Politics fueled stem cell research misappropriations

Politics fueled stem cell research misappropriations

Excerpted from "Democrats' embryonic stem cell strategy hits scientific wall," The Daily Caller, December 4, 2011--The Democrats' decade-long strategy of hyping embryo stem cell research crashed into a hard fact on Nov. 15. That's when Geron Corp., the world's leading embryo research company, announced it was closing down its much-touted stem cell program, despite the guarantee of more government aid from Democratic-affiliated sources.

The political battle waged over embryonic stem cell research burst onto the front pages in 2001, when many reporters and scientists began touting stem cells as medical miracles that would offer cures for Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson’s and other diseases.

From 2000 onwards, "Democrats and liberals were hyping the research absurdly," Princeton professor Robert George, a member of President George. W. Bush's Council on Bioethics, told The Daily Caller. "There was no real prospect of therapeutic uses of [Geron's] embryonic stem cells."

University of Pennsylvania bioethics professor Art Caplan agreed. "Companies like Geron tried to attract investors by over promising."

The end of Geron's embryo stem cell work now leaves the stem cell field dominated by two other types of stem cells. Both are supported by social conservatives, and both were derided by Democrats and many reporters.

The leading stem cell technology is found in many hospitals, where doctors and surgeons use cells found in patients' own organs. Those "adult stem cells" can be stimulated to regenerate damaged hearts and other organs. It is sufficiently reliable that insurance companies green-light its use for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, lupus and many other ailments, and it is cheered by social conservatives and religious groups because it improves medical treatments without killing human embryos.

The second type is called IPS stem cell technology. It was developed by Japanese researchers in 2007, and uses a surprisingly simple cocktail of human biochemicals to make ordinary cells, such as skin cells, revert into embryo-like cells. IPS stands for "induced pluripotent stem cells." IPS cells are not used for transplants. Instead, they are grown into clumps of kidney cells, brain cells, heart cells or whatever is required. This technology promises to help bring new drugs to market in record time, at a lower cost and with fewer side effects.


CMDA CEO David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics): "As I've watched the situation surrounding embryonic stem cells unfold, I've thought more than once of the passage, 'For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil' (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV 1984). Avarice has driven many scientists to make ludicrous promises of miracle cures just around the corner if they just had research funds. After more than a decade, these modern-day alchemists seeking patents and notoriety have not been able to turn lead into gold. The public, rightly miffed, is increasingly asking, 'Where are the cures?'

"Some scientists, like Ian Wilmut, the cloner of the sheep Dolly, are abandoning this pseudoscientific vaudeville. He is publically urging his fellow researchers to abandon embryonic stem cell research, admitting that it has little promise and leads to the development of tumors. He now advocates the direct reprogramming of somatic cells avoiding the embryonic stage altogether.¹

"Other prominent advocates have quietly exited the stage, but some diehards refuse to do so. Millionaire Silicon Valley real estate developer Bob Klein funded the ballot drive in 2004 in California to create a $3 billion state slush fund to finance ESC research to 'take politics out of science and focus on cures.' He then had himself appointed chairman of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine tasked with spending the money. Six years later in 2010, after spending more than half of the borrowed money, he admitted that any cures were years if not decades away. He then proposed to ask debt-ridden California voters to approve another $3 billion bond measure in 2014 when present funding expires.²

"It is obvious that true believers in ESC research still hope to find fame and fortune. Their greed and blind faith have led to their folly. The facts are as clear as they were a decade ago. ESC research is immoral, impractical and unnecessary."

¹Stem Cell Essays

²Custom Briefings


Resources
CMDA Ethics Statement - Stem Cell Research

CMDA Resources on Stem Cell Research