted on 10/25/2006 9:03:22 AM PDT by veronica (http://www.freerepublic.com/~starcmc/)
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To: Alberta's Child

or that Muslims are our friends and they want to be nice and play with us!


46 posted on 10/25/2006 9:31:54 AM PDT by GulfWar1Vet (I will not submit to Islam. Too bad that the Democrats already have. Have you submitted to Islam?)
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To: veronica
By the way.
I E-Mailed Bill O'Riley and suggested he get the facts before he runs with a story based on MSM rumor.
47 posted on 10/25/2006 10:01:32 AM PDT by Nav_Mom
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To: TexasCajun

The ABC Morning program was one long hit piece on Republicans. ...not one negative about the Democrats.

On that same theme, have you caught any of the CNN
"Broken Government" segments...OMG you'd think the GOP are a mafia hit squad with Keystone Cops running the entire show. And of course America can't be saved unless the Democrats win. (gag)


48 posted on 10/25/2006 10:04:05 AM PDT by Nav_Mom
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To: GodBlessUSA

can't believe we live in a world where we have to defend against using the miracle of life for scientific experiments. God, please help us.


The culture of Death Democrats. Unless of course its American soldiers being shot by snipers or used as a tally to sensationalize the Death Toll in Iraq. i.e. Why the war is a failure. Blood thirsty pricks. ~!@#$%^&*(~!@#$%^&*()_


49 posted on 10/25/2006 10:06:32 AM PDT by Nav_Mom
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To: Mo1

excellent link Thank you


50 posted on 10/25/2006 10:07:04 AM PDT by Nav_Mom
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To: Rummyfan
They always get 'the right to say what he wants' confused with immunity from criticism and rebuttal.

Witness: Cindy Sheehan, The Jersey Girls, So called Vets like Kerry, Murtha etc etc etc
51 posted on 10/25/2006 10:09:26 AM PDT by Nav_Mom
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To: polymuser
Michael, the newest neoliberal saint/martyr (pawn). Bye, Cindy.

Or, the latest Millionaire Limo Lib who wants his cure funded by the average American Tax payer.
52 posted on 10/25/2006 10:11:16 AM PDT by Nav_Mom
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To: Pookyhead

According to certain AIDS activists, Ronald Reagan caused them to have the disease. The "residentially challenged" activists and their MSM shills also made outlandish claims about the number and causes of homelessness in America, blaming Reagan for that problem, as well. I guess homelessness was solved by BJ Clinton, since we heard almost nothing about it almost from the day he was inaugurated. Yep, those Democrats are miracle workers.


53 posted on 10/25/2006 10:47:29 AM PDT by attiladhun2 (Islam is a despotism so vile that it would warm the heart of Orwell's Big Brother)
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To: veronica

The voters here in California were stupid enough to buy into this crap so now they're looking for more stupid people to give them more money. Stupid people.


54 posted on 10/25/2006 10:52:05 AM PDT by rbosque
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To: Nav_Mom

THE DEMOCRAT PARTY--THE POLITICAL WING OF THE CULTURE OF DEATH!


55 posted on 10/25/2006 10:52:39 AM PDT by attiladhun2 (Islam is a despotism so vile that it would warm the heart of Orwell's Big Brother)
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To: rbosque

Not this CA voter.


56 posted on 10/25/2006 10:54:03 AM PDT by attiladhun2 (Islam is a despotism so vile that it would warm the heart of Orwell's Big Brother)
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To: veronica

Why can't a person with a disease get political about an unrelated cause? Why are these a-holes so self serving?

Even Larry Flint had more ethics than Christopher Reeve and MJ Fox. Check out the comments on this lefty site regarding Flint.

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?p=550141


57 posted on 10/25/2006 11:01:11 AM PDT by RGSpincich
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To: veronica

WHY can't these bozos get the fact that ADULT stem cells are working, but not EMBRYONIC????


58 posted on 10/25/2006 12:27:45 PM PDT by Marysecretary (Thank you, Lord, for FOUR MORE YEARS!!!)
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To: attiladhun2

Me neither.


59 posted on 10/25/2006 12:51:34 PM PDT by rbosque
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To: veronica; Coleus; Peach; airborne; Asphalt; Dr. Scarpetta; I'm ALL Right!; StAnDeliver; ovrtaxt; ...
Current Science of Regenerative Medicine with Stem Cells

This was linked at the original article. Although it's a pdf link, it's a pretty good summary of regenerative medicine with all types of stem cells.

60 posted on 10/25/2006 2:50:38 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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