Now that normal skin cells can be made to mimic embryonic stem cells, you’d think that the big push to keep destroying embryos and the ethical considerations that accompany it would pretty much die out. You’d be wrong. Michael J. Fox, one of the more vocal and visible players advocating embryonic stem cell research, will have none of that.
MENOUNOS: Tell me what that does to Parkinson’s and how exciting that was for you?
FOX: Well any of these breakthroughs are fantastic. And it’s just thrilling. And at the same time too we don’t want to discontinue the embryonic stem cell research that’s being done because one begat the other and, and it all becomes part of a broad canvas that we want to continue to work on.
In the name of some ephemeral “broad canvas”, Fox simply won’t let go of his emotional tie (how else to explain it) to actual embryos. Science could very well get rid of the need to deal with the ethical and moral entanglement, but Fox won’t cut the umbilical cord.
MENOUNOS: Do you think that this will end the whole hot button issue of stem cell research?
FOX: Well I want to make sure that we, that, that doesn’t happen. But I think that the bottom line is whatever happens in the next election, the chances are very good that there’s gonna be a new attitude towards science.
Sounds to me like it’s Fox who needs to new attitude. Science is progressing, George W. Bush’s stand against destroying embryos has been vindicated, but Fox is stuck in his ways and his politics.
FOX: Well just about everybody’s in favor of it with the couple of exceptions on the, on the Republican side. But, but what I did in the last election in the midterm was not about parties but, but about who was in a race where they supported stem cell research and, and were, were opposed by someone who’s not in favor of stem cell research.
MENOUNOS: Who are you backing this election?
FOX: Whoever the most pro-science candidate is that comes out of either primary.
Turns out that Dubya’s faith in science — that it would find a way around destroying embryos — is the most pro-science of them all. Too bad he’s not running for re-election, eh Michael?
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2 users commented in " Emotionally Tied to Embryonic Stem Cells "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackFox has it right! The reality is that these new cells derived from skin are still very much unknown as to their potential. It may very well mitigate the need to destroy embryos in the distant future but it may take 5-10 years to figure this out. What he says is exactly what both of the researchers that developed these new cells are saying. Embryonic Stem Cell research should continue until these new cells can truly be tested and have all of the same properties of ESC. Even Dr. Thompson who created the cells says, Bush’s policies have set back stem cell research 4 to 5 years and counting and ESC research should continue.
All avenues of research needs to continue to save lives and cure the ill. I think what can be taken from this research is that future treatments with non-embryonic stem cells may be possible. I do think that this new procedure has made it much less likely treatments will use ESC’s in the future but I do believe that the research with ESC’s must continue so as not to stall potential cures.
Setting back stem cell research 4 years is a small price to pay for what would’ve been the likely outcome otherwise; no research finding this new source of stem cells and the encouraging of folks to sacrifice thousands or millions more small lives to science. If it can be done without the ethical and moral problems, it should be done that way.
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