Bailing Out Bad Science

IBD Editorials ^ | March 9, 2009

[Kaslin]

Bioethics: The president keeps a promise by lifting restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research — what he calls "the gold standard" of such research. Judging by results, fool's gold is more like it.

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During the 2008 presidential campaign, then-Sen. Barack Obama said: "I believe that the restrictions that President Bush has placed on funding of human embryonic stem cell research have handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations."

With all due respect, that is nonsense. With Obama lifting the restrictions on Monday, we will now be federally funding research that has yet to produce a single therapy or a single treatment of an actual human being, at least one that works. It has generated a lot of hope but very little change. It is he who is putting ideology over science.

What has handcuffed our scientists is the difficulty of controlling embryonic stem cells and what they develop into. They're called pluripotent because they can develop into any type of human tissue, sometimes all at once.

Embryonic stem cells have a tendency to develop into one of the most primitive and terrifying forms of cancer, a tumor called a teratoma. Adult stem cells don't have that problem.

Recently the family of an Israeli boy suffering from a lethal genetic brain disease sought a solution in the form of injections of fetal stem cells. These injections apparently triggered tumors in the boy's brain and spinal cord.

[Steely Tom]

Scientists don’t want this. Planned parenthood wants this.

[autumnraine]

I have a feeling people have put so much faith into this snake oil remedy that they will be jumping at the chance to have fetal cells implanted thinking they are some sort of fountain of youth. 1000 years from now (if our species makes it that long) they will find out how we would inject ourselves with fetuses for a cure or to be younger or whatever they can figure out from this madness.

So when people are dropping off like flies from a virulent form of cancer, it will still somehow, be Bush’s fault.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

“we will now be federally funding research that has yet to produce a single therapy or a single treatment of an actual human being, at least one that works.”

Nothing attracts federal investment like repeated failure.

[ml/nj]

Speaking of "gold standards," how 'bout we try that again for the economic mess we're in?

ML/NJ

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Every breakthrough in (adult) stem cell research will now be credited to Obama. The MSM won't distinguish between adult and embryonic stem cells & the masses won't think to ask.

[Doctor Don]

Planned Parenthood, alias baby killers, wants to sell the aborted fetuses.

[RobbyS]

Scientists don’t want this. Planned parenthood wants this. They want the federal money to find deadend experimentation. But you are right" this has always been about abortion.,

[GladesGuru]

Decades ago, people were injecting themselves with monkey glands. Now the ‘in’ injection is stem cells.

[Lexinom]

Much of what is clothed with this sacred, august mantle of "science" today is little more than superstition, just like money glands, just like Ptolomy's spheres.

Stick with axioms, theories, and what can be observed, measured, and repeated, and you're doing real science.